From India to Europe to the Middle East, Calgary Economic Development (CED) has been on the ground in key global markets — building relationships, unlocking investment and helping Calgary companies compete internationally.
This work happens in two ways: foreign direct investment (FDI) missions, which bring capital and companies into Calgary, and trade missions, which help local companies expand into global markets. Both are focused on sectors where Calgary has a clear competitive advantage — including energy, aerospace, technology, agribusiness and creative industries — and on markets with the highest potential to create jobs and opportunity for Calgarians.
In a more volatile global economy, this is how Calgary stays competitive, attracts capital and creates new pathways for growth.
Here’s where that work took us in the first quarter of 2026:
L-R: Calgary Economic Development's President & CEO, Brad Parry; Vice-President of Trade and Investor Relations, Megan Zimmerman; Director of Business Development, Chelsea Hallick; and Board Director Harish Consul during an investment attraction trip to India in January 2026.
Energy, cleantech and transition
Calgary is a global energy hub, with deep expertise across conventional and emerging energy, alongside growing strength in cleantech and decarbonization.
India | Investment Attraction Mission
Calgary returned to India for its first FDI mission since 2020, advancing opportunities across technology and energy while strengthening relationships with major investors already active in Calgary, including Mphasis, Wipro and Infosys.
Across five cities and more than 30 targeted meetings, the team identified opportunities tied to more than 1,500 potential jobs and $200 million in investment value. Several companies have already confirmed visits to Calgary for Stampede and the Global Energy Show — a strong signal of follow-through.
This builds on past successes in the market, where sustained engagement has helped attract major employers like Mphasis and Infosys to Calgary.
Japan | Energy Transition Asia Roadshow + Nano Tech 2026
In Japan, CED advanced Calgary’s leadership role in the low carbon future through the Energy Transition Asia Roadshow, engaging partners across Asia on collaboration opportunities tied to diversification and the full energy spectrum.
Alongside this, CED supported six companies at Nano Tech 2026 — one of the world’s leading nanotechnology exhibitions — connecting Calgary-based innovators in advanced materials and deep tech with commercialization opportunities through B2B meetings and site visits.
Houston | CERAWeek
At CERAWeek 2026 — one of the world’s premier energy conferences — CED met with global companies and industry leaders to promote investment opportunities and reinforce Calgary’s role as Canada’s energy capital.
Discussions focused on energy expansion and diversification, alongside a full-spectrum approach that includes decarbonization. Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic Development, also participated in the World Energy Cities Partnership board meeting and spoke on a global energy innovation panel.
CED team members and trade mission participants at Singapore Airshow in February.
Aerospace and advanced manufacturing
Calgary’s aerospace sector is gaining global attention. With recent expansions from organizations like Lufthansa Technik, the industry is supported by strengths in aerospace components and parts manufacturing, MRO, unmanned systems and a growing talent pipeline.
Singapore | Singapore Airshow
At the Singapore Airshow, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defence events, CED met with global industry leaders, high-growth technology firms and associations to advance investment and partnership opportunities.
The mission positioned Calgary as a North American hub for aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing, generating early-stage interest and follow-up pathways across Asia-Pacific markets.
Paris | Aerospace Talent Attraction Mission
In France, CED showcased Calgary’s aerospace opportunities while connecting with leading institutions, talent and industry organizations, alongside partners from across Canada.
Engagements with universities, talent networks and industry groups helped position Calgary as a destination for aerospace talent, while strengthening relationships within Europe’s broader aerospace ecosystem.
CED attended Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona.
Technology
With a growing tech ecosystem and strong enterprise base, Calgary is home to over 1,000 core tech companies, emerging as a place where companies can scale and compete globally.
Barcelona | Mobile World Congress (MWC)
In partnership with the Government of Alberta, CED supported 20 Alberta companies as they showcased their technologies at Mobile World Congress — the world’s largest mobile tech conference — and connected with international clients, partners and investors.
Beyond B2B meetings and exhibits, the mission created meaningful opportunities to build relationships at networking events and receptions — reinforcing how critical it is for Calgary companies to be present in global markets and conversations.
Las Vegas | Fintech Meetup
At Fintech Meetup in Las Vegas, CED conducted more than 50 meetings with global fintech companies, banks and technology providers, positioning Calgary as an emerging financial services and fintech hub.
In addition to meetings, the team hosted targeted engagements with key clients and participated in networking events to deepen relationships — creating new opportunities for investment, partnerships and ecosystem growth.
CED attended Alimentaria in Barcelona.
Agriculture
With close proximity to nearly 70 per cent of Canada’s total irrigated land and global reach by air, road and rail, the Calgary region is a hotspot for Canadian and global food and technology suppliers, with strengths in primary production, protein development, ag-tech, animal health, food safety and traceability.
Tokyo | FOODEX Japan
CED supported Alberta food, beverage and ingredient companies at FOODEX Japan, helping them engage directly with buyers, distributors and partners in one of Asia’s most competitive food markets.
Through on-the-ground support and market preparation, companies were able to validate demand, refine positioning and gather insights to inform export strategies and future programming. \
Barcelona | Alimentaria
CED advanced Calgary’s agribusiness investment pipeline at Alimentaria, meeting with investment-ready Spanish and European food manufacturers across protein, value-added processing and pet food.
Working alongside federal and provincial partners, the mission generated qualified leads and follow-up pathways with firms exploring North American expansion — strengthening Calgary’s positioning in priority agri-food subsectors.
CED representatives joined partners and international delegates for a trade mission to the World Health Expo in Dubai, building global connections and advancing opportunities for Calgary companies.
Life sciences
Home to over 140 health and life sciences startups, Calgary’s life sciences sector continues to grow, with strengths in biotechnology, digital health, diagnostics, medical devices manufacturing and microbiome research.
Dubai + Saudi Arabia | World Health Expo
CED’s Trade team, alongside the Government of Alberta and regional partners, led a delegation of local companies to the World Health Expo in Dubai and an exploratory mission in Saudi Arabia.
The mission focused on building relationships and opening new pathways for Calgary companies in the rapidly growing Middle East health and life sciences markets, while identifying opportunities for future collaboration and market entry.
Creative industries
Calgary’s creative sector — from film and television to digital media — is attracting international projects with the region’s diversity of locations, competitive incentives, skilled crews and collaborative ecosystem.
Los Angeles | AFCI Studio Summit
CED’s Film Commissioner participated in the Association of Film Commissioners International Studio Summit in Los Angeles, connecting with decision-making executives across major studios and streamers during meetings held on Hollywood’s storied movie lots, along with international partners.
The engagements advanced Calgary’s profile as a premier production destination and helped build a stronger pipeline for studio projects, laying the groundwork to attract new high-value productions from around the world to Alberta.
Berlin | European Film Market (EFM) / Berlinale
The Calgary Film Commission was on the ground at the European Film Market (EFM) during Berlinale 2026, one of the world’s leading film industry gatherings, connecting with producers and partners from across the global screen sector.
Meetings focused on advancing Canada and Alberta co-productions, promoting Canadian incentives for international projects and strengthening interprovincial and international collaboration — helping position Calgary as a competitive destination for global productions and partnerships.
Miami | Realscreen Summit
CED’s Creative Industries team joined Government of Alberta officials and local vendors at Realscreen Summit in Miami, the premier marketplace for the rapidly growing unscripted content sector, including reality TV, competition series and documentary production.
The coordinated mission positioned Calgary as a cost-effective option for international producers, highlighting the region’s production infrastructure and Alberta’s competitive unscripted tax credits while advancing opportunities to attract new projects.
Why Calgary shows up in global markets
This is what economic development looks like in practice.
It’s showing up in global markets before the opportunity is obvious, building relationships that turn into investment and creating real pathways for Calgary companies to grow beyond our borders — and for Calgarians to realize new career opportunities.
It’s also core to Uplook: An Action Plan for Our Economy — strengthening Calgary’s position as an outward-looking, globally connected city that competes and collaborates on the world stage.
Learn more about Calgary’s priority sectors here, and how we support local companies’ global ambitions here.
Explore how Calgary Economic Development supports your growth — connect with our Business Development Managers and meet the team here.