Ontario Concludes Successful Virtual Mission to Japan and South Korea

Photo: Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

TORONTO — Today, the Ontario government concluded a successful virtual mission to Japan and South Korea that showcased the “Ontario Made” advantage in both automotive manufacturing and leading-edge technology.

“The mission was a fantastic opportunity to connect with our friends and partners across Japan and South Korea and build upon our extensive track record of industrial collaboration and technology partnership,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Ontario is the economic engine of Canada, and our ‘Team Ontario’ approach puts our province front and centre for any company seeking to excel in North America as a leader in manufacturing, zero-emissions vehicles, and advanced technologies.”

Highlights of the mission included:

A delegation of eight Ontario autotech companies showcased their pioneering technologies at the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (JSAE) conference, which attracts decision-makers from the global auto industry. The province helped to coordinate business-to-business meetings for the delegate companies, in addition to providing exhibitor space in the virtual Ontario pavilion and market intelligence.

Minister Fedeli delivered keynote presentations at two major events focussing on the global auto industry’s transition to zero-emissions: EV Trend Korea/Interbattery Exhibition 2021 and the Japan auto industry webinar organized by the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Ontario representation at these events was organized by Ontario’s Trade and Investment Offices in Seoul and Tokyo, respectively.

The Minister also met with executives in the automotive, artificial intelligence and technology sectors to highlight Ontario’s strengths as an innovation and growth partner and investment location at the heart of North American markets.

Ontario is uniquely positioned to be a North American hub for developing and building the car of the future:

Second-ranking auto producer in North America (after Michigan)
Second-ranking IT cluster in North America (after California)
An abundance of the critical minerals essential to electric vehicle batteries
Largest cleantech cluster in Canada.

Recently announced investments of almost $6 billion in Ontario assembly operations include $4 billion in transformative investments in electric vehicle production.

“Ontario’s unique strengths as a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles and EV batteries, combined with the increased regional content requirements of NAFTA 2.0, make Ontario a value-added destination for automotive and technology investment,” said Minister Fedeli. “With our new Invest Ontario agency, the welcome mat is truly out for companies to quickly become fully integrated into one of the world’s most skilled and dynamic economies.”

Quick Facts

The Ontario delegation at the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers (JSAE) Automotive Engineering Exposition comprised: Acerta Analytics Solutions, Alcohol Countermeasures Systems, Inmotive, Innovative Automation, Litmus Automation, Martinrea International, Pontonsense/Mercku, and IFIVEO Canada.

Ontario is the only place in North America where five major automakers build vehicles — Honda, Toyota, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — as well as truck manufacturer Hino. Ontario’s auto supply chain comprises over 700 parts firms and over 500 tool, die and mold makers.

Ontario has more than 300 companies and organizations pioneering connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. This ecosystem is strengthened by the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN), which connects the province’s world-leading automotive and technology sectors, high-quality post-secondary institutions, first-class talent and regional infrastructure to support entrepreneurship and create jobs.

Ontario’s 2021 Budget announced further support for the auto sector by investing $56.4 million over the next four years to build on the successful elements of AVIN and create the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN). OVIN’s expanded mandate will help foster the next generation of electric, connected and autonomous vehicle and mobility technologies in Ontario.

In 2020, two-way trade between Ontario and Japan was valued at over $11.9 billion. Japanese foreign direct investment in Canada was $8.7 billion and there are currently 226 Japanese companies operating in Ontario.

In 2020, two-way trade between Ontario and Korea was valued at over $7.1 billion. Korean foreign direct investment in Canada was $3.07 billion and there are currently 28 Korean companies operating in Ontario.