A Background Note in support of the Canada-Singapore AI + Quantum Mission (May 18-22, 2026) and Strategic Roundtable (May 19, 2026) hosted by APF Canada in partnership with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) of Canada and SGTech in Singapore.
By Momo Sakudo and Song Fu
Singapore and Canada are global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging quantum technologies, bringing highly complementary capabilities supported by strong research ecosystems, government investment, and advanced digital economies. Canada’s depth in AI and quantum research, talent, and startups, combined with Singapore’s strengths in digital infrastructure, applied AI deployment, and regulatory innovation, creates a strong foundation for joint leadership in secure, scalable AI and Quantum (AI+Q) applications.
With the rapid development of AI+Q technologies, both countries are approaching an inflection point – quantum computing is moving toward early “quantum advantage,” while AI adoption is accelerating across critical sectors. The convergence of these technologies presents immediate opportunities in the priority areas of:
- Defence and cybersecurity
- Maritime trade and logistics optimization
- Health care and life sciences
This mission and half-day working dialogue aims to bring together senior government officials, industry leaders, and researchers from Canada and Singapore to identify concrete AI+Q collaboration opportunities across the abovementioned priority sectors for Canada and Singapore.
These sectors are strategically important to both countries and represent areas where AI adoption is accelerating today, and quantum technologies are expected to deliver tangible impacts in the near to medium term.
Canada-Singapore AI and Quantum Policy Developments
Celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations, the two countries share a long-standing foundation of trust, strong people-to-people ties, and a commitment to an open, rules-based international order, creating a solid foundation to expand collaboration in emerging and strategic sectors. In May 2024, Canada and Singapore issued a joint statement on bilateral co-operation in science, technology, and innovation, with a focus on areas including AI, digital technologies, biotechnology, green technologies, commercialization, and research collaboration between businesses and institutions. In 2025, the collaboration was further reinforced during a meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong who discussed opportunities to deepen partnerships in trade, energy, defence, cybersecurity, and sovereign technology innovation.
View the full Background Note below, or download the report above.
• Edited by Amanda Doyle, Senior Program Manager, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Networks, APF Canada
