The schedule began with a roundtable discussion with pension funds, investment firms and infrastructure companies, followed by bilateral meetings with EllisDon and Aecon Group Inc.
During the week, additional meetings were held with strategic actors in the sector to deepen bilateral cooperation and promote new infrastructure investment opportunities in Chile.
The agenda included meetings and field visits to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) to review the progress of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) project and learn about policies for engagement with local communities and municipal authorities.
The delegates also toured Burrard Inlet by boat and met with the Chamber of Shipping and the firm SSA Marine.
At Delta Port, they met with DP World, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)—at its Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility (TCEF)—and Alliance Grain Terminal Ltd. to discuss border control technologies, operational efficiency and environmental management.
The mission also included a visit with members of the Vancouver Park Board that was focused on coastal restoration and urban development projects linked to port activity, and a meeting with La Caisse (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec), one of Canada's largest investment funds.
The event brought together leading companies and investors in the infrastructure sector interested in learning about upcoming public tender processes in Chile on projects such as roads, airports, ports, hospitals and water works.
Opening remarks were delivered by Allan Najum, Consul of Chile in Vancouver, Morgan Troke, a partner at McCarthy Tétrault and Patricio Cañete of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service.
Keynote presentations were delivered by Patricio Álvarez (InvestChile), Javiera Perales (Port of Valparaíso) and Fernando Gajardo (Port of San Antonio), followed by a question period.
During the meeting, the presenters highlighted the strength of Chile's public-private partnership (PPP) framework and its international transparency standards and stability, which underpin the long-term confidence of global investors.
Canadian capital is concentrated in mining, energy, finance, infrastructure and telecommunications, all strategic sectors that drive Chile’s economic growth and global competitiveness.
InvestChile’s mission to Canada marked a major step in consolidating bilateral cooperation in public infrastructure and port development.
Working together with the Directorate General of Concessions, the ports of Valparaíso and San Antonio and our Canadian counterparts allowed us not only to exchange best practices in public-private partnership (PPP) models, but also to identify new areas of collaboration in logistics, sustainable infrastructure and advanced port management.