Economic cooperation memorandum of understanding: Ontario and Utah

Memorandum of Understanding

Between

The Province of Ontario, Canada

And

The State of Utah, United States of America

On the establishment of friendly collaborative relations

I. Principles and objectives

Recognizing a mutual desire to further enhance and strengthen economic relations between the Province of Ontario, Canada (Ontario) and the State of Utah, United States of America (Utah) to encourage ongoing dialogue and collaboration, Ontario and Utah (collectively referred to as “the Participants”) hereby jointly agree to establish a friendly collaborative relationship and enter into this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides a framework for the pursuit of these common goals.

II. Areas of collaboration

In the spirit of mutual benefit, the Participants share the intent to collaborate in the following areas:

1. Critical Minerals: This area promotes collaborative projects, research and information exchange for exploring areas such as, but not limited to, critical mineral supply partnerships, mineral processing infrastructure, and mine-technology/innovation.
2. Advanced Manufacturing: This area promotes collaborative projects, research, and information exchange regarding advanced manufacturing, in key sectors such as, but not limited to, aerospace, defense, and automotive batteries. Such cooperation aims to spur manufacturing growth and facilitate cross-border movement of goods and people.
3. Energy: This area centers on developing private and public sector opportunities for collaboration in the energy and energy-infrastructure sectors, with an emphasis on, but not limited to, advanced nuclear technologies, grid modernization, and innovative energy storage solutions. This area will also explore avenues to bolster supply chain and manufacturing opportunities between the Participants.
4. Life Sciences: This area works to advance sub-sectors of life sciences, including biotech, medical devices and diagnostics, laboratory services, and therapeutics. This area will also explore opportunities for cross-border expansion, leveraging biomedical research infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technology.
5. Forestry: This area works to improve productivity, enhance competitiveness, support new market access, and develop new wood-based technologies to support energy production, advanced wood construction, and to address other areas of interest to the Participants. This area could also involve collaborative projects, research, and information exchange regarding forest health, management, restoration, and wildland fire management.
6. Information and Communications Technology: This area encompasses information technology, cybersecurity and AI, as well as engagement and information sharing (subject to applicable laws, confidentiality, and privacy requirements) in areas such as financial technology (FinTech).

III. Forms of collaboration and activities

The Participants have reached the following understanding to each carry out activities including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Domestic Information Seminars or Webinars: To build awareness of opportunities in the partner market, and to assist companies and other organizations in connecting with peers who are experienced in doing business in the partner market.
2. Trade Missions: Coordinating and leading trade missions to the partner market, with a focus on priority sectors, to help companies and institutions gain access to the partner market. The Participants will endeavour to provide in-market support to their respective trade mission delegates for the duration of travel abroad.
3. Information Sharing and Partnerships: Promote business interactions between the partner markets, including mutual exchange of appropriate business delegations and market information, as well as other cooperative activities (subject to applicable laws, confidentiality and privacy requirements). This may include private sector companies and industry bodies cooperating closely to explore further business opportunities (e.g. through trade and investment delegations).
4. Trade Shows and Conferences: The Participants, and organizations from each partner market, may participate in trade shows, conferences, and other major events in the partner market to gain market insights, facilitate sector partnerships, and to raise the economic and innovation profile of their respective jurisdictions.
5. Workforce Development: Share best practices to meet the challenges of creating and training a workforce to meet high-demand, high wage job growth created by innovation across all sectors. The Participants will work together to identify opportunities for strategic partnerships and alliances between public organizations, private sector companies and academic institutions, which will strengthen their capabilities to compete in international markets with a trained and ready workforce. This may include facilitating dialogue through support of conferences, workshops, and other meetings on jointly determined topics, targeting especially, but not exclusively, specialized professionals, young people, start-ups, and small businesses.
6. Regulatory Cooperation: Share best practices that support regulatory frameworks that allow for but are not limited to experimentation and adoption of transformative technologies, reduce regulatory burden on companies, while also being mindful of any consumer protection, confidentiality, safety and privacy concerns that may arise. This may include the sharing of publicly available technical information.
7. Academic Cooperation: Support collaboration between academic and research institutions in Utah and Ontario. This may include encouraging academic and research institutions and the private sector to share information, work together on joint projects (research and development), explore joint training and educational programs (including vocational training), encourage study trips, and conduct professional and academic exchanges.

IV. Working Group

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Center for International Business and Diplomacy, on behalf of Utah, and the Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of Ontario, intend to form a working group (the “Working Group”) to meet periodically to coordinate and apply these activities pursuant to the MOU.

1. The Working Group’s agenda(s) and time and place of meetings will be jointly decided upon by the Participants
2. The Participants intend to share chairing duties for the meeting(s). For meetings, including meetings held by videoconference, with no obvious host, the Participants will aim to jointly decide the chairperson in advance of the meeting.
3. The Participants will conduct an annual review of activities under the MOU to exchange information on progress and to consider future collaboration opportunities. The Working Group would be responsible for undertaking this review, the members of which will update their respective authorized officials accordingly.
4. The Participants understand that they are each responsible for internal and external financial costs that they may incur in connection with the Working Group meetings.

V. General matters

1. No dedicated financial commitments are created by this MOU. The Participants intend to fund their own activities in accordance with their respective budgets and priorities.
2. This MOU supplements any existing Ontario-Utah MOUs or other arrangements; it does not supplant them.

VI. Intellectual property

1. If any intellectual property rights arise from activities carried out under the operation of this MOU, the Participants understand they will be attributed, managed, and protected in accordance with the Participants’ respective state, provincial and national laws, subject to any alternative arrangements that may be agreed upon in writing by the Participants involved in a specific activity.
2. Where the Participants decide to undertake joint research projects under this MOU, they shall establish separate written instruments governing such projects. These instruments shall set out the terms and conditions relating to the attribution, ownership, use, and disposition of any intellectual property rights that might arise from the joint research projects activities.

VII. Final provisions

1. To fulfill this MOU, the Participants appoint the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Cabinet Office of the Province of Ontario and Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Center for International Trade and Diplomacy of Utah, respectively, as information exchange bodies to offer necessary support when required.
2. This MOU is not legally binding and therefore does not create any legal, equitable, or financial rights, obligations, or liabilities for the Participants or any third parties.
3. This MOU reflects the intent of Ontario and Utah to work together to advance mutually beneficial avenues of economic collaboration.
4. This MOU will come into effect from the date of signature below. It will remain effective for three years from the signing date. The MOU may be extended or renewed upon the mutual consent of both Participants. Either Participant may terminate this MOU upon providing 60 days’ advance written notice to the other Participant.   
   
   In witness whereof, the undersigned being duly authorized thereto by their respective governments, have signed this Memorandum of Understanding.

Signed at Salt Lake City, Utah on June 29, 2026.