On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, the leaders of Australia, Canada, and India announced the formation of a new trilateral partnership focused on technology and innovation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to establish the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, aimed at enhancing collaboration in emerging technologies, supply chain diversification, clean energy, and artificial intelligence. A joint statement released after the meeting noted, “The three sides agreed to strengthen their ambition in cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, to complement existing bilateral initiatives.”
The partnership will prioritize areas where the three nations already possess expertise. “The initiative will draw on the natural strengths of the three countries and have an emphasis on green energy innovation and building resilient supply chains, including in critical minerals,” the statement added. The announcement comes amid growing global concern over supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly in critical minerals and semiconductors, as well as increasing competition in clean energy and AI development.
The statement further emphasized that the collaboration would advance broader climate and economic objectives: “It will deepen their respective ambition and strategic collaboration towards net zero and drive further diversification of supply chains towards a secure, sustainable, and resilient future.” Artificial intelligence is a key component of the framework. “The Partnership will also examine the development and mass adoption of artificial intelligence to improve the lives of our citizens,” the statement noted. Senior officials from the three countries are expected to hold their first formal ACITI meeting in the first quarter of 2026 to set priorities and establish working groups.
While the three nations already cooperate through forums such as the Quad (in India’s case with Australia) and the Commonwealth, this trilateral arrangement marks the first formal technology-focused mechanism uniting all three. The partnership reflects a broader trend of middle-power democracies pooling resources and expertise in strategic technology sectors, particularly as geopolitical tensions impact global supply chains.
For Canberra and New Delhi, which already share strong defense and trade ties, the trilateral format provides a low-risk avenue to broaden cooperation. For Ottawa and New Delhi, it represents a pragmatic step forward following two years of strained relations, with technology offering common ground as both countries move toward a major reset.
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