Premier Danielle Smith left for Europe Thursday on a 10-day trade mission covering Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom the most expansive international push of her tenure, spanning energy, defence, aerospace, artificial intelligence, health care and vocational training.
The trip runs April 23 to May 2.
The Deficit Question
The trip comes as Alberta is carrying a $9.4-billion deficit a sharp reversal from the $11.6-billion surplus recorded in 2023. Smith confirmed the shortfall in February, ruling out tax hikes or major cuts. The full cost of the European mission won't be known until expenses are posted publicly, and for critics, the optics of a 10-day, three-country trip through Europe is an easy target. The government's position is that investment attracted will justify the cost a case that will be easier to make once concrete outcomes are announced.
Munich: Geothermal, Siemens and the Bavarian Government
Smith's first stop is Munich, where she'll tour a facility operated by Eavor, an Alberta-based geothermal company that has become one of the more closely watched clean energy startups in the country. Meetings with the Bavarian State Government and industrial giant Siemens are also on the agenda, with workforce and vocational training among the topics on the table.
A business roundtable with aerospace, energy and private sector leaders rounds out the German leg.
Stockholm: Health Care Front and Centre
Sweden shifts the focus. Smith will meet with Swedish health officials and tour Karolinska University Hospital one of Europe's largest academic medical centres as part of a deliberate effort to study how high-performing systems handle rising demand and workforce shortages.
Sweden's model, which blends public funding with private delivery, has drawn interest from health policy researchers internationally. Whether anything Smith observes makes it back into Alberta policy is an open question, but the depth of the Stockholm itinerary suggests more than a courtesy visit.
Separate roundtables cover investment, defence, telecom and manufacturing.
London: Chatham House and the Defence Industry
The final leg is the highest-profile. Smith is scheduled to speak at Chatham House on energy policy a significant platform given the think tank's standing in global foreign policy circles. She'll also sit down with U.K. defence and aerospace industry leaders and attend a tourism-focused roundtable hosted by Travel Alberta.
Why Europe, Why Now
The timing isn't incidental. With U.S. trade relationships under pressure, Alberta has been actively working to deepen ties elsewhere. The European Union is the province's second-largest source of foreign direct investment after the United States, and the numbers reflect a real economic relationship.
Alberta exported $192.4 million to the U.K. in 2025, $95.5 million to Germany and $16.1 million to Sweden. U.K. visitors alone spent $356 million in Alberta last year. More than 25 German companies currently operate in the province across manufacturing, energy and industrial sectors.
Alberta maintains permanent international offices in London and Düsseldorf.
Mission expenses will be posted on the provincial travel and expense disclosure page following the trip.
Source: Government of Alberta
https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=9604725C91A5B-9FCF-EE3F-DFD7DBDDDFBE6785
