INSPIRE Director Dr. Sui Sui brings SME export research to Toronto’s inaugural TradeTO Summit
Dr. Sui Sui, second from left, participates in the TradeTO Summit panel at Toronto City Hall.
Official TradeTO speaker poster featuring Dr. Sui Sui.
On June 15, 2026, Dr. Sui Sui, Director of INSPIRE and Professor and Department Chair of Global Management Studies, represented Toronto Metropolitan University at the inaugural TradeTO Trade Diversification Summit at Toronto City Hall. TMU participated as a Knowledge Partner.
Dr. Sui joined the panel “Winning Across Global Markets: Opportunities for Canadian SMEs,” where she shared research-based insights on export diversification, immigrant and diaspora networks, sustainability, technology, and the capabilities Canadian SMEs need to succeed internationally.
Her central message was that exporting is not one generic strategy. “U.S.-first should not mean U.S.-only.” Firms need smart diversification, strong relationships, market-specific capabilities, and human judgment alongside digital tools and AI.
The Summit brought together more than 550 attendees and over 35 speakers from across the trade and investment ecosystem.
Full recording of panel discussion