Experts Available for Budget 2025 Analysis & Commentary

November 5, 2025

Released yesterday, the “Canada Strong,” Federal Budget focuses on bold infrastructure and industrial investments to build an economy “by Canadians, for Canadians”, boosting economic growth and self-suffiency while tightening spending amid a higher deficit projected at $78.3B. 

CIGI experts are available to provide insight into what this year’s budget and 'generational investment' could mean for Canada’s economy, innovation, technology and national security:

S. Yash Kalash is a CIGI senior fellow and an expert in strategy, public policy, digital technology and financial services. He has a distinguished track record advising governments and the private sector on emerging technologies.

Expertise: digital assets, monetary innovation

Joel Blit is a CIGI senior fellow and an associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo, where he chairs the Council on Innovation Policy. He is the co-founder of the Canadian AI Adoption Initiative.

Expertise: artificial intelligence

Robert Mazzolin is a CIGI senior fellow and serves as the chief technology strategist at RHEA Group, an international company providing bespoke engineering solutions, systems development and security services for space, military, government and other critical infrastructure.

Expertise: defence, national security

Jeremy de Beer is a CIGI senior fellow, a full professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa and a faculty member at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. He holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Innovation and Intellectual Property Law, where he leads research on improving global intellectual property frameworks both nationally and internationally.

Expertise: economic resilience/trade tensions

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact: 

Communications Team
Centre for International Governance Innovation
519-885-2444
[email protected]

About CIGI

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, non-partisan think tank whose peer-reviewed research, foresight and trusted analysis influence policy makers to innovate. With the engagement of a global network of experts and contributors, CIGI tackles the governance challenges and opportunities of data and transformative technologies, including AI, and their impact on the economy, security, democracy and, ultimately, societies. For more information, please visit cigionline.org.

The opinions expressed in this article/multimedia are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of CIGI or its Board of Directors.