Thank you very much.
Maybe I'll go in three directions to address your question of how we are helping Canadian companies prepare to diversify and face some of these challenges. First, I'll mention a geographic effort; second, sector areas; and third, programming and partnerships. I may call on Joanne in a moment, as well.
Further to my earlier comments, we have certainly over-invested in many markets outside the traditional sphere for Canadian exporters. At EDC, we now have 13 offices on the ground in Asia, and we're working towards having eight in Europe by the end of this year. That's directly tied to the growth in exports we have supported over the course of the last two years. In the case of Asia, again, we've seen almost 30% growth.
What's interesting is the connection to Canadian companies already on the ground in Asia. Our research shows that over 2,700 Canadian mid-market companies are already invested in and exporting to Asia, and there's real opportunity to help them do more and continue to grow. We look at what's coming in Europe in a variety of new sectors—I'll transition to that in just a moment. They're leveraging CETA in a more robust way, I think, which presents a significant opportunity for Canadian exporters and investors, including in new sectors and segments like defence and security. Last year, like our colleagues at BDC, EDC returned to being able to support Canadian companies in this space. In one calendar year, we facilitated approximately $1.6 billion in defence and security exports for over 60 companies, which indicates, I think, the level of opportunity and growth present there.
To your initial question, another key sector where we're doing things differently is critical minerals. We're supporting the development of critical minerals here at home in Canada for eventual export. That could be through companies like Torngat Metals, a rare earth manufacturer, or Nouveau Monde Graphite in Quebec. There's significant investment in the critical mineral space.
I will also point to artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Along with our partners here, we have invested in Canadian companies like Cohere to help them scale and grow in a way that allows them to take advantage of the international opportunities that are present.
Lastly, I'll touch on a couple of programs. We put a tariff program in place, the EDC trade impact program. It's now been about 16 months in duration. It has delivered about $2.5 billion in incremental support for Canadian exporters and investors through 5,400 transactions—again, mostly for small and medium-sized exporters.
I'll turn it over to Joanne, who can illustrate how some of these small and medium-sized exporters connect to different markets.