From food to transportation, architecture to finance, which start-ups and innovations are going to impact the Canadian economy?

At a time when business innovation needs to address social and environmental issues more than ever, the Novae Forum  is going to focus on four major sectors: Energy & Transportation, Finance & Society, Food & Agriculture, and Architecture & Urbanism. This one-day event, taking place on October 25, 2017, at Never Apart, will showcase impactful innovations that are going to influence these sectors in the coming years, including business and technology innovations, but also new consumer expectations, collaborations between start-ups and big businesses, etc.

“The Novae Forum will allow decision-makers and influencers to discuss trends and emerging movements they all need to start embracing right away,” explained Mickaël Carlier, president of Novae. “We’re seeing a trend where outsiders are displacing traditional players. For example, the market cap of Tesla, the electric vehicle automaker, which has been downplayed until recently, surpassed Ford and GM this week. Companies no longer have a choice: their innovation strategies must include a firm commitment to society. To do this, they have to get on board with the new trends and connect with the trendmakers (start-ups, social entrepreneurs, etc.), if they want to remain competitive… and ultimately stay in business.”

Some of the confirmed influencers who will be taking part in the discussions include Paul Allard, president of Impak Finance, a new Canadian banking initiative where all loans will be invested in companies that have a positive impact on society; Julie Poitras-Saulnier, co-founder of Loop, a company that sells juice made from unsellable fruit, reducing food waste; and Andy Ta, president of Ecotuned, a company that specializes in converting combustion engines into electric motors for fleets of light trucks.

A call to innovative start-ups is also being launched: if you are a young company with a business model that makes a positive social impact in one of the Novae Forum’s four sectors, write to us for a chance to participate. The deadline is May 26.

The ideas and discussions that will come out of the event, which will also be attended by representatives of large organizations, research centres and NGOs, will be published in a white paper outlining the major trends for 2018.

“Consumers, and in particular the famous millennials, are increasingly adopting  ‘deconsumerism and other responsible behaviours’ [article in French only]. This sends a clear message to businesses: their innovations need to create products and services that generate positive impacts. The Novae Forum will give decision-makers an opportunity to think about their own innovation strategies in an environment where they’re surrounded by clever ideas and concrete solutions,” said Carlier.

The Novae Forum  is being co-produced by Esplanade, and is organized in conjunction with Hydro-Québec, along with participation from Loto-Québec. It will held on Wednesday October 25, 2017, at Never Apart in Montreal. An early-bird rate is currently available until June 30.