A Day for Clusters, Real Conversations
Monday, March 30 was reserved for members of NGenCAN, the national network of manufacturing clusters, as well as invited international delegations. The CVDM team took an active part in the day's three roundtable discussions, tackling critical industry issues including workforce development and new federal funding mechanisms, market diversification and supply chain mobility in an uncertain geopolitical landscape, and the long-term sustainability of clusters beyond public funding. The day also provided a valuable opportunity for direct exchanges with representatives from strategic sectors, including defence and Procurement Canada, as well as European partners attending as invited delegates. These were candid, peer-to-peer conversations that reflect the very concerns we hear from within our network every day.
Two Days of Connections at the CVDM Booth
On Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1, we were present in the exhibition's Innovation Zone, surrounded by some twenty other Canadian clusters and associations. Benoît Cormier, President of CVDM and CEO of GLM Conseil, along with Julie Vézina, newly appointed as Executive Director of CVDM, represented the organization on the ground. Our booth was the setting for many enriching conversations with government representatives, manufacturing company leaders, and industrial technology players. These exchanges confirmed one thing: interest in structured business networking is real, growing, and extends well beyond the borders of Quebec.
Our Workshop: A Clear Success
On April 1, CVDM hosted a one-hour workshop on the concrete opportunities offered by semantic networking to drive innovation, foster collaboration among businesses, and accelerate industrial growth. The presentation was delivered by Pascal Jarry, CEO of Yapla and CEO of Meshora, the intelligent matchmaking tool developed to bring industry players together. This initiative is part of the mandate entrusted to CVDM by NGen: to be the cluster responsible for connecting Canadian clusters with one another through innovative digital tools, enabling smoother and more structured collaboration across the country. Grounded in concrete examples and real-world applications, the workshop sparked a lively discussion about next steps, and the enthusiasm in the room was unmistakable. Several Canadian clusters and associations expressed a strong desire to move forward together.
The Work Continues, and It Brings Us Together
Toronto was a starting point, not a finish line. The connections made, the conversations held, and the commitments taken at the N³ Summit are now fuelling ongoing work that continues week after week. That is what CVDM is here for: to create the conditions that allow manufacturers across Quebec and Canada to find each other, build trust, and achieve together what none of them could accomplish alone. If you want to be part of this movement, we want to hear from you.
Interested in joining the network? Get in touch.
