{"id":7609,"date":"2023-09-26T14:58:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T18:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdtc-2024-staging.sociationdev.com\/?p=7609"},"modified":"2023-09-27T10:57:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T14:57:46","slug":"sdtcs-2023-annual-public-meeting-brings-together-key-stakeholders-in-the-canadian-innovation-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdtc-2024-staging.sociationdev.com\/en\/sdtcs-2023-annual-public-meeting-brings-together-key-stakeholders-in-the-canadian-innovation-ecosystem\/","title":{"rendered":"SDTC\u2019s 2023 Annual Public Meeting brings together key stakeholders in the Canadian innovation ecosystem"},"content":{"rendered":"

What trends are we seeing in today\u2019s investment environment and what\u2019s the outlook for the future? What can we do together as a country to propel innovation-driven growth? These were just a few of the topics discussed today, as part of SDTC\u2019s\u00a0 2023 Annual Public Meeting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The virtual APM kicked off with a speech from SDTC Board Chair Annette<\/strong><\/span> Verschuren <\/span><\/b>on the many highlights of the organization\u2019s 2022-23 fiscal year. It then featured a lively panel<\/span> discussion on the current state of Canada\u2019s innovation ecosystem moderated by SDTC President & CEO Leah Lawrence. The discussion centered on Innovation-Driven Growth and panelists included <\/span>Susan Rohac<\/span><\/b>, Managing Partner, Climate Tech Fund at BDC, <\/span>Leah Nguyen<\/span><\/b>, Chief Investment Officer at InBC Investment Corp., <\/span>Carl Landry<\/span><\/b>, Managing Director at Canada Infrastructure Bank, <\/span>Genevi\u00e8ve Bouthillier<\/span><\/b>, Vice-President, Private Medium-sized Enterprises at CDPQ,and <\/span>Raj DasGupta, <\/span><\/b>CEO at Electrovaya. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Canada to be a leader in the new economy and generate economic prosperity while creating better environmental outcomes, SDTC knows the importance of connecting the people and places where innovation happens. This can be accomplished by listening and learning from Canadian entrepreneurs, robust local ecosystems, inclusive of all people and perspectives are built and strengthened.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCanada has made significant strides in building out the start-up ecosystem in emerging sectors over the past decade, and numerous scale-up companies have emerged and are gaining traction on the global stage. Yet, gaps remain in scale-up financing and other areas like the availability of experienced board members and strategic advisors and private sector customers. To effectively accelerate innovation-driven growth in Canada, we need to gain a deeper understanding of these gaps and work together to close them.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leah Lawrence, President & CEO, SDTC<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2022\u20132023 was a year of focusing on ecosystem growth and resiliency. Here are a few highlights of SDTC\u2019s our year in review:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n