Rencontre au Sommet 2025 - 150 Quebec Leaders Commit to Boosting Productivity, Innovation, and Resilience in Quebec Français

Cision Canada

28-05-2025

MONTREAL, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - In a rapidly changing global economic landscape, 150 leaders from Quebec answered the call from BCF Business Law and Aviseo Conseil to take part in the first edition of the Rencontre au Sommet, powered by Desjardins Business. Against the backdrop of today's politico-socio-economic climate, the event provided a clear diagnosis of current challenges. Through keynote conferences, prestigious panels, and co-creation workshops, business leaders, economists, and public sector representatives engaged in open dialogue about the obstacles hindering our progress and the levers to activate in order to reverse the trend.
Moving Beyond Cyclical Debates to Address Structural Issues
Throughout the discussions, three major findings emerged, highlighting the urgent need for collective action.
Quebec and Canada's competitiveness is eroding: According to the IMD, Canada fell from 8th to 19th place globally in competitiveness between 2020 and 2024, a worrying decline among 67 countries assessed.
According to the IMD, private investment in innovation and research & development (R&D) is declining: Since mid-2022, such investments have dropped by more than 10%, at a time when Quebec was already lagging significantly behind Ontario and the Canadian average.
Commercializing research remains a structural challenge: As reported by the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, less than 10% of Quebec's scientific discoveries reach the market as products, limiting the economic impact of local innovation.
These issues, which predate the current political situation, call for moving beyond circumstantial debates to tackle the root causes. In this spirit, the leaders gathered at the Rencontre au Sommet chose to focus on coordinated action to turn these findings into drivers of sustainable growth.
An Invitation to Collective Commitment
Far from being just another forum, this day was designed to spark concrete commitments for Quebec and to launch a new dynamic of economic transformation. Throughout the event, participants were invited to reflect on a central question: " If you could transform just one aspect of Quebec to foster productivity, resilience, and innovation, what would you change, and why?"
Driven by a clear and mobilizing ambition for the Quebec Inc. of tomorrow, participants made over a hundred concrete commitments, under their responsibility, to build a more productive, innovative, and resilient Quebec. Whether it involves accelerating technology adoption, supporting intrapreneurial succession, placing people and their well-being at the heart of decision-making, pooling development efforts, or strengthening solidarity among economic players to conquer new markets, a common will has emerged: to progress together by leveraging our collective strengths. The production of a white paper summarizing the day's reflections, the organization of thematic round tables on the challenges discussed, and the return of a second edition of the event in 2026 have also been agreed upon.
Julie Doré, Managing Partner at BCF, emphasized the importance of moving from vision to action: "Envisioning the future is one thing, but being able to influence it is what truly matters to us. Our ambition is to actively contribute to the economic growth and sustainable success of our clients and Quebec's society. This determination to act also embodies the leadership BCF aims to assert in the legal and business sectors, which is why we launched the Rencontre au Sommet."
"At Aviseo, we believe that every period of uncertainty is also a tremendous opportunity to reinvent ourselves. Our mission is to equip and support leaders and organizations, so they can turn challenges into levers for sustainable growth, notably by harnessing collective intelligence," said François Rousseau-Clair, Founding Partner at Aviseo
Acknowledgements to Partners
The event would not have been possible without the invaluable support of Desjardins Business, our driving partner, as well as the Conseil du Patronat du Québec and the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, all committed to Quebec's collective prosperity.
Jean-Yves Bourgeois, Executive Vice-President, Business Services, Desjardins Group, stated: "This partnership with the Summit Meeting was a natural fit for Desjardins Business, given our commitment and determination to support Quebec's business leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries, so that they can not only weather the storm but also boldly, agilely, and collectively build tomorrow's economy."
About BCF
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025, BCF Business Law is Quebec's second-largest law firm, with over 500 employees, including 300 professionals. Recognized for its entrepreneurial approach, the firm offers pragmatic and innovative solutions to growing businesses and business leaders across various sectors.
About Aviseo
Founded in Quebec in 2015, Aviseo Conseil is an independent consulting firm specializing in strategy and economics. With nearly 50 employees in Montreal, Quebec City, Casablanca, and Brussels, it supports public, private, and non-profit organizations in achieving their ambitions and solving their challenges. Its studies and support services in strategy, economics, transformation, governance, and environment are personalized, pragmatic, and rigorous.