In photos: Innovation and the Future of Canada Summit focused on great challenges and opportunities

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As Canada’s 150th anniversary year draws to a close, there is perhaps no time like the present to debate the country’s future.

Hosted by McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business, with input from seven other Canadian business schools, the Innovation and the Future of Canada Summit welcomed senior executives, entrepreneurs, scientists, politicians, engineers, and academics to Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York on Thursday, Nov. 16 for a full day of knowledge-sharing and networking.

The Summit, which attracted nearly 200 delegates, focused on topics such as the major technological trends changing our world; supporting and funding scientific excellence; balancing inclusive growth and sustainability; China’s strategy for innovation leadership; and cultivating the next generation of innovators. Delegates reunited at the end of the Summit to discuss how to best support innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth across Canada and beyond in the years ahead.

DeGroote partnered with the business faculties at Dalhousie University, Université Laval, University of Ottawa, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Simon Fraser University, and HEC Montréal on the Innovation Summit, with sponsorship from Bennett Jones, Foyston, Gordon, and Payne Inc., Portag3 Ventures, TMX, and Deloitte.

Below, members of the DeGroote Network can relive the Innovation and the Future of Canada Summit in photos. All images courtesy of Mike Lalich:

The Innovation and the Future of Canada Summit was held at Toronto’s historic Fairmont Royal York, opened in 1929. Events took place in the Ballroom (pictured) and several other spaces throughout the hotel. Len Waverman, Dean, DeGroote School of Business. Waverman offered a welcome message to attendees and formally opened the Innovation and the Future of Canada Summit. Michael Chui, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute. During his morning presentation, San Francisco-based Chui discussed the confluence of disruptive economic, demographic, and technological trends currently transforming our world. From left: Naomi Titleman, Founder, Collaborativity Leadership Advisory and former VP of HR for American Express Canada (Toronto); Loren Falkenberg, Associate Dean, Haskayne School of Business; Kaylie Tiessen, National Representative, Research, UNIFOR; Robert Kidd, Lead Country IT Director, Siemens. All four took part in the Future of Work panel discussion. David Ho, Member of the Board, China Mobile; China COSCO Shipping (Beijing). Ho offered a lunchtime presentation, China’s Race for Innovation Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities. Lisa Setlakwe, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector (SIPS), Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada. Setlakwe hosted the Idea Capture and Action Planning session with Joseph Doucet, Dean, Alberta Business School, University of Alberta. From left: Michel Gendron, Dean, Université Laval; Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates; Elicia Maine, Professor, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Beedie School of Business; Geordie Stewart, Program Director, Weston Family Microbiome Initiative. The group took part in the Leveraging and Financing Science Excellence panel discussion. Delegates and speakers were able to mingle and participate in several networking sessions incorporated into the Summit’s agenda. From left: Loren Falkenberg, Associate Dean, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary; Joseph Doucet, Dean, Alberta Business School, University of Alberta; Len Waverman, Dean, DeGroote School of Business; Sylvain Charlebois, Dean, Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University; Ali Dastmalchian, Dean, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University; François Julien, Dean, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. Not pictured: Michel Gendron, Dean, Université Laval; Michel Patry, Dean, HEC Montréal. Karel Vredenburg, Director of IBM Design Worldwide Client Programs, Head, IBM Studios – Canada. Vredenburg delivered the Summit’s final presentation, Glimpses of Our Intelligent Future.

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