On the first day of the Sustainable Futures Festival, another first took place at an event hosted by the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative. For the first time since it launched in the fall of 2020, faculty and students collaborating as part of the CleanTech for Carbon and Energy Cycles research theme were able to come together in person.
More than 50 people gathered in the Faculty Club Ballroom for an engaging panel discussion about scaling up research for commercialization. Panelists from Anges Québec, Cycle Capital, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, and the McGill Engine Centre for Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship shared their experience and offered advice for how to build relationships with investors, benefit from startup incubators, and transition from academia to entrepreneurship.
Watch a recording of the panel discussion below.
The discussion was moderated by Mark Weber, Director of Innovation & Partnerships at McGill, and the panel featured:
- Catherine Bérubé, CEO of Cycle Central and Vice-President of Sustainable Development, Investor Relations and Public Affairs at Cycle Capital and Cycle Momentum.
- Benoit Boulet, Associate Vice-Principal of Innovation & Partnerships at McGill and Director of the McGill Engine Centre for Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
- Adriana Mendez, Investment Lead at Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
- Caroline Pelletier, Vice-President of Investment and Screening at Anges Québec.
The event wrapped up with presentations from the CleanTech research theme co-leads, followed by a lively reception. Students presented posters of their research and networked over wine and cheese. For the first time in two years, they were able to share their ideas about clean technology solutions with peers in architecture, chemistry, engineering, physics, and other disciplines.
