Desjardins launches an open innovation challenge to assist in the economic recovery of the manufacturing sector
by CM Staff
Startups have until July 30th to submit an application to show how they will build resilience in manufacturing.
MONTREAL — Desjardins Group, a North American financial cooperative, is collaborating with Bonjour Startup Montreal and Centech to launch an open innovation program aimed at finding Canadian startups with solutions to challenges facing the manufacturing sector.
The program will allow the selected startups to present their solution at an event that will bring together several manufacturing companies and members of Desjardins. Startups will have the chance to make a business proposal to these members at the end of the program.
“The pandemic exposed some of the vulnerabilities in the supply chain and reminded us of the importance of a more local and diversified industrial production to build resilience in our economy. This will be achieved through innovation and the development of initiatives such as the challenge we are launching today, which will help propel our manufacturing companies,” says Jean-Yves Bourgeois, Executive Vice-President of Desjardins’ Business Services Group.
The purpose of the challenge is to build resilience in manufacturing. Specifically, Canadian startups interested in this challenge must offer innovation solutions to three key challenges in the manufacturing sector:
- Reducing risk in manufacturing chains
- Improving production processes
- Speeding up strategic shifts
“The challenges of the manufacturing sector are tailor-made opportunities for startups. We hope that this program will help address some of the challenges of the manufacturing sector through the agility and specific skills of startups. We are very proud to have a partner like Desjardins to help more startups build the manufacturing industry of tomorrow,” says Guillaume Courcy, Director of Innovation at Bonjour Startup Montreal.
Interested startups have until July 30 to submit an application. To know more about the program, visit
the Inno Startup website: https://innostartup.ca/en/challenges/desjardins/
