L'ambition canadienne ne manque pas

This essay from CCI’s CEO was originally featured in the CCI Newsletter and shared with subscribers on May 1, 2026. To receive our monthly briefing on the scale-ups shaping Canada’s future, the policies that matter, and insights you won’t find anywhere else—subscribe here.

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Hi CEOs,

As this newsletter lands in your inbox, I’m in St. John’s, Newfoundland, ahead of EnergyNL, the largest industry event in the region, meeting with members and partners and talking about the opportunities outlined in CCI’s Atlantic Playbook.

It also marks six months since I stepped into the role of CEO of the Council of Canadian Innovators.

I’ve spent much of that time on the road meeting builders across the country, which seemed like a good reason to share a few observations from the field.

1. Canadian ambition is not in short supply

Over the past six months I’ve met founders opening offices in Europe, Australia and the United States, executives investing heavily in product development, and entrepreneurs making bets that would keep most people awake at night. At no point have I looked at these leaders and thought they suffer from a lack of ambition.

That’s why I’ve grown increasingly skeptical of the claim that Canada’s primary economic challenge is cultural. It’s a convenient explanation because it shifts responsibility onto entrepreneurs rather than forcing a harder conversation about whether Canada has built the institutions, policies and capabilities needed for a modern economy. The challenge isn’t ambition. It’s that we’ve been slow to create the conditions that allow ambitious companies to scale and compete from here.

At BetaKit’s Most Ambitious Awards last week, our Chair Jim Balsillie captured it well when he told the room: “You guys have done what you’ve done with the wind at your face. Imagine if you had the wind at your back.”

2. The walk between meetings is often more valuable than the meeting

A walk from an office to lunch in Vancouver. The trek between meetings in 1 PVM to 3 PVM in downtown Montreal. A few extra blocks from 235 Queen St. to Byward Market in Ottawa before heading back to Parliament Hill. Something changes when people have a conversation while traversing the urban landscape. Perhaps it’s the fresh air, perhaps it’s the elevated heart rate, but I’ve come to appreciate that exercise is good for more than just physical health.

3. Canada’s airports are missing an opportunity

I’ve spent enough time in airports this year to notice that much of Canada’s innovation economy seems to pass through the same terminals. As airports increasingly become the third spaces of our entrepreneurial ecosystem, there is likely room for networking hubs designed for innovators in transit, places where founders, investors and operators can compare notes, make introductions and explore opportunities between flights rather than sitting alone behind a laptop.

Perhaps there’s a future CCI pop-up café at YYC or YUL. All innovators welcome.

4. Perfecting your packing makes for the perfect trip

I’ve become convinced that a reliable carry-on (I use one from Vancouver’s Monos), a capsule wardrobe and enough packing cubes to survive a week of meetings with minimal thought are among the most underrated productivity tools available to busy executives. I realize this may be the least profound observation in this newsletter, but I stand by it.

Given how much time our members spend on the road creating markets, building companies and meeting customers, perhaps CCI membership should include a set of custom packing cubes.

5. The best ideas still come from people, not AI

Nothing quite replaces eye contact, reading the room, hearing someone work through a challenge in real time, or watching a group of leaders build on one another’s thinking. Some of the most valuable conversations I’ve witnessed this year started with one CEO describing a problem and ended with several others sharing perspectives, solutions or experiences that reshaped how they approached it.

That’s one reason I’m so excited for this year’s Canada’s CEO Summit in Vancouver. The conversations that matter most in October are rarely obvious in June, which is why we won’t finalize the agenda until later this summer. The goal isn’t to predict what leaders will be thinking about months from now; it’s to make sure we’re discussing the opportunities and challenges that are actually top of mind when they arrive.

6. Momentum has a way of attracting more momentum

I’ve believed the expression “if you want something done, give it to a busy person” for most of my career. Six months into this role, I’m increasingly convinced the same principle applies to organizations.

This has been one of the busiest periods in CCI’s history. We’ve expanded the team, launched new initiatives, welcomed new members and found ourselves working on more files than ever before. At the same time, governments, companies and partners have increasingly come to us looking for help navigating questions related to procurement, trade, health care, defence, commercialization and economic growth. It’s a fortunate position to be in, and one we don’t take for granted. We exist to help where we can, and I’m proud of the work our team does every day to support Canada’s innovators and entrepreneurs.

Six months in, that’s probably the lesson I keep coming back to. There is far more ambition, momentum and possibility in this country than many people realize, and it has been a privilege to spend time with the people building it. If I can use this role to help amplify their voices, connect the dots and create the conditions for more success, then I’m doing exactly what I hoped to do when I accepted the job.

There’s always more to do, but that’s the best part.

Onwards,

Patrick
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INNOVATION UPDATES

Ontario’s Defence Industrial Strategy: Ontario released its framework for a 10-year Defence Industrial Strategy at CANSEC, setting out a plan to strengthen the province’s defence industrial base and grow domestic capacity in strategic sectors. CCI welcomed the focus on areas where Ontario companies already have real strength, while noting that the strategy will only matter if it helps Canadian innovators win customers, commercialize their technology, and grow from here. Clearer procurement pathways, stronger protection for Canadian intellectual property and data, and public investments tied to Canadian economic value will be key to getting this right. Read CCI’s full statement here.

Defence Procurement and Canadian Growth: The federal government announced new measures tied to Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, including procurement reforms, a Defence Concierge Service, and new industry engagement mechanisms. In his analysis of the announcement, CCI Director of Federal Affairs Daniel Perry noted that defence procurement can play an important role in helping Canadian companies compete, scale, and build long-term industrial capacity at home. Read his full analysis here.

Canada’s early-stage investment gap: A new report from the Business Development Bank of Canada warns that Canada’s early-stage capital gap has become more than a financing challenge — it is increasingly a sovereignty issue. Read BetaKit's coverage here.

For more of our perspectives on Canada's innovation ecosystem, visit the updates page on our website.
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THE BIG READ

This month, Sean Silcoff at The Globe and Mail examined how escalating Canada-U.S. trade tensions are forcing some of Canada’s largest technology companies to consider contingency plans that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. The piece focused on PointClickCare, one of Canada’s biggest homegrown software companies, and its internal discussions around potentially relocating to the United States if worsening trade conditions begin to threaten access to its core market.

Concerns across Canada’s innovation economy as companies navigate growing uncertainty around tariffs, procurement policies, trade negotiations, and economic sovereignty are top of mind for us at CCI. Quoted in the article is Dana O’Born, our Chief Strategy Officer, who warned that the possibility of leading Canadian firms considering relocation should serve as “a stark warning sign for the federal government,” arguing that Canada cannot afford to lose the companies, talent, and innovation capacity needed to drive long-term productivity and prosperity.

Read the full article here.
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SCALE-UPS TO WATCH

In May, we welcomed some new members and highlighted some of Canada's brightest innovators.

• Inetco, led by CEO and Founder BIJAN SANII, is a Vancouver-based company specializing in real-time transaction monitoring and AI-driven payment fraud prevention. Working with financial institutions, payment providers, and fintechs in more than 30 countries, INETCO helps organizations detect fraud before losses occur, stop payment fraud and cyber-attacks in milliseconds, and strengthen security across every customer transaction.
  
  
• Stay22, led by CEO ANDREW LOCKHEAD, is a Montreal-based technology company helping creators and publishers turn their existing audiences into new revenue. Its platform works quietly in the background to support partners across travel, retail, lifestyle, publishing, events, and transportation, with more than 6,500 creators and publishers using Stay22 to drive over $1 billion in annual transactions in 2025.

CCI also published the latest story in its By Canadian Innovators series, featuring ICI Innovations and Formic AI and their work to help regulators, project proponents, and communities navigate the growing complexity of major project reviews through responsible AI and advanced information management systems. Read more.

CCI’s Seen & Heard recap from the 2026 Capital & Growth Summit in Toronto captured a timely conversation on what Canadian companies need to secure capital, manage risk, and scale globally in a more volatile economic environment. CCI members NIRAJ MATHUR (Blumind) CHRISTIAN WEEDBROOK (Xanadu), and LYNE JACQUES (Miovision) spoke about the importance of patient capital, market access, and keeping long-term value anchored in Canada. Lire la suite.

Les membres du CCI ont continué de démontrer comment les innovateurs canadiens se développent, sont concurrentiels et dominent les marchés, tant au pays qu'à l'étranger :

• Novarc a signé un accord avec Hanwha Ocean pour collaborer sur des applications avancées de construction navale militaire et commerciale en utilisant sa plateforme d'IA industrielle et d'intelligence de soudage.
• Clio a dépassé les 500 millions de dollars US en revenus annuels récurrents.
• Ross Video étend ses activités de fabrication et de R&D à Ottawa et à Iroquois grâce à un investissement de 122,5 millions de dollars qui créera 125 nouveaux emplois dans l'Est de l'Ontario.
• NanoTess a obtenu le soutien fédéral pour introduire sa technologie canadienne de cicatrisation catalytique dans les milieux de la défense, où un traitement plus rapide et des intervalles de pansement plus longs peuvent être cruciaux sur le terrain.
• Formic AI a signé un accord avec KAIT, en Corée, pour introduire sa technologie de récupération explicable sur davantage de marchés d'entreprise réglementés dans les domaines de l'IA, des TIC et de la technologie quantique.
• Inetco a dépassé les 100 milliards de transactions annuelles surveillées, alors que la demande de protection contre la fraude aux paiements en temps réel et d'intelligence transactionnelle continue de croître à l'échelle mondiale.
• Punchcard Systems a aidé l'Alberta à réduire les délais d'approbation des licences d'infirmières de plusieurs mois à moins d'une heure.
• BUZZ HPC s'est associée à Bell Canada pour faire progresser l'infrastructure souveraine de GPU accélérés à l'installation AI Fabric de Bell à Merritt, en C.-B.

Également, dans le bulletin du mois dernier, j'ai mis en lumière les réponses de nos membres concernant les entreprises canadiennes qu'ils utilisent pour stimuler leur croissance. Quelques recommandations supplémentaires sont arrivées dans ma boîte de réception après cette infolettre, alors je voulais les partager ici :

• NuEnergy.AI pour la gouvernance de l'IA, la gestion des risques et l'intégration de la confiance et de la responsabilité dans les systèmes d'IA. https://www.nuenergy.ai
• Micrologic pour l'infrastructure infonuagique souveraine, la cybersécurité et l'hébergement de données au Canada. https://www.micrologic.ca
• BUZZ HPC pour l'IA souveraine et l'infrastructure de calcul haute performance. https://www.buzzhpc.ai
• Rise pour les SIRH, la paie, l'administration des avantages sociaux et la gestion de la main-d'œuvre. https://www.risepeople.com
• BluWave-ai pour les services publics d'électricité et le transport électrifié, aidant à optimiser les systèmes énergétiques grâce à l'IA. https://www.bluwave-ai.com
• OpenText pour la gestion de contenu d'entreprise, la cybersécurité, la gestion de l'information et les logiciels d'opérations commerciales. https://www.opentext.com
• BorderPass pour les services d'immigration, le traitement des visas et le soutien à la mobilité internationale. https://www.borderpass.ai
• Avanti pour le SIRH, la paie, la planification des effectifs et la gestion du personnel. https://www.avanti.ca
• Pllenty pour les flux de travail personnalisés de paiement, de don et de transaction numérique. https://www.pllenty.com
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LE CCI DANS L'ACTUALITÉ

« Des cas comme celui-ci nous rappellent l'importance de reconnaître que les marchés mondiaux d'aujourd'hui sont très disputés, particulièrement dans les secteurs où la propriété intellectuelle, les normes, les flux de travail et l'infrastructure de plateforme façonnent l'avantage concurrentiel »,

– Patrick Searle, PDG du CCI, cité dans l'article du Globe and Mail «Hiive de Vancouver, une bourse à croissance rapide pour les entreprises privées, poursuivie par une filiale de Nasdaq »

« Nos ressources naturelles et notre expertise regroupée dans les océans, la défense, les biosciences, l'agritech, l'IA et la cybersécurité créent de profondes chaînes de valeur, et notre écosystème d'innovation à double usage établi transforme les données de domaine et la recherche locale en avantage concurrentiel. »

– Karen Moores, conseillère principale du CCI Atlantique, citée dans l'article du Digital Journal «Les innovateurs du Canada atlantique sont mondiaux, mais leur marché intérieur ne l'est pas »

« La richesse, le pouvoir et la sécurité sont enracinés dans la propriété et le contrôle des actifs incorporels. »

– Jim Balsillie, président du conseil du CCI, cité dans l'article de BetaKit «Jim Balsillie affirme que le Canada doit proposer une politique économique pour le 21e siècle »

« Nous ne pouvons pas laisser le monde – et les Canadiens! – penser que notre pays est une option de second ordre pour l'investissement innovant. »

– Laurent Carbonneau, vice-président, Politiques et défense des intérêts de la CCI, cité dans l'article de Forbes « Il est temps que les Canadiens cessent d'être trop gentils »

« Cela devrait servir de signal d'alarme clair pour le gouvernement fédéral. Si nos entrepreneurs les plus brillants et les plus prospères font leurs calculs pour déménager aux États-Unis, nous devons mettre tout en œuvre pour que cela n'arrive pas. »

– Dana O'Born, directrice de la stratégie de la CCI, citée dans l'article du Globe and Mail « La vedette canadienne de la technologie PointClickCare a un plan d'urgence pour déménager aux États-Unis si la guerre commerciale s'aggrave »
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DÉPÊCHES

Que se passe-t-il lorsque les innovateurs du Canada atlantique présentent leur programme de croissance directement à Ottawa?

Dans la dépêche de ce mois-ci, Karen Moores fait le compte rendu de la première Journée des innovateurs de l'Atlantique de la CCI sur la Colline, où les fondateurs et les dirigeants ont partagé les recommandations du Plan d'action de l'Atlantique avec les décideurs fédéraux. Les discussions ont porté sur une question simple : comment créer les conditions pour que davantage d'entreprises du Canada atlantique puissent prendre de l'expansion à l'échelle mondiale tout en restant ancrées dans la région?
Lisez le compte rendu complet ici.

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