Author: Njah Syrine

During the SDG Innovation Network 7th Student Forum held on May 13, 2026, at the École de Technologie Supérieure, Guy Dulude, Vice President Portfolio Development & Sales Acceleration at Siemens, shared Siemens’ perspective on how digital transformation is reshaping industry. His presentation focused on the need to embrace complexity and use digital platforms, connected data, and intelligent software to enhance innovation, efficiency, and operational performance.

Drawing on the Siemens Xcelerator platform, industrial AI, and digital twin technologies, the presentation illustrated how companies can better design, simulate, optimize, and operate complex systems. Several examples demonstrated the concrete impact of Siemens solutions, including at JetZero, FIA, and PepsiCo, where they help improve productivity, reduce lead times, lower maintenance time, and improve more sustainable engineering and manufacturing practices.

You can download the full presentation here.

The SDG Innovation Network participated in the 3rd edition of Montréal-Messe 2026, held on May 6, 2026, in Ville Saint-Laurent and organized by the Centre d’expertise industrielle de Montréal (CEI MTL).
 
The event brought together approximately 150 participants to discuss key issues related to industrial transformation, productivity, and technological innovation. The program featured four presentations and a panel discussion covering major topics such as defense sector supply chains (CAE), industrial energy efficiency (Altanergy), artificial intelligence in manufacturing (Ingeno), advanced automation and productivity improvement (ExcelPro), as well as a panel discussion focused on the digital transformation journeys of Quebec SMEs.
 
 
In addition, the event hosted 13 exhibitor booths presenting digital solutions and business support services for companies.
 

Represented by its Scientific Director, Christophe Danjou, and Project Manager, Syrine Njah, the SDG Innovation Network presented its activities and its Digital Transformation Initiative (OTN Program) to participating SMEs. This program aims to assist SMEs in implementing digital transformation projects in collaboration with Quebec universities, with financial support from the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy (MEIE).

During the event, the SDG Network team also had the opportunity to connect with several strategic partners, including Investissement Québec, PME MTL  and Conseil de l’innovation du Québec, to further expand collaboration opportunities supporting SMEs in their digital transformation efforts.

 

 

This participation contributed to increasing the visibility of the SDG Innovation Network, strengthening connections between industrial and institutional stakeholders, and promoting impactful digital transformation initiatives for Quebec SMEs.

The SDG Innovation Network congratulates CEI Montréal on the success of this event and is delighted about the promising future partnership between the two organizations, aimed at supporting the development of digital transformation skills within SMEs.

 

 
The SDG Innovation Network participated in the 10th edition of the International Aerospace Innovation Forum, co-organized by Aéro Montréal and Espace Aéro, held on April 13–14, 2026 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, under the theme: BEYOND TECHNOLOGY: From Idea to Adoption.
 
This event brought together nearly 1,500 participants from the aerospace ecosystem, including leading organizations such as Airbus, Siemens, ADM Aéroports de Montréal, EY, Embraer-X, CAE Inc… The SDG Innovation Network was represented by its director, its members, as well as the directors of the SDG Advanced Air Mobility Institute (AAMI), established in September 2024.
 

The Forum created an engaging environment for dialogue and reflection on the sector’s most pressing challenges, including innovation adoption, international collaboration, sovereignty, sustainability, and technological transformation. Aligned with its mission, the SDG Innovation Network actively contributed to this event, supporting efforts to accelerate the transition from ideas to tangible industrial impact and to strengthen value creation across the aerospace ecosystem.

Two members of the Network made notable contributions to the Forum’s scientific program.

David Rancourt, Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, moderated the panel « Captains of Autonomy: Steering the Integration of Intelligent Systems », which addressed key challenges associated with the integration of autonomous systems, particularly certification, safety, and data governance.

Carole El Ayoubi, Director of Education at the Concordia Aerospace Institute and Director of the Advanced Air Mobility Institute (AAMI) within the SDG Network, moderated the panel « Emerging Tech: New Tools for Schools », dedicated to talent transformation in the era of artificial intelligence. The discussions underscored the importance of strengthening digital foundations, fostering interdisciplinarity, and leveraging emerging technologies to prepare a new generation of professionals equipped to drive aerospace innovation.

 

The SDG Innovation Network also participated to a two-day dedicated session on the development of an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) strategy, gathering approximately 150 participants, including Hany Moustapha, Director of the SDG Network; David Rancourt, Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke; as well as Carole El Ayoubi and Jean-Marc Frayret, Directors of the Advanced Air Mobility Institute (AAMI) within the SDG Network. Structured as collaborative roundtable workshops, this strategic exercise engaged participants in key thematic areas such as governance, regulation, air traffic management, infrastructure, safety, business models, socioeconomic integration, and social acceptability. These exchanges helped lay the groundwork for a shared roadmap for the deployment of Advanced Air Mobility in Quebec, aligned with the sector’s innovation and technology adoption priorities.