Montréal, Friday, November 20, 2020 ‒ The Strategic Forum on transportation and logistics held as part of the Relaunch MTL movement, powered by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and its partners, enabled over 450 participants to interact with more than 25 panelists to discuss the conditions and efforts that will enable industry actors to play a driving role in the relaunch of the economy and ensure Greater Montréal is firmly established as a key centre for the transportation and logistics sector.
During the event, many transportation and logistics industry strategic partners identified significant challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Issues that affected the sector pre-pandemic were labour, which is the most critical for the development of the sector. Forum participants also pointed to the importance of maintaining border access and emergency aid from the provincial government for public transit to minimize the impact of the crisis.
Participants identified priority efforts to harness existing strengths, both from the traditional transportation and logistics sector and from the emerging electric and smart transportation sector. Participants above all recommended that decision makers support the development of the industrial electric and smart transportation sector.
Avenues for government and industry action that participants considered most promising are as follows: providing integrated and shared data management between actors in the transportation and logistics industry; defining a clear vision to accelerate the development of the sector and concentrate efforts on structuring, mobilizing projects; and adapting training to the new realities of the sector to ensure an adequate labour pool.
This prioritization of the solutions initially presented in the Action Plan to Strengthen the Transportation and Logistics Sector, jointly developed by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, CargoM and Propulsion Québec, with content partner KPMG, is the result of an exercise conducted during the Forum.
The forum was also the opportunity for CargoM and Propulsion Québec to announce that they have submitted a plan for a Cité de la Mobilité innovation zone, to include the Port and Montréal East. Additionally, the Montréal clean delivery company Courant Plus shared that on Monday it would announce a partnership with Décathlon for the electric delivery of its merchandise to customers, a first in Canada.
The Chamber would like to note the Forum presence of Sylvie Vachon, president and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, who spoke for the last time before the Chamber in anticipation of her retirement after 11 years at the head of the Port of Montreal, one of Greater Montréal’s essential strategic assets. Ms. Vachon reiterated the importance of collaboration among ecosystem actors to ensure a strong recovery.
“Actors in the transportation and logistics sector mobilized to discuss the vital role of their sector in moving goods and people in the metropolitan area,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “Fluid transportation is one of the decisive factors for the economic performance of the city, which holds a strategic position on the eastern portion of the continent. Propulsion Québec and CargoM are working together to mobilize the industry, and the Chamber will continue to support them and provide avenues for innovative solutions discussed during the Forum.”
“The electrical and smart transportation sector emerged not only as an essential service during this crisis, but also as a vector for the recovery of the Quebec economy,” said Sarah Houde, president and CEO of Propulsion Québec. “We have the opportunity to realize the potential of local businesses and natural resources to ensure the future of the transportation industry and sustainably improve our environmental performance.”
“In recent months, the logistics sector had to quickly mobilize resources to ensure Canadians were supplied with medical goods and to minimize the impact of so many businesses closing on goods accumulating in the major transportation hubs,” said Mathieu Charbonneau, executive director of CargoM. “These challenges were an opportunity for innovation and the use of technology, such as artificial intelligence, and they enabled the development of partnerships and collaborations among actors in the logistics chain.”
The action plan enhanced with input from a collaborative session held as part of the Forum will soon be available on the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal website. While awaiting the updated version, you can find the action plan here.
About the Strategic Forum on transportation and logistics
The Strategic Forum on transportation and logistics, which is part of the Relaunch MTL movement, is jointly developed by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, CargoM – logistic and transportation cluster of metropolitan Montréal and Propulsion Québec, in cooperation with the Port of Montreal.
About the Relaunch MTL movement
The Relaunch MTL movement is powered by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the Ville de Montréal, in association with Investissement Québec and the Palais des congrès de Montréal, and in cooperation with the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Conseil emploi métropole, CN, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and KPMG. The movement is also created with the support of Air Canada, CGI, Desjardins, Hydro-Québec, La Presse, Montreal Gazette, RBC Royal Bank and Rio Tinto, and in partnership with Aéro Montréal, AluQuébec, the Association de la construction du Québec, the Quebec Film and Television Council, CargoM – Logistic and Transportation Metropolitan Cluster of Montréal, the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail, Culture Montréal, Écotech Québec, Femmessor, Finance Montréal, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, the Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, mmode – the Metropolitan Fashion Cluster, Montréal International, Montréal InVivo, Numana, Propulsion Québec and Tourisme Montréal. More details on the movement at www.relaunchMTL.ca.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
With a network of over 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source: Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Information: Caroline Des Rosiers, 514 880-2881, cdesrosiers@national.ca
Related link:
http://www.relançonsMTL.ca