A research-society initiative to mobilize scientific knowledge by and for the ecosystem supporting innovative and scientific entrepreneurship
The accelerators Innovation Movement of Québec (MAIN) and the Québec Research Fund (FRQ) is proud to announce the start of work on the PERSÉIS monitoring cell initiative.
These monitoring groups rely on collaboration between members of the research community and support professionals to address a shared priority issue.
This is also an opportunity to integrate and combine research methodologies with those of incubators and accelerators to produce comprehensive assessments focused on real-world concerns. These groups are intended to be forums for exchange, where participants can get to know one another, draw inspiration from one another, and, where appropriate, collectively identify knowledge gaps to be addressed through research projects.
To kick off this first phase of collaboration, three monitoring groups will focus on key topics that require further exploration:
- impact assessment
- Entrepreneurs' Mental Health
- Intellectual Property in Innovative Companies
Toward a Concrete Assessment of Entrepreneurial Impact
The impact measurement monitoring group will focus, in particular, on the measurement strategies used around the world to highlight the social, environmental, or economic impact of startups both as a marketing tool in their market and to attract potential investors. The discussion will also focus on metrics that can be used to highlight the importance of incorporating this impact into startup support when engaging with funders. This initiative aims to identify common frameworks and tools that would be beneficial and adaptable to the Quebec context.
Here are the members who will be discussing this topic:
- Arman Aksoy, Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, and Research Associate at HEC Montréal
- Julien Bergeron, Director of the Sustainable Tourism Innovation Hub, MT Lab
- Sylvain Carle, Director, CIVIC
- Maria do Carmo Correia de Lima, Postdoctoral Fellow, CRIUGM—Research Center at the Montreal University Institute of Geriatrics
- Julie Crevier, Knowledge Transfer Advisor, College Center for Expertise in Social Innovation (CERESO)
- Laure Painchaud, Business Intelligence Consultant, Esplanade Québec
Mental Health at the Heart of the Entrepreneurial Journey: A Paradigm Shift
The monitoring group dedicated to entrepreneurs’ mental health will address an increasingly critical issue in the entrepreneurial ecosystem: the challenges (e.g., stress, burnout, a culture of failure) that entrepreneurs face. Key findings from the literature and documented best practices for support will be identified in order to drive a paradigm shift and break down existing taboos.
Here are the members who will be discussing this topic:
- Mariève Beauchemin, Director of Incubation and Acceleration, Indie Asylum
- Louis-Pierre Charest, Director of Programs, Centech
- Simon Coulombe, Associate Professor and holder of the Relief Research Chair in Mental Health, Self-Management, and Work, Laval University
- Florence Guiliani, assistant professor and director of the entrepreneurship track in the B.A.A. program at the University of Sherbrooke
- Marie-Claude Lemire, Executive Director, UdeM Innovation & Millennium Center
- Étienne St-Jean, full professor and director of the SME Research Institute at Québec University in Trois-Rivières
Protecting Innovation: A Strategic Lever for Quebec Businesses
The task force dedicated to corporate intellectual property will explore the existing literature on the variety of models for protecting and using intellectual property. It will also address the challenges that startups face in identifying and protecting their innovations, as well as the impact of their decisions on their commercialization and growth strategies.
Here are the members who will be discussing this topic:
- Marc Banik, Associate Professor, Management, ESG-UQAM
- Martin Couillard, CLIP Manager, IR-CUSM
- Raphaël Flores, Partnership Development Advisor, IRSST
- Maria G. Macedo, Partnerships and Innovation Support Office, UQAM
- Marc St-Jean, Business Development Advisor, Healthy Brains Healthy Lives Program | McGill University
experts to improve the work of the task forces
In addition to the core members of the monitoring groups, several experts will contribute to the progress of the work during the group’s cycle by suggesting avenues for exploration or additional resources to consider.
- Sarah Abarro, Incubation Program Coordinator, Maison de l’innovation sociale
- Audrey Béganton, Project and Partnership Manager, 2 Degrés
- Catalina Bonilla, Commissioner for Economic Development—Entrepreneurship, City of Montreal
- Coryell Boffy, Senior Director, Company and Culture, Axelys
- Luis Cisneros, full professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and co-founder of the entRepreneuriat Center, HEC Montréal
- Michaël Dubois, Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Québec University in Rimouski
- Simon Grenier, Ph.D.., associate professor in the Department of Psychology, University of Montreal
- Ghani Kolli, CEO, Credo Impact
- Thierry Lefèvre, coordinator at the Center for Research on Sustainable Materials at Laval University (CERMA)
- Laurence Lejeune, Ph.D. candidate in STS, UQAM – CIRST
- More to come!
PERSÉIS is a research-industry collaboration hub for innovative and scientific entrepreneurship, operated by MAIN and the FRQ, in order to stimulate research on innovative and scientific entrepreneurship at Québec.
quotes
“PERSEIS was created to support flexible and diversified funding initiatives in order to foster the emergence of research projects and thereby stimulate research that addresses the core concerns of the innovative and scientific entrepreneurship ecosystem. The monitoring units reinforce this vision by fostering meetings and dialogue through the mobilization of existing scientific knowledge and science-based decision-making,” says Rémi Quirion, chief scientist at Québec.
“With the PERSÉIS monitoring teams, we now have a collaborative and flexible tool to stay on top of global trends in entrepreneurial support. The wealth of expertise brought together in each cell will allow us to scrutinize our practices and foster the emergence of new projects—both in support and research,” says Louis-Félix Binette, Executive Director of MAIN. “We’re starting with three key themes, but there are so many others where mentors and researchers would benefit from exploring the field together!”