AI Expertise Program

AI Expertise Program

With the AI Expertise Program, a CDPQ initiative, powered by Vooban, we encourage Québec companies to seize opportunities related to technological innovations and artificial intelligence to support their growth and optimize their productivity.

Register for the AI Expertise Program webinar

Wednesday, March 19 at 11:30 a.m.

(offered in French only)

Register

A two-step approach

Personalized support to meet the specific needs of the companies selected

1

Innovation Sprint

An idea-generating methodology that involves a series of exploratory workshops with key stakeholders from your company held over a period of four to six weeks that aims to:

  • Identify issues and opportunities to improve operations (all divisions in the company: sales, production, etc.)
  • Identify possible solutions (automation, robotization, digitization of business processes and other artificial intelligence solutions)
  • Prioritize projects identified according to the potential impact and the effort required to achieve them

A report will be submitted at the end of the Innovation Sprint phase, which includes an estimate of the costs and benefits related to priority projects.

2

Project plan

A process structured over two to three weeks with the objective of transforming the idea prioritized during the Innovation Sprint into a concrete project by producing a report documenting each element required for its execution:

  • Technical proposal for development and implementation
  • Project governance and management plan
  • List of prerequisites for the project
  • Detailed budget estimate
  • Timeline
  • Analysis of the project’s return on investment (ROI)

* Only companies that have demonstrated a strong integration potential for their AI project at the end of the Innovation Sprint will be able to move on to this second step.

Logo Vooban

A program powered by Vooban, a national leader and Québec pioneer in applied artificial intelligence

At each step of the program, experts from Vooban, a Québec company in which CDPQ is a shareholder that specializes in the development of tailored AI solutions to transform organizations, will work with the teams to identify concrete solutions and innovative projects.

Photo of Kim Thomassin

“CDPQ is proud to deploy its new AI Expertise Program by activating the expertise of its teams and partners. To maintain their competitiveness and accelerate the expansion of their activities, Québec companies now need to leverage the advantages offered by solutions that incorporate artificial intelligence. What’s more, local resources are accessible and ready to meet their needs.”

Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Québec

Eligibility criteria

Step 1 – Innovation Sprint

A selection committee will select a first cohort of companies for the Innovation Sprint step based on the following criteria:

  • Minimum sales of $25 million
  • Headquarters in Québec
  • Operational and leadership team availability during the program roll-out period (April to June)
  • The company’s capacity to invest in an innovation project
  • The potential impact on the company’s productivity

Step 2 – Project Plan

Among the companies selected for the Innovation Sprint step, a second cohort of companies will be selected by the selection committee members to move to the Project Plan step based on the following criteria:

  • Low to moderate technological risk
  • The company’s execution capacity to implement the project
  • The company’s capacity to invest in an innovation project
  • The potential impact on the company’s productivity

Submit your application

Fill out the form

Registration closes on Friday, March 28 at 11:59 pm.

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