3 April 2024

13:30 – 15:05

Amphi 4

Pierre Marquis

Pierre is Vice-President of Business Development at ANDRITZ Hydro Canada Inc. Over the course of his career, Pierre has worked with major Canadian utilities and independent power producers, in power generation, hydroelectric plant rehabilitation and thermal plant modernization. After 22 years on the Board of Directors of the Association québécoise pour la production d’énergie renouvelable (AQPER), he continues to put his experience in power plant projects to good use in private power generation in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. In addition, as part of his business development activities in the renewable energies sector, he is Past President of the National Electricity Round Table and a member of the Board of Directors of EDF-Renouvelables Canada.

Debate: What are the keys to startup growth and the challenges to be overcome?

Every year, a large number of companies are born. Unfortunately, in the short term, around 90% of startups fail completely. Of those that survive, around 15% make it into the top eight U.S. startup ecosystems. Similar statistics are found in France. In addition to startups, many companies that have passed the five-year mark are not reaching their full potential. In this debate, we look at the challenges that need to be overcome, and the keys to ensuring optimal, sustainable growth. The main challenges include strategic positioning of companies in relation to market needs and competing offerings, capital and human resource requirements, technological development of the offering, and the business model and its development.