When Paris hosted the eighth edition of VivaTech, Europe's largest technology event, Canada's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem stood out like never before. With a record delegation of over 60 organizations, Canada demonstrated its leadership in AI, and NATIONAL was honored to play a key role in this economic mission, focusing on media and institutional relations for the Canadian delegation.
Mandated by the Canadian government to organize this mission, Scale AI, Canada’s AI Global Innovation Cluster, gave us a specific mandate: to amplify the delegation's presence through strategic media coverage, and to strengthen institutional ties with key stakeholders abroad in order to highlight Canadian leadership in this field.
Our consultants involved in this project rose to the challenge with flying colors. They brought a delegation of six influential Canadian journalists to cover the event, and organized high-level meetings with several countries and international organizations. These initiatives helped showcase Canadian AI expertise on the world stage.
The media strategy we deployed was designed to maximize visibility. Journalists enjoyed privileged access to Canadian companies, panel discussions on key issues, and guided tours of booths from leading European companies. These activities highlighted real-world applications of AI by Canadian companies, some of which have already been adopted by major multinationals, and shared these stories with a wider audience.
At the same time, our work in institutional relations has opened some important doors. Members of our delegation were invited to the Élysée for a reception with the President of the Republic, a highlight that underlined the importance of AI in international economic and technological cooperation. The mission also aimed to demonstrate the strong ties between France and Canada. By sharing their talents and resources, these two great nations will continue to strengthen their collaboration, enabling them to pursue and deepen their joint efforts in AI.
The impact of our collaboration with Scale AI and its partners has been significant. Media coverage has been impressive, with over 175 mentions in leading media outlets. The institutional meetings also laid the foundations for future collaborations, highlighting the breadth of Canada's mature AI ecosystem, highly envied for its talent and great diversity, and ready for export. The aim is also to stimulate demand for Canadian know-how and talent on the international stage.
NATIONAL is proud to have contributed to this success by demonstrating its sector expertise in AI and technology. Our team of technophile experts forged close ties with some sixty of the most prominent AI companies by organizing a highly strategic economic mission aimed at strengthening Canadian leadership and promoting Canadian excellence in AI on the world stage.
