This year, globalization is once again marked by significant uncertainty, predominantly driven by geopolitical disruptions, the challenging post-pandemic recovery, and the rapid evolution of climate change. Political and commercial strategies are not yielding the anticipated results, revealing their limitations as well as the difficulties in accommodating the complexities inherent to international trade. Stakeholders in the freight transport and international trade sectors are advocating for a new organizational and management framework and are calling for a shift in perceptions to enhance resilience and improve predictability in an increasingly volatile context.

The Saint Lawrence – Great Lakes (SLGL) macro-region alone represents a GDP of 6 trillion dollars, positioning it as the third-largest economy in the world. It encompasses two Canadian provinces (Quebec and Ontario) and eight U.S. states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota). This commercial corridor serves as a critical nexus for domestic markets, and also for Europe, offering a direct point of access to North America, and to a lesser extent, Asia and Africa.

The SLGL region is also home to a fragile aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. We must preserve its balance and biodiversity while maintaining the competitiveness and attractiveness of this area.

The event brought together several representatives from the federal governement, provincial governments (Quebec and Ontario), and municipal governments (Montreal and Quebec) to engage with CIRANO researchers and external collaborators on these critical issues. Key representatives from the transport and international trade industry were present.