A high-level French-Quebec delegation learns about the GVCdtLab’s work on digital twins and trade policy

The GVCdtLab was pleased to welcome a large French-Quebec delegation composed of representatives from the diplomatic, political, economic, and academic communities to present the progress of its work on digital twins applied to global value chains.
The meeting, moderated by Thierry Warin (HEC Montréal and CIRANO), brought together, among others, former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Minister Jean-François Copé, Emmanuelle Pérès, Executive Director of the Prospective & Innovation Foundation, Éric Lamouroux, Consul General of France in Quebec City, and Cyrille Simon, Political and Cooperation Attaché at the Consulate General of France in Quebec City. Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, President and CEO of CIRANO, welcomed the delegation to CIRANO’s offices.
At the heart of the discussions was the digital twin project developed by the GVCdtLab and its potential to transform the design and evaluation of public policies related to international trade. Against a backdrop of increasingly complex global value chains and shifting geopolitical balances, participants discussed the need to develop new analytical tools capable of better representing the economic interdependencies among regions, sectors, and trading partners.
Discussions also focused on the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, economic modeling, and data science to support public decision-making. By combining these approaches, digital twins make it possible to simulate different scenarios, assess the potential effects of public policies, and strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of economies in the face of changes in global trade.
This meeting illustrates the GVCdtLab’s commitment to fostering dialogue among researchers, public policymakers, and international stakeholders in order to develop decision-support tools grounded in data and scientific knowledge. The laboratory extends its warmest thanks to all participants for the fruitful discussions and their commitment to international collaboration in the service of innovation and public policy.