Can innovation solve the massive challenges we face today?

We start this conversation by acknowledging that we, the authors of this article, do not consider ourselves experts on the subject discussed here; we are but three individuals with desires, dreams, and good intentions. We confess to having more questions to ask than solutions to offer. But we do have a strong desire to contribute from our trenches in the world of innovation. And we want to invite our network to join in this reflection and then pass from thought to action.

A personal experience with water stress

- By Alejandro Martinez-Ramos, CPSP

The lack of fresh water to satisfy life's most basic needs is a problem that touches me closely. The city where my family lives has suffered from severe water stress for most of 2022. For months, the water supply has been reduced to a few hours a day, five days a week. On the other two days, there is no water supply at all. They are lucky; other families in the area spend weeks without the vital element. No, my family does not live in the wilderness or the desert; they live in one of the most important cities in Latin America. However, freshwater reserves for 5.3 million people have plummeted, which is why extreme measures were taken by the authorities managing the freshwater supply. As of the end of March, only enough water reserves were left to last another 45 days. Life is harsh without enough water for our daily needs; without any, it is impossible.?

I like to think that we are still on time to prevent a world catastrophe caused by climate change, and because of the many challenges ahead, I feel proper to raise a few questions, questions that have occupied my mind most of the time lately:?

• How can we contribute to solving a rising problem that many prefer to ignore?

Furthermore?

• How do we build innovation communities that are mission and purpose-driven?
• How do we enable communities to journey, not from research to commercialization, but from value creation to impact??
• How do we decide as a community what is worth achieving through innovation??
• How do we help start-ups, academics, financials, and corporations align toward the same goals? How do we enable collaboration among all stakeholders?

How do we evolve from stakeholders searching for purely economic gain to becoming stakeholders driven by social and environmental impact?

Can we create the conditions for a better future wherever we are headed as humankind?

“A future of permanent and ubiquitous climate chaos on an unimaginable scale: devastating loss of life, enormous human suffering, and massive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods...” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described at a recent U.N. General Assembly talking about Pakistan’s ongoing massive flooding, which has caused billions of dollars in damage, over 1,300 deaths?and 33 million people displaced or affected by it.

In the wake of a sanitary crisis, we open our eyes to a world of economic stress, severe droughts, intense floods, potential epidemics, and profound political and social changes. Our world, as we knew it, seems to be transforming, as if on the verge of a new order.?

In contrast, science and technology progress at a speed that we only imagined in science fiction books; cloning, nuclear fusion energy, artificial intelligence, and many more innovations will soon be a daily routine.

What can we do to ensure that everyone on earth has an equal chance of thriving under this new order? Regardless of who we are and where we live, we all face the same reality:

• Should we leave matters to continue their current rhythm, the earth will not keep the conditions we need to thrive as species.
• We do not live in isolation; we have never been, especially in the face of events of great magnitude.
• The challenges we face today are massive, and we cannot solve them by ourselves as individuals or as a local community.?
• How we have operated the worldwide system in the past is no longer working; or indeed, it never did; we just did not know.

Therefore, as the authors of this article, we asked ourselves, given the significant challenges we face today, are the solutions a matter of innovation? How can we enable innovation to help us effectively contribute to the solution for climate change?

Between sweet dreams and nightmares, how do we stay awake and focus as innovators?

- By Simon Trépanier (M. Sc.)

COVID shook the world just enough to remind us how quickly the landscape can change and how something taken for granted can slip between our fingers like it never existed. It was also a crisis that brought greater humility and a sense of responsibility: after all, didn’t we take all the means to make sure those in need, the most vulnerable of our population, can have their fair chance??

In the startup ecosystem, I experienced it as a collective effort to resist the tide and find ways to thrive despite it - maintaining as many entrepreneurs (mentally, physically and economically) afloat through the crisis. Even on the global stage, international collaborations seemed to have been driven by the impact on local communities and their well-being: for example, importing urgently required solutions and exporting start-ups to markets where their solutions were direly needed.?

To me, COVID acted like the warm-up we needed, the wake-up call to focus on real problems and play as teammates instead of competitors. Now, the question is… How do we keep this spirit and this sense of emergency alive?

And yet, as discussed above, the biggest challenge is still to come. The landscape is expected to shift more and more, one crisis acting as a signal for the next one to come. So, the questions that I have in mind: if the next century is to be marked by recurring waves of insecurity, community crisis and environmental hazard…

#1 How can we be more responsive and adapt faster?

#2 How can we make sure our energy and creativity are put to the right purpose?

And if we deeply wish to fight climate change and avoid its consequence in the first place:

#3 Do we actually have the means to fulfill our ambitions?

The first question seems obvious to answer with technologies: have a shorter feedback loop, be aware of the weak signals and every minute saved on the situation assessment and analysis of the possible course of action can be converted to taking proper actions. I believe A.I. can play a big role in achieving that.?

The second question seems to stand by one word: people. Ultimately, as innovators, workers, directors, entrepreneurs, etc., we should seek the positive impact we are generating for our communities. Here, mindset might be the way to close the gap: by being less obsessed with utilities and functionalities and more on the aspiration, the sense of community and the legacy we wish to bring. “I have a dream,” do you remember that one? And here are some resources for that: ex. Esplanade Impact gaps Canvas, lean impact model, etc.

But then, the third one appears to me as a blind spot: Do we actually have the means to fulfill our ambitions? I mean, yes, during the last decade, the Quebec ecosystem made tremendous leaps to upscale its game on the international level (incubators/accelerators network, innovation funding strategies, government-induced innovation entities, start-up communities, VC, grants, etc.) And can benefit from a renewable energy-based economy (thanks to Hydro-Québec!). But is it too little too late for the matters at hand? I hope not. But I also think this is something we must focus on. We just cannot afford to realize it too late.

A truly inspiring example is what Propulsion Quebec did to map the electric mobility ecosystem. They have brought light on the funding/support and the 15 main obstacles to be overcome to accelerate a sustainable mobility transition - in a way that both entrepreneurs and critical actors can act about it. https://propulsionquebec.com/en/resources/funding-directory/

To me, that is an example of how we make sure to follow an agenda and put resources where it matters to accelerate change and innovation within an industry. I guess there's more great work like this that we should raise awareness about. Feel free to reach out to me; I can’t wait to see more and contribute to my best.

How do we close the gap between generations to accelerate innovation?

- By Geneviève Leclerc

Time is no longer for debates. It’s time to take action. Now and together.

For me, innovation is not an end in itself. It’s a means to create value. And it must be both human-centred and ecosystemic. To ensure we don’t lose focus as innovators, let’s always keep these two questions in mind: Who are we really trying to help? And how do we remain relevant in such changing times, not only as a single human being or as an organization, but as part of a more extensive ecosystem?

Inclusion is a superpower if diversity is an asset in such an ecosystem. This can be related to so many aspects, such as cultural origins, genders, expertise, etc. But getting generations to work together better is one that particularly appeals to me.??

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

What if this change of perception could transform conversations between generations and encourage them to create a better future together? Instead of blaming our predecessors and putting the whole responsibility of finding solutions on the shoulders of new generations, why don’t we join forces? What if combining knowledge and wisdom with skills such as creativity and empathy could speed up innovation?

Technological progress is happening at such a breakneck pace that it can seem almost impossible for many decision-makers. Not mastering certain subjects can feel threatening or uncomfortable, even for the most experienced managers. But given the seriousness of the current challenges, shouldn’t we put our pride aside and accept that we need help from each other? Personally, I believe every human being must consider him or herself a lifelong learner. Couldn’t we imagine a new form of two-way mentoring??

On the other hand, younger people may obviously lack experience and find it difficult to understand why available solutions are taking so long to deploy in a climate emergency context. They demand more agility from decision-makers, and their request is completely legitimate.?

This being said, technology is not always THE solution, and that’s why transferring knowledge between generations is also essential. Unfortunately, some ancient knowledge tends to be forgotten or even lost. Sometimes there is no need to reinvent the wheel; going back to the source can be the key or at least inspires us to find simple solutions to complex problems. Let’s take the example of regenerative agriculture discussed in the documentary Kiss the ground, directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell. Or the way in which buildings were once built to cope with extreme heat in certain regions of the world.?

While it might seem utopian, the truth is that we all need each other to create something bigger than ourselves. And that’s what we need to accomplish right now. Promote better knowledge transfer while ensuring that young people's voices are heard and help them make it a reality by involving them in this global innovation process. To quote Verna Myers: “Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Finally, rather than giving as much visibility to the disagreements in force in our society, why don’t we give more value to meaningful initiatives? What if we encouraged people to take action by telling them inspiring stories??

A project that particularly inspires me is Créativité Québec. This initiative aims to equip young people with essential skills to succeed in the 21st century. Training the new generation of changemakers so that they move from dreaming to acting with emotional intelligence, ecological awareness, and creative leadership. Their team is currently looking for mission guides; I invite you to contact them if interested!?

Can innovation solve the significant challenges we face today?

Short answer: yes, but…

Yes. ?We answer yes because, as innovators, haven't we always been the few to generate mass adoption where the vast majority simply (and still) haven't cared? The challenges are humongous- unprecedented -, and still, our role within the community remains the same: bring together the early adopters and enable them to create the shift required to provoke the changes.

But. We say “but”? because, like everything else, we must evolve and adapt our innovation practices to the new reality. We need to be conscious of how we use our natural resources, create a positive impact on communities, foster diversity and collaboration between generations, and consider that technology won’t be the answer to everything.

We urge you to pass from worrying to action. We encourage you to join and get yourself actively implicated in initiatives that contribute to the convergence of our communities and the generation of innovative solutions, such as the Meetup Innovation Climat Montréal in Montréal, the Atlantic AquaHacking Challenge in the Atlantic by AquaAction , or any other initiative that’s at your reach. You can also connect directly with us; we’ll be more than glad to discuss further with you and help you get your hands on the common mission.?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of their former and current employers. Any content provided is of the authors' opinions and is not intended to malign any organization, company, individual, or anyone else.