Québec – On Tuesday 5 May 2026, in Trois-Rivières, The Saint-Laurent Economic Development Corporation Council (SODES) will kick off the 6th edition of the Quebec Maritime Sector Conference (Assises Québécoises). A flagship event for the maritime industry, this strategic gathering will bring together more than 300 decision-makers and key players from the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes maritime ecosystem.
Against a backdrop of accelerating transformation in global supply chains and rising geopolitical uncertainties, the 2026 Assises aims to confirm the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes corridor as a strategic lever for economic sovereignty, logistical resilience and North American competitiveness.
Discussions will focus on key priorities for the sector, including:
- Strengthening market diversification to reduce dependence on specific trade flows;
- Accelerating the modernisation of port and logistics infrastructure to support growth and performance;
- Structuring data sharing and interoperability to improve flow, predictability and decision-making across the corridor.
In this regard, Quebec’s initiatives on maritime data sharing, led by Sodes, stand out as a benchmark for neutral governance, cross-sector collaboration and innovation in logistics.
Among the expected speakers, Jean-François Lépine, a geopolitical consultant and international columnist, will shed light on the geopolitical dynamics influencing supply chains, while Yvan Blondin, Lieutenant-General (retired) of the Canadian Armed Forces and special advisor at TACT, will present perspectives on Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
“In a changing environment, the ability of the St Lawrence–Great Lakes corridor to organise itself around a shared vision, to strengthen the strategic flow of information and to accelerate its investments constitutes a decisive competitive advantage,” emphasises Mathieu St-Pierre, CEO of Sodes.
“More than ever, the maritime sector’s performance depends on our collective ability to connect our systems, organisations and decisions. Data sharing is becoming a key driver of competitiveness and resilience,” adds the Sodes executive.
“By fostering a space for strategic dialogue between public and private stakeholders, the Assises québécoises du secteur maritime reaffirm their role as a catalyst in defining the priorities and conditions for success of the St Lawrence–Great Lakes corridor,” concludes Mr St-Pierre.
(Logos of SODES and Assises Québécoises)