The engineering profession in Quebec has taken a big hit in recent months and now faces an uphill battle to restore its reputation. Over and above the controversies, however, one fact remains clear: the quality of its engineers is one of Montreal’s great strengths. The engineering profession has a direct impact at all levels, be it in spurring sustainable development, enhancing our aeronautics profile, reviving the manufacturing sector, upgrading our facilities, or electrifying public transit. All these challenges, and more, rely on the engineering sciences.

Several days ago, I announced the creation of the Trottier Energy Institute (TEI) at Polytechnique Montréal as my contribution to the Campus Montréal major fundraising campaign to support HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal and Université de Montréal. Bringing together some sixty professors and researchers, the institute will form a hub where all of Campus Montréal’s areas of excellence in energy – production, management, optimization, environmental impact  – will converge. The goal is to prepare the next generation of engineers and ensure they acquire a comprehensive understanding of energy-related issues so they can work towards new solutions, create new businesses, and assist policy-makers with making the right choices for the energy future of Quebec, Canada and the world.

Last fall, I contributed in a similar manner to found the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design at McGill University. I chose McGill because of its reputation for integrating sectors such as energy, sustainable manufacturing, green information technology and aviation, and sustainable urban development and transport into its engineering programs.

My commitment includes the stipulations that the two institutes jointly carry out research projects on renewable energy and hold annual public symposiums to report their progress and findings.

Energy issues today are hugely complex, and are both threat and opportunity. These extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures to achieve the scientific advances necessary to safeguard our future and that of our children.

Montreal not only has one of the highest proportions of engineers in North America, it is also home to English- and French-language universities that are eminent members of the international scientific community. By working together, we can provide enormous leverage to a sector vital to the future of mankind.

Montreal can become a major R&D centre for green energy and technology thanks to both its engineering prowess and its enviable reputation as a bilingual city.

This is the dream I want to achieve as engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.