The official announcement was made on March 17, with Pierre Lassonde and his family in attendance, at the Lorne M. Trottier Atrium in Polytechnique Montréal’s Lassonde Buildings. Polytechnique Montréal President Maud Cohen announced this historic gift to our institution with great emotion and excitement, accompanied by members of the university community, industry and government representatives. On behalf of the entire Polytechnique community, she thanked Mr. Lassonde for this immense vote of confidence in our talented people and the next generation.
Ms. Cohen stressed the importance of this gift that marks a major turning point for research and training in the field of high technology in Québec and Canada.
“This is the largest gift in the history of Polytechnique Montréal, and with it, Pierre Lassonde has reaffirmed his role as a builder and his support for the next generation of engineers.”
This contribution to the ÇA SE PENSE À POLY major fundraising campaign will enable the creation of a new world-class research institute with the dual mission of training talent in the high-tech sector and developing tangible technological innovations for society.
An inspiring commitment for the future
Mr. Lassonde, renowned for his dedication and generosity to his alma mater, is a 1971 graduate of Polytechnique Montréal and has been Chair of the Board of the institution since 2020. He is an active philanthropist in Canada and the United States, supporting education, the arts and his community.
With this donation, Mr. Lassonde and his family are expressing their strong desire to support the next generation of scientific and technological talent. He firmly believes that Polytechnique’s talented people have the ideas and innovative solutions that will shape the future.
“I am convinced that by supporting our researchers, who are among the best in their field, we will contribute to the emergence of a cutting-edge business sector in Québec that is also capable of impacting other sectors of the economy,” he explains.
With his gift, Mr. Lassonde also hopes to encourage more affluent people to contribute, as he does, to the creation of forward-looking projects. “The important thing is not to accumulate wealth, but rather to know how to use it positively,” he states.
A driver of innovation and education
By building on Polytechnique Montréal’s existing strengths and opening up the possibility of adding complementary research teams, the new institute specializing in disruptive innovation aims to serve as a catalyst for advancement in the field of high technology by encouraging collaboration between scientists, engineers and stakeholders.
This institute intends to establish itself as a strong and, above all, complementary link with the major initiatives already in existence in Bromont, Québec City and Ottawa to help stimulate Eastern Canada’s high-tech sector.
By harnessing the expertise of its researchers and fostering strategic partnerships with other institutions in Québec and across Canada, the institute for disruptive innovation aims to strengthen Montréal’s positioning on the global high-tech stage. This project is in line with the philosophy of “deep tech,” which focuses on basic research to generate innovative, high-impact applications.
With this initiative, Polytechnique Montréal is equipping itself to shape the future of engineering and innovation, while actively contributing to the economic and technological development of Québec and Canada.
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