The Evolution Tour: A Canadian Roadshow

As Fund I ended, Protein Industries Canada geared up to launch its second tranche of funding in the spring of 2023. The cluster embarked on the Evolution Tour – a nationwide roadshow to connect, celebrate and plan with the sector.

While visiting seven Canadian cities—Calgary, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Mississauga, Halifax, Montreal and Winnipeg—the Evolution Tour engaged more than 400 attendees in forward-looking conversations about the next five years of Canada’s plant-based ingredient manufacturing, food processing and bioproducts ecosystem.

The Evolution Tour ensured ecosystem members had the opportunity to understand the priorities of Protein Industries Canada and the Fund II project process, while also ensuring that Protein Industries Canada understood member concerns and the state of the sector The events featured panels of industry leaders who found success in their Fund I projects, keynote speakers, and additional presentations focused on increasing Canada’s competitiveness, AI, attracting capital and The Road to $25 Billion. Some events had co-sponsors, such as CTAQ in Montreal and Plant-Based Foods of Canada in Vancouver. Throughout the various networking receptions, attendees strengthened their industry connections by engaging with others in the sector.

Across all seven stops, the necessity for collaboration was evident and a consistent message was heard—the journey toward the future of food has begun and Canadian value-added innovation will be at the forefront.