New Brunswick technologists and innovators know how to solve tough problems – and at InnovateNB, we met incredible local innovators doing work in the health, technology, supply chain procurement, agriculture, education, advanced manufacturing areas and more. All the nominees and winners are evidence of the strength of our provincial innovation ecosystem and determination of the people who work in it; that’s what I hope the 445 people who attended Innovate NB in Saint John on November 27th take from our event.
Our province has incredible talent, ideas, and solutions and I know what can be accomplished when we are all rowing together to a common goal.
We NEED to do this hard, messy work of innovation. As New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said, it needs to be happening in every industry all the time to fix social and economic problems – and to succeed in increased capital investment is essential.
Sandpiper Ventures founding managing partner Cathy Bennett, who we have deemed an adopted New Brunswicker, was poignant in her words that innovation needs to be found everywhere and that entrepreneurs need specific and timely assistance to get out of the gate and to scale. She reminded us that this is important work and it can all be done from here.
It struck me the diversity of the companies and people nominated, the industries they represented, and the importance of venture capital, particularly from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), where I served as chair for a decade of change and growth. It was awe-inspiring to hear of the founders’ journeys and to listen to how important that organization has been to many of the winners’ successes to date.
We are at a critical crossroad for our province and country. Our economic outlook depends on talent, both homegrown and elsewhere. For graduates and newcomers alike, we need to create pathways in the workforce. We need to embrace AI and deploy it effectively across every sector. We need more capital – lots more – and we need to get better at deploying it strategically. These aren’t abstract goals; these are urgent priorities.
After 35 years in the tech ecosystem, I’ve seen many milestones, but this year’s InnovateNB Awards felt like a crescendo. Having Gerry Pond in the room, the architect of innovation in New Brunswick, was magical. The standing ovation he received as our inaugural Hall of Fame inductee from 2022 was a testament to his regional legacy.
As an NBTel alum who witnessed his leadership firsthand, I couldn’t help but notice how many nominees and winners bore his influence. I hope he saw his legacy in front of him as he sat back and saw the nominees and winners and the reach that he has had over all these years. Gerry’s vision shaped this ecosystem, and Marcel Lebrun’s body of work stands as proof of what’s possible when that vision takes root. He was welcomed as Innovate NB’s 2025 Hall of Fame inductee.
People said the energy and conversation was electric; I felt it in the crowd and on the stage.
If we want to grow GDP, scale companies, and sell our products and services globally, we need to double down on what works. And that starts with one simple, powerful idea: buy local.
Government, nonprofits, and the private sector must lead by example. That means purchasing New Brunswick-built software, services, and hardware. It means investing in New Brunswick companies and hiring New Brunswick talent. Every dollar spent here strengthens our ecosystem, creates jobs, and builds resilience. There is no shortcut. The only way forward is to support the innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and ecosystem partners who are doing this work every day. And they are doing amazing things!
Cheers to everyone who was nominated, to the sponsors, the partners, and to my team for their relentless pursuit of supporting the tech and innovation economy in New Brunswick. Whether it’s through TechImpact membership, job creation, or driving AI adoption with Digital Boost 3.0, it’s a privilege to do this work alongside you.
2026 is just around the corner, and it feels like an exciting year ahead. Let’s make it the year we turn momentum into a measurable impact. Let’s make it the year we prove that innovation is so much more than an event – it’s how we get down to business in New Brunswick.
Cathy Simpson
CEO, TechImpact