Your next exceptional hire might never make it past your screening software. Self-taught developers. Career changers. People who have built something impressive without a familiar employer on their resume. Vitalii Dodonov, Co-Founder of Stan, argues Canadian companies are filtering out the very adaptability they say they need. His youngest hire was 17 when they met at a hackathon. The work earned him an opportunity his resume wouldn’t have. What has a candidate shown you that their resume couldn’t? Read Vitalii’s op-ed: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #TalentRecognition #Hiring #CanadianBusiness #FutureOfWork

AI can accelerate expertise. A rigid career ladder can leave it sitting idle. When employees can contribute more but have to wait for a title to catch up, businesses risk wasting talent and handing competitors a hiring advantage. Christian Schmitz, Group CEO of International Workplace Group, argues employers need to get better at spotting readiness: give people difficult problems, test their judgement and let demonstrated performance earn greater responsibility. Faster learning creates an opportunity. Businesses still have to make room for it. Read his full op-ed on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/h… #AI #Leadership #TalentManagement #BusinessCompetitiveness

Your next great leader may be ready before your promotion policy says they are. AI is helping ambitious employees tackle unfamiliar problems and build expertise faster. Businesses that keep equating readiness with years served risk losing capable people to competitors willing to give them responsibility. Christian Schmitz, Group CEO of International Workplace Group, argues the opportunity is to recognize exceptional talent earlier while keeping performance and accountability at the centre. Read his case for rethinking the career ladder on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/h… #Leadership #AI #TalentDevelopment #FutureOfWork

Opening a bank account. Signing up for a phone plan. Accessing government services. Each identity check can add friction for Canadians and verification work for businesses. A credential that works across institutions could change that, making digital trust infrastructure for a more efficient economy. Fadwa Mohanna, Founder and CEO of One37, argues Canada can connect the systems already taking shape, help Canadian identity technology scale at home and pursue recognition abroad. The opportunity: easier transactions and greater control over the infrastructure our economy depends on. Read her case for making digital trust Canada’s next nation-building project on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #DigitalTrust #DigitalIdentity #CanadianEconomy #DigitalSovereignty

What if cybersecurity isn’t slowing AI adoption, but making faster adoption possible? That flips a familiar assumption on its head. John O’Brien, National Security Officer at Microsoft Canada, argues that the organizations best positioned to capture AI’s benefits will be those building security and resilience alongside it, not scrambling to add them later. For Canada, the stakes go beyond protecting systems. They extend to whether businesses have the confidence to adopt AI, innovate and compete. Read John O’Brien’s full op-ed on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #Cybersecurity #AI #TechAdoption #Innovation #Canada

Would your employees report a suspicious email immediately? Would they feel safe admitting they clicked? Those answers matter to your organization’s cyber resilience. Rajiv Gupta, Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, part of the Communications Security Establishment Canada, argues that employees need accessible tools, clear processes and the confidence to speak up. Early reporting gives security teams time to investigate and contain an incident. Leaders help make that possible by supporting employees who raise concerns or acknowledge mistakes. As AI makes deception more convincing, that culture becomes even more consequential. Read his op-ed now for what leaders and employees can do to strengthen readiness: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #CyberSecurity #CyberResilience #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture

Canada’s next great company starts with someone taking a risk. But are we making things easy for risk takers? Joe Canavan, Principal of Canavan Capital, identifies barriers that go beyond having a good idea: access to capital, tax competitiveness, attitudes toward failure and the ability to attract ambitious founders. His argument puts a practical question to Canada’s business and policy leaders: Are we creating the conditions for people to build here, or giving them reasons to choose somewhere else? Which barrier would you tackle first, and what would you change? Read Joe’s full op-ed on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/e… #Entrepreneurship #Competitiveness #CanadianEconomy #StartupCanada

Everyone wants to celebrate Canada’s next global success. Who’s willing to back it before success looks likely? Founders need capital when their ideas are unproven. They need room to fail, learn and try again. The rewards, if they come, follow years of uncertainty. Joe Canavan, Principal of Canavan Capital, argues Canada cannot expect world-class companies while discouraging the risk-taking required to build them. What would make Canada a better place to take that first big bet? Read his full op-ed on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/e… #Entrepreneurship #CanadianInnovation #StartupCanada #Investment

Canada wants to lead in AI. But we’re already #9 globally for cyber threat activity. That makes cybersecurity more than an IT problem. As AI scales, so does the speed and sophistication of the threat landscape. John O’Brien, National Security Officer at Microsoft Canada, argues that cyber resilience could determine how confidently Canadian businesses adopt AI, scale innovation and compete globally. Can Canada become an AI leader without becoming a cyber-resilience leader too? Read the full op-ed on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #Cybersecurity #AI #Innovation #Canada #Competitiveness

Cybersecurity training: completed. But has anything changed in how the business makes decisions? 84% of Canadian business leaders surveyed say cybersecurity remains a training “tick-box” rather than being as fully embedded as it could be, according to KPMG’s 2025 survey. Francois Guay, Founder and CEO of the Canadian Cybersecurity Network, argues that awareness is only the starting point. Businesses need trusted guidance to understand which threats affect their operations, which dependencies leave them exposed and what deserves action. That knowledge can shape more than protection. It can help leaders choose technologies, meet customer expectations and pursue new markets with greater confidence. Read Guay’s op-ed for his argument on making trusted guidance more accessible: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/f… #Cybersecurity #CanadianBusiness #CyberResilience #Competitiveness

Tariffs don’t just raise costs. They can decide whether a Canadian cleantech company gets to market at all. In a survey of 100 cleantech SMEs, 71% said US-Canada tariffs have affected them or likely will. Companies are looking for customers beyond the US and choosing Canadian suppliers. But they still need a stronger market for their technologies here at home. Heather Crochetiere, Interim CEO of Foresight Canada, asks what it will take to turn that pressure into an advantage for Canadian innovators. Read her op-ed now: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/n… #Cleantech #CanadianBusiness #Trade #Commercialization

A supplier vulnerability. A stolen password. A convincing phishing email. Any one can interrupt operations. In a connected economy, the damage can spread well beyond the organization’s first hit. Rajiv Gupta, Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, part of the Communications Security Establishment Canada, argues that cyber resilience belongs alongside financial and operational risk on the leadership agenda. The practical test: can essential services continue during a disruption, and has anyone tested the recovery plan? Canada’s ability to capitalize on AI and other digital technologies depends on trust in the systems behind them. Read his op-ed now for what leaders and employees can do to strengthen readiness: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #CyberResilience #CyberSecurity #CanadianEconomy #Leadership

Cyber threats are evolving. So is the role cybersecurity plays in Canada’s economy. For Cyber Awareness Month, our latest Future in Focus explores what stronger digital resilience means for Canadian businesses, institutions and the people responsible for protecting them. From AI-enabled threats and cyber preparedness to skills, strategy and trusted guidance, we’re bringing together expert perspectives on how Canada can strengthen cybersecurity while supporting innovation and competitiveness. With insights from ↓ - Rajiv Gupta, Head, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security - John O’Brien, National Security Officer, Microsoft Canada - Francois Guay, Founder & CEO, Canadian Cybersecurity Network Explore our Cyber Awareness Month Future in Focus now: thefutureeconomy.ca/future-i… #CyberAwarenessMonth #Cybersecurity #CyberResilience #DigitalSecurity #CanadianBusiness #DigitalEconomy #Canada

Canada wants to move more electricity between provinces. How should it pay for the infrastructure? One approach is the traditional model: provinces develop infrastructure and recover costs from their own ratepayers. Another is to treat major interprovincial transmission as national infrastructure, bringing federal funding together with pension and private capital to finance projects whose benefits extend beyond a single province. Jatin Nathwani, Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, and Barry Appleton, Fellow of the Balsillie School, argue for the latter approach. Their proposal includes federal green bonds, pension capital and public-private partnerships, with safeguards against foreign control of critical infrastructure. It raises a bigger question for Canada: when electricity infrastructure serves both provincial customers and national economic objectives, how should the cost be shared? Read their full argument on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/b… #CanadianEconomy #Electricity #Infrastructure #Energy #Investment

What could $1.7 billion unlock for Canada’s electricity future? Research from the C.D. Howe Institute suggests that this relatively small amount in seed capital could help drive $92.5 billion in renewable energy investment over a decade. The bigger question is how Canada finances infrastructure at national scale. For Jatin Nathwani, Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, and Barry Appleton, Fellow of the Balsillie School, the opportunity is bigger than financing. They argue that connecting Canada’s provincial electricity systems through an east-west grid could turn the country’s clean power advantage into a national economic asset. A more connected grid could help provinces trade surplus power, support growing industrial demand and strengthen Canada’s energy resilience. The question is whether Canada is ready to treat electricity infrastructure as a nation-building project. Read their full argument on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/b… #CanadianEconomy #Electricity #Infrastructure #CleanEnergy #Investment

As Dr. Rob Annan, President & CEO of Genome Canada, points out in our latest expert interview, the pace of genomic innovation is completely changing what is possible in healthcare. The scientific breakthrough is here, the next challenge is implementation. To turn this incredible speed into real patient outcomes, Canada must: - Integrate health data securely to support precise risk assessment and earlier diagnosis. - Shift from reactive medicine to proactive, personalized care. - Build strong data governance to ensure public trust remains at the heart of innovation. The technology to transform patient lives exists, now we need the infrastructure, data sharing, and policy alignment to bring it into standard care. 🎬 Watch the full conversation, also featuring Dr. Jim Woodgett, President & Scientific Director of the Terry Fox Research Institute, and host David Jones, Managing Director of Merck Canada: thefutureeconomy.ca/intervie… #Genomics #PrecisionMedicine #HealthcareInnovation #FutureOfLifeSciences #LifeSciences #HealthData #CanadianHealthcare

93%. A new study by the Council of Canadian Innovators found that, for most Canadian companies that are acquired, control over key business decisions shifts outside the country. Adam Froman, Founder & CEO of Delvinia, says the question for Canada isn't only whether we can build valuable companies. It’s how much economic capacity we retain when they scale. Read his full argument on TheFutureEconomy.ca: thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/c… #CanadianInnovation #TechScaleups #Investment #CanadianEconomy #EconomicGrowth