6th edition of the Génies en affaires competition: Laurence Picard in one of the six finalist teams

29 March 2022

On March 29, starting at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time), on Facebook, six finalist teams will present their innovative commercialization projects resulting from university research to a panel of experts and the general public in the hopes of winning one of the four prestigious prizes offered in the 6th edition of the Genius in Business competition.

Laurence Picard, a member of the CRMR, will present the LOC connexion project, about the self-locking connector, a product developed in the laboratories of Université Laval. Laurence is a doctoral student at the Industrial Research Chair on Eco-responsible Wood Construction (CIRCERB).

LOC connexion

Simplifying off-site construction processes

LOC connexion’s goal is to commercialize a mechanical device for the rapid and efficient construction of modular buildings, i.e., buildings that are assembled from factory-made modules. LOC connectors are located in the floor of the modules and contain an automated locking system that permanently links a module to the module below. No additional handling is required: no more lag bolts and multiple bolts required to secure modules together, no more unfinished areas in the modules.

LOC maximizes the benefits of prefabrication by minimizing assembly time and site work, as well as facilitating factory work. The business plan includes the development and maturation of the technology, the manufacturing, sales and distribution of the product, as well as the expertise associated with the use of the technology.

Members of the team

Laurence Picard (Université Laval)
Xavier Picard (Université Laval)

Mentor-e-

Gad Sabbatier (Axelys)

Discover the other teams and their projects here.

Prizes offered and jury

The jury for this year’s competition is composed of :

Simon Dandavino, MBA, Ph. D.
Director of Operations, Next AI

Anne-Marie Hubert, C. M., FCPA, FCA, LL. D
Managing Partner for Eastern Canada, EY Canada

Frédéric Letendre
Lawyer, Founding Partner, YULEX

Damien Silès
Executive Director, Montreal Innovation District

Isabelle Vézina, MDI, MBA, BAA
Senior Director, Innovation and Operations, Quebec Innovation Council

Four prizes worth a total of more than $38,000 in consulting services and scholarships will be awarded at the end of the finals thanks to the generosity of the competition’s prize partners. Three prizes will be awarded by the jury. The public’s prize will be divided among each finalist project, in proportion to the votes cast by the audience.

To attend the event, click here.