(Ottawa ) It all started with an unexpected phone call, as is often the case in the business world when important transactions arise.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
With the COVID-19 pandemic having highlighted Canada’s vulnerability in the supply of personal protective equipment and vaccines, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, had a ambitious project in mind: to rebuild the country’s biomanufacturing sector.
In his eyes, if we had not chosen the moment when COVID-19 hit Canada hard and if we could not choose the moment of the next pandemic, we could at least choose whether the country would be better prepared. to face it.
It is with this common thread firmly anchored in his philosophy as a minister of the federal cabinet that he embarked on a long-term operation to convince the big boss of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, to open a factory in Canada, in the winter of 2021. He had managed to get his hands on the cell number of the CEO of the pharmaceutical giant, which has developed one of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the world with the one designed by Pfizer. He had obtained this precious number thanks to the close collaborators of his cabinet colleague responsible for Public Services and Procurement Canada, Anita Anand, who has since been appointed Minister of National Defence.
A few months earlier, the Trudeau government had concluded contracts for the purchase of millions of doses of vaccines with a few pharmaceutical companies, including Moderna, in order to be able to launch a large vaccination campaign.
I called him without notice. I told him that we had to talk about the future.
François-Philippe Champagne, in an interview with The Press
The future meant Moderna’s investments in Canada. This pharmaceutical company had no factories outside the United States. This “cold call,” as he described it, was followed by a text message sent at 4:58 p.m. on February 2, 2021. “I like the vision. Let’s do it together, ”he simply wrote to her after their first discussion.
It was the start of a series of text messages and phone calls between the two men. Over the weeks, bonds of trust were established. The discussions were sustained and marked by good understanding. The tenacity of Minister Champagne eventually paid off, leading to formal negotiations between the federal government and Moderna representatives.
Six months later, in August 2021, the boss of Moderna came to Montreal to announce that the pharmaceutical giant intended to set up its penates in Canada. The final location would be announced later after an evaluation of the advantages offered by certain Canadian cities, in particular the Montreal and Toronto regions. Minister Champagne was obviously all smiles during this press conference, held a few days before the federal election was called.
“All investment starts with a call or a text message,” underlines the minister, who is fueled by the search for new investments.
A step ahead
After this first announcement, François-Philippe Champagne continued to text the CEO of Moderna. He also called him on more than one occasion, a question of keeping the communication channels well lit. The sixth wave of the pandemic marked by the Omicron variant delayed Moderna’s final announcement of the city choice by a few months. But Minister Champagne believed in his heart of hearts that Montreal had a small head start due to the presence of the pharmaceutical industry and well-known universities.
The fact that the metropolis is French-speaking was also an element that appealed to Stéphane Bancel, who is a native of Marseille. The decision finally fell on April 29. Justin Trudeau and his Quebec counterpart François Legault were present at the announcement, as were several influential ministers from both governments.
The style of the Champagne minister clashes. In Ottawa’s power circles, many describe him as the “Energizer Bunny.” Even Justin Trudeau gave him that title during last month’s press conference.
Having worked in the private sector before making the leap into politics in 2015, he gives the impression of being more the “CEO of the government” than a minister. One thing is certain, his style contrasts with that of his predecessors, who did not tend to take the lead in this way to attract investment to the country.
Not everyone on the planet wakes up in the morning thinking about Canada. I do, but it’s not everyone. We must therefore convey our message that Canada is a partner of choice in this green economic transition.
Francois-Philippe Champagne
In the eyes of many, the vision of the economy that he succeeded in articulating with his Cabinet colleagues, with business people in the country and with foreign investors is reminiscent of that of another Minister of Industry who is illustrated by giving the country a real industrial policy that transformed the Canadian economy after the Second World War: CD Howe.
“François-Philippe Champagne is everywhere calling and attracting investors in Quebec and across Canada. He delivers the goods all over the country. […] Every time he calls me, he says, ‘OK, boss, I’ve got a deal for you,'” Justin Trudeau said during the April 29 press conference.
It must be said that the minister, who has read CD Howe’s biography, is deploying the same energy to attract strategic investments in key sectors such as aerospace, the battery sector for zero-emission vehicles, the manufacture of electric vehicles , as well as high-speed Internet access in all regions of the country. He wants to add the development of green hydrogen to his line of sight.
Business people hail Minister Champagne’s go-getter style. “Minister Champagne understands the business world. He understands that Canada faces fierce competition to attract talent and investment. Canadians are well served by having a minister who has international business experience and who carries the Canadian flag with him and says to investors: choose Canada,” said Goldy Hyder, CEO of the Business Council of Canada, who however, would like the same philosophy to be put forward when it comes to building infrastructure in the country.