Forum Techno – A revamped edition of Novalait’s flagship event

On June 10, 2025, in Mouton Village, Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, the Novalait Forum Techno, our organization’s flagship event, took place. For this edition, we renewed our partnership with the Conseil des industriels laitiers (CILQ), which hosted us at its summer event, Lait’cole d’été. A total of 108 people gathered for this day dedicated to promising research in dairy processing. It’s safe to say that the 2025 edition was a resounding success!

Compelling discussions and a memorable engagement

Amid changeable weather, participants engaged in rich discussions on research trends in the sector. Through presentations of research supported by Novalait, our speaker-researchers addressed topics of current interest to the industry: workforce recruitment and training challenges, the development of technology to convert lactose into lactic acid, the valorization of dairy byproducts, milk quality starting with on-farm practices, bacteriocins to combat Clostridium spp., and the impact of a chair in cheese technology.

This edition of the Forum Techno also set the stage for a special celebration: our organization’s 30th anniversary! Steve Labrie, the opening speaker, brilliantly highlighted the history of collaboration between research and industry, with Novalait serving as the catalyst at the center of this ecosystem. The roundtable on the valorization of by-products provided an opportunity to put into perspective the work supported over the past 30 years at Novalait, as well as the current and future challenges facing the dairy sector.

The Forum Techno is also an opportunity to emphasize the importance of working together and being committed to addressing the challenges facing the dairy sector in order to find solutions and develop innovations. As our president, David Poulin, so aptly put it: “In a rapidly changing world, where economic, environmental, and social challenges intersect, research is not a luxury; it is an essential aspect to our sector.”

It is with this spirit of collaboration that we will maintain the leadership that allows our local dairy sector to be recognized internationally.

The presence of a remarkable new generation of scientists

The Forum Techno also focuses on showcasing the talents developed through research projects supported by Novalait. This year, 10 students shone in our science communication contest. Participants attended four 180-second oral presentations and six science communication poster presentations.

They brilliantly rose to the challenge of translating sometimes complex research concepts into clear and accessible messages. Our science communication contest recognized the efforts of this dynamic new generation of scientists by presenting each of them with a copy of Sophie Malavoy’s Guide du vulgarisation scientifique.

In addition, the audience was invited to vote for their favorite presentation in each category. Congratulations to Myriam Landry and Vahideh Vahdatmanesh from Université Laval, who each received a $300 cash prize as the audience’s favourites!

Once again, thank you to the ten students for their efforts in popularizing their research. Through your participation in this competition, you have shown us that it is possible to make science more accessible—and just as exciting. Novalait wishes you success in your future endeavors!

See you in two years!

The resounding success of the Forum Techno would not have been possible without the participation of our community of researchers, students, industry professionals, and other representatives of the dairy sector. Thank you for making our event so dynamic and memorable!

A special thank you to the CILQ team for their invaluable collaboration in organizing the event. It is with barely concealed delight that we look forward to seeing you again in 2027 at Novalait’s next Forum Techno!

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