Andres Bayona (he/him)
Chief of staff, ARA Robotics
Andres Bayona is Chief of Staff at ARA Robotics, where he is responsible for strategic partnerships and public affairs, notably with the Canadian government's defence sector. Prior to joining ARA Robotics, Andres worked in government at the municipal and federal levels. He also worked as a strategic consultant to governments in Latin America and Asia.
Sessions
FWD50
Government Purchasing Power as an Economic Lever: Turning Public Procurement into a Launchpad for Startups
A startup's most important contract often isn't its biggest — it's its first. Yet many Canadian startups win that first reference abroad before they win it at home. Governments are among the economy's largest buyers: Québec's public sector alone awards some $32B in contracts annually, nearly $6B of which is in IT. Public procurement may be the most powerful — and most underused — lever we have to build economic independence and lift productivity. See More.