The Montréal InVivo team is getting ready to go back to the office. Not right away or tomorrow morning, but we hope to be able to do so within the next few weeks. A recent team meeting in which part of the team was present at the office while the rest attended via videoconference reminded us that in-person meetings simply allow for more fluid and enjoyable discussions, which is something we missed out on for a year and a half.

So our plan to return to the office is ready. It has been discussed as a team and within the Montréal InVivo governance. We needed to foresee how the premises would be configured, how the work would be organized, and review health and safety in the workplace. As for many organizations, the way of working will take on a hybrid approach, for it is no longer question of physically returning to the office five days a week. We therefore had to invent our own definition of the hybrid approach. What exactly does this involve ? How many days a week will we be physically in the office ? Are we free to choose which days we go to the office or will a schedule be imposed ? What type of work will have to be done in the office ? And let’s not forget the issue of vaccination! Given Montréal InVivo’s field of activity and the hard work of our researchers and companies that led to the development of these vaccines, this issue was not debated for long. The organization obviously advocates vaccination for all its employees. But it was important to go through this exercise and ask the right questions in anticipation of a future that we hope is sooner rather than later. And as for you, is your plan ready ?

I also wanted to come back to the activity held last Friday for the launch of the Montréal InVivo project committees during which we successfully mobilized more than 85 persons. As always, I am thrilled to see the involvement and generosity of the members of the ecosystem who enthusiastially volunteer to participate in these different project committees and contribute their good ideas. It is this mobilization that that enables us to put forward relevant and important projects to further develop our sector. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your involvement.