During the 9th edition of the International Aerospace Innovation Forum, François Legault, premier of Québec, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, innovation and energy of Québec, and Mélanie Lussier, president of Aéro Montreal, announced the designation of a fourth innovation zone, located in the territories of Longueuil, Mirabel and Montreal: Espace Aéro.
Made up of three hubs, the new zone has an initial investment of $415 million and is planned to focus development on two fundamental areas:
- Decarbonization: configuration of more efficient and aerodynamic vehicles, lighter and more environmentally friendly structures, and more electrical and less polluting systems.
- Aircraft autonomy and security: intelligent technologies and systems, communications, remote control, and cybersecurity.
The project is the result of a long-standing collaboration between Aéro Montreal and its industrial and institutional partners, and the project is expected to significantly strengthen the attractiveness of the aerospace industry and establish Québec in a strategic position in the sector. Ultimately, attracting potential world-class investors, collaborators, new talents, and companies.
Until now, there were already three other innovation zones: Energy Transition Valley, located in Shawinigan, Troi-Rivières and Bécancour, Technum Québec, in Bromont, and DistriQ, the quantum innovation zone in Sherbrooke. Proposed in 2018. Innovation zones aim to promote business growth and build a diverse innovation culture and environment, being at the heart of the Quebec government’s economic vision, the zones highlight the sustainable competitive advantages of their respective regions.
The amount expected to be received over the next three years is a maximum of $3 million to guarantee the implementation and governance of this Québec Innovation Zone. According to Philippe-Champagne, the announcement “is a concrete example of our aerospace economic benefits policy at work”, which was reinforced by Legault’s speech, he states, “Espace Aéro brings together companies, universities, and research centers to carry out training cutting-edge research and applied testing. (…) It says a lot about the quality of our business environment, but also about the talent of the Quebec workforce and the quality of the research being done here.”
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