Innovation | Thirty innovation zone projects under study

Announced in 2020 by the Legault government, the innovation zones, which will promote collaboration between research and businesses, are long overdue. But this is not for lack of interest: around thirty projects have already been submitted. Quebec should also give the green light to the first zones by the end of the year.

Emilie Laperriere
Special collaboration

In interview with Press, the Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, recalls the genesis of this project which he hopes will be successful. “We want to reduce the wealth gap that Quebec has with its neighbors, both in the west and in the south. To get there, you need a skilled workforce. We must also innovate and be more productive. The innovation zone model will allow us to achieve this objective more quickly, ”he argues.

With these innovation zones, Quebec wants to unite in one place, and on a thematic basis, the teaching and research communities, industry, young shoots and major contractors. “All this with an international ambition. We want to become world champions ”, specifies the Minister.

Sectors well established in Quebec, such as aerospace or health, are ideal for forming one of these zones, but emerging sectors, such as green technologies, could make their place there. “You need a breeding ground, a certain expertise,” said Pascal Monette, President and CEO of the Association for the Development of Research and Innovation in Quebec (ADRIQ).

The idea arouses interest. So far, the Department has received 30 requests in 13 regions of Quebec, and more are still to come.

A proven concept

The name may vary, but the concept of an innovation zone is not new. “Hamburg, Germany, and Wichita, United States, have areas of this kind that perform very well, in fiber optics and in aerospace, respectively. These are models from which we are inspired, ”illustrates Pierre Fitzgibbon, who would like the number of young technology start-ups to increase in Quebec.

“I had the opportunity to visit Kendall Square, which is behind MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology], in Boston. The biopharmaceutical community brings together renowned researchers from the Institute, incubators, places of exchange for students and services for companies. The collaboration of different resources in a physical location accelerates innovation, ”emphasizes Pascal Monette.

Quebec’s chief innovator, for his part, gives two European examples. “In Paris, they moved an entire university to the suburbs. Same thing in the suburbs of Berlin, with the microelectronics district. It’s crazy ! They have thought of public transport and all the elements so that it becomes cities of innovation and that people want to be there, ”says Luc Sirois.

The key to success

For the latter, the recipe for a winning innovation zone has several ingredients. This must bring together proactive companies, include an on-site university, offer opportunities for connection with the creative community which sees things differently, organize events, carry out projects, be based on a clear manifesto and offer a platform for information acting as a directory.

ADRIQ has drawn up a list of the 10 elements of a successful innovation zone. Among other things, it is believed that success depends on a small number of key individuals who create the links between science and innovation. The recruitment and retention of internationally renowned researchers is also essential, as is access to resources to help commercialize innovation.

“From the outset, it is absolutely essential to develop the basis of indicators to measure the success of innovation zones,” adds Pascal Monette. We must also give them time. The stability of public policies and the sustainability of funding are other very important conditions. “