Quebec City, December 7, 2010 - Jean-Yves Roy, spokesman for the Quebec Association for Innovation and Technological Development (IDTEQ) and President and CEO of the National Optics Institute (INO), together with Carl Viel, President and CEO of Quebec International, announced today that the Quebec Seeks Solutions event will be held on December 14 at Quebec City's convention centre, in conjunction with the meeting of the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), which will be held in Quebec City from December 12-15. The announcement was made at a ceremony attended by Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume.
New open innovation practices are designed to facilitate exchanges between innovation stakeholders (e.g. private companies, research centres, universities and other partners) and to bring them to a level of collaboration previously unattainable using traditional mechanisms and alliances. These practices also enable companies to tap into the strengths of the external community and to generate potential solutions to specific problems.
During the Quebec Seeks Solutions event, more than 100 attendees, including university researchers, industrialists and scientists, will pool their talents and expertise with a view to devising solutions to nine problems submitted by participating companies. Bringing together researchers and company representatives in this way is a world first. To consult the website for the event, please go to http://www.quebec-solutions.com.
"This event meshes perfectly with our goal of promoting the talent of specialized workers in Quebec City," said Mr. Labeaume. "It will also provide a unique opportunity to appreciate the mental processes of individuals who have brought us worldwide recognition for creativity and intelligence."
Sam Hamad, Quebec's Minister of Transportation and Minister Responsible for the Quebec City region, said that he was confident the event would provide a forum for valuable discussions aimed at spotlighting local research and expertise while bringing increased economic benefits to the region.
The event will kick off with a talk by Frank Piller, professor of management at Germany's RWTH Aachen University and co-director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Smart Customization Group. Prof. Piller is one of the world's most respected experts in open innovation.
"In a world where windows of opportunity are shrinking for our entrepreneurial clients, our goal is to boost our innovation capabilities and create value rapidly. Open innovation offers a new approach that will help us to achieve this goal," said Jean-Yves Roy.
Initiated and coordinated by IDTEQ, Quebec Seeks Solutions is organized under the auspices of the Quebec Innovation Council (CIQ) as part of the Quebec City ACCORD program. Headed by Laval University Rector Denis Brière, the CIQ represents regional innovation stakeholders seeking to enhance innovation's economic benefits and to foster the development and marketing of new technologies.
"Quebec Seeks Solutions is the first step in a long-term process aimed at making the region more internationally competitive in terms of innovation. One of innovation's keys to success lies in forging close links between companies and research centres and in ensuring the effectiveness of the collaborative processes they embark on," said Mr. Viel.
Mr. Viel offered these concluding remarks: "This is a world first. We don't know whether we'll solve all of the problems submitted but we're confident we'll deepen our understanding of them. That in itself is sure to provide value added for all of the participating companies."
About the ACCORD program
This initiative is part of the ACCORD program, which fosters collaboration and networking by regional promoters and entrepreneurs who share common perceptions of their operating sectors. In the Quebec City region, the ACCORD program focuses on six sectors of excellence (life sciences, tourism, applied technologies, green/intelligent buildings, health foods and insurance). Please visitwww.mdeie.gouv.qc.ca/accord.
About the Quebec Association for Innovation and Technological Development (IDTEQ)
Formed in 2005, IDTEQ is an informal group seeking to foster collaboration, support and complementarity between industrial research centres (CRIQ, COREM, FP Innovations, IRDA and INO), SOVAR and Quebec Metro High Tech Park. IDTEQ also plays a key part in the activities and deliberations of regional stakeholders with a view to promoting the importance of industrial research and the role of its members.
About the Quebec Innovation Council (CIQ)
For further information, please visitwww.quebecinternational.ca/ciq.
