For starters, Québec International received four international awards, both for its results and its outreach, in addition to celebrating its 20th anniversary.
I would also like to mention Microsoft’s expansion of its cloud and AI infrastructure on our territory; the company will invest US$500M over the next two years for the construction of four data centres.
Opportunities in the French market…
Polycor Group has recently acquired Rocamat, France’s main producer of natural stone and a major player in the international building stone production industry. A former minority shareholder of the company, Polycor completed this transaction that will open new doors on the French market.
Trackz Mobility, a designer and maker of manual and electric wheelchairs for all types of terrain, will soon make its products available for presale in France. By developing a network of ambassadors in France, Trackz Mobility will be able to increase the visibility of its products, which in turn will help a larger number of active people with a disability to move more freely. Additionally, the company just moved to a more spacious workshop and boutique on Charest Boulevard.
… and globally
Good news for Zilia, a medical technology company from Québec City that specializes in the non-invasive assessment of ocular biomarkers. Its retinal camera, the Zilia Ocular FC, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—a testament to the product’s safety and efficiency. This is a major milestone in the deployment of its groundbreaking platform that aims to transform the diagnosis and management of eye diseases.
New businesses are moving into Medicago’s former premises
Some of the premises that were left empty after Medicago shut down have found takers. The initial announcement was made by Linearis Labs during the Québec City Healthcare Industry Forum. The company took possession of the laboratory located on Route de l’Église, acquired over 650 scientific instruments and hired a number of Medicago’s former employees.
After completing a first funding round of $2.8M, Québec City company Myni, which specializes in green cleaning products, will be moving its plant into Medicago’s former location on Watt Avenue, in March 2024.
Transactions to help these businesses go further
H2O Innovation, which integrates state-of-the-art technology to simplify water treatment, entered an agreement to be acquired by U.S. company Ember Infrastructure Management LP. This transaction, conducted in association with Investissement Québec and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, is valued at $395M and will allow H2O Innovation to continue its growth.
De Marque, a provider of ebook services established in Québec City since 1990, has acquired assets from French-based company Geo Comix. This pioneer in artificial intelligence developed a tool designed to analyze the content of books such as comic books and manga and make them accessible to all, whether the reader experiences perceptual difficulties or not.
Partnerships with a positive impact on climate
Electric vehicle charging network operator FLO entered a partnership with TELUS to improve connectivity across its network in North American cities. This agreement will enable FLO to collect real-time data from at least 60,000 chargers to ensure a quick, practical and intuitive user experience and maintain its uptime of more than 98%.
The Quebec SMB WaterShed Monitoring, through its French subsidiary established in Strasbourg in 2019, recently partnered with SCALIAN and the European Space Agency to work on predicting fresh water quality using artificial intelligence and spatial and meteorological data. This project, Nerthus, will help in the fight against one of the most worrying effects of global warming.
An innovation that has not gone unnoticed
A few months ago, the Québec City startup Ferreol Technologies filed a patent for Scalium. This aluminum-scandium alloy is qualified as one of the strongest aluminum alloys in the world and is eco-friendly (due to its low carbon footprint and the reprocessing of mining residues). The first market on their radar is the ski industry, and leading manufacturers in Europe and North America have already shown their intent to acquire the alloy once it becomes available.
Congratulations to all these organizations that are making the greater Québec City region shine all around the world! Would you also like to bring your business to new heights? Contact us now! Our team will be happy to support you and your growth!
Carl Viel
President and CEO Québec International
