Québec–Chaudière-Appalaches Business Office: Land of heritage and innovation
The Québec–Chaudière-Appalaches Business Office supports a region where tradition blends with innovation. Here, rural landscapes run adjacent to urban spaces, cutting-edge technologies are deployed alongside agricultural and forestry activities, and recreational tourism facilities attract visitors from around the world. Thanks to this synergy, many local SMEs are actively contributing to Quebec and Canada’s economic prosperity.
Local expertise
For over five decades, the region’s entrepreneurs and organizations have received support from a seasoned team with diverse skills. Passionate and rigorous, these specialists guide and share their expertise with them.
Regional Director at the Québec–Chaudière-Appalaches Business Office
“To stimulate economic development in such a diverse region, we must take sub-regional disparities and multiple issues into account. Our team’s capacity to adapt is thus one of its major strengths,” mentions François Payeur, Regional Director at the Business Office.
Know-how, innovation and collaboration
The Québec–Chaudière-Appalaches Business Office watches over a top-notch urban and academic hub thanks to institutions such as the National Optics Institute (INO). In fact, in 2020, the INO launched Quantino, an incubator for emerging businesses in the quantum sector, offering unparalleled advances in terms of communication speed and security. Local businesses find an undeniable competitive advantage here.
The Business Office can also count on collaborators who guide the region’s businesses to stimulate their growth, such as Développement PME Chaudière-Appalaches, Québec International, 2 Degrés and Développement Côte-de-Beaupré, to name just a few.
Several projects have benefited from CED’s support in a variety of sectors. Let us mention, for instance, Jambette, which manufactures outdoor play structures; Holos, which offers organic muesli and breakfast bars; and Laserax, which develops new technologies for the battery industry.
the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the area in Quebec where per capita manufacturing GDP is the highest, this drive towards innovation is combined with the tenacity of local entrepreneurs who contribute to flourishing economic activity in key sectors such as metal processing, plastics manufacturing, biotechnology and agri-food.
Protecting SMEs from cyberattacks
The Québec–Chaudière-Appalaches Business Office is keenly aware of the threats cyberattacks represent for businesses. In 2022, it launched an ambitious cybersecurity pilot project. Through this initiative, it has been possible to raise awareness among nearly 100 advisors across Quebec and all CED clients. A network of cybersecurity ambassadors has been established, providing businesses with a valuable resource to raise their awareness and guide them to cybersecurity experts.
An economic engine with timeless charm
The Québec region also relies on a dynamic tourism industry. Every year, over four million visitors are attracted to its many festivals, from the famous Carnival to the Festival d’été, not to mention Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France. Old Québec, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, fascinates with its European charm and historic sites, such as Monastère des Augustines, a location that fosters sustainable tourism and that has received CED funding. Surrounded by mountains and nature, the region also shines thanks to Charlevoix, recognized as a Biosphere Reserve since 1988
Economic revitalization
Starting in the 1980s, the Thetford Mines region has been affected by restrictions on asbestos mining. Production has fallen, as well as employment.
In addition to CED’s classic support programs, the region has, between 1998 and 2006, been able to rely on an initiative aimed at diversifying its economic fabric by showcasing its local strengths. In this way, businesses and research centres have increased their productivity, strengthened their marketing and intensified their research and development efforts. Today, Thetford Mines is more dynamic than ever.
Among other significant projects supported by the Business Office, we note Kemitek, a college centre for technology transfer specializing in green chemistry at the Cégep de Thetford that is developing ecological processes, such as an anti-rust treatment without volatile organic compounds. We can also mention KSM, which recovers waste from the former Carey Mine to produce ecological fertilizers adapted to soils in the eastern parts of North America.
Being anchored in the region, guiding SMEs and sharing expertise define the action taken by the Québec–Chaudière-Appalaches Business Office. As François Payeur concludes, “We live in a world where distance is no longer of any importance, but where proximity to our clients is more pertinent than ever. Thanks to our committed team, our office is proud to play a key role in the region’s economic ecosystem in collaboration with our partners and the entrepreneurial community.”
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