Montréal, April 11, 2013 – The Government of Québec, in collaboration with the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal (BTMM) and the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), intends to better illustrate and optimize the potential of these pillars of the metropolitan region’s development and international reach. To that end, a Strategic Forum on industrial clusters has been organized to take place on May 6.
The Minister of International Relations, La Francophonie and External Trade and Minister responsible for the Montréal region, Mr. Jean-François Lisée, the Minister for Industrial Policy and the Banque de développement économique du Québec, Ms. Élaine Zakaïb, the President of the CMM and Mayor of Montréal, Mr. Michael Applebaum, and the President and CEO of the BTMM, Mr. Michel Leblanc, will take part.
This strategic activity will showcase the many projects that will be implemented by the industrial clusters by 2017, a pivotal year for Montréal’s renewal. The event will help establish a strategy to optimize the development of the industrial clusters, engaging all of the city’s stakeholders. Currently numbering eight, the industrial clusters help foster the growth of the city’s leading sectors. They stimulate innovation and increases in productivity, while encouraging interaction and synergy between businesses in the same sector.
Placing the clusters at the heart of the city’s economic strategy
“Our strategy with regard to the city includes an economic component whose success rests, notably, on developing the full potential of the industrial clusters. By optimizing their capacity to innovate and attract strategic talents and investments, we will activate one of the main levers by which we can transform and shape our economic future. More than simply a presentation of the best practices in place within the various industrial clusters, the event will generate a veritable awareness of the leading role that the clusters play as far as economic growth is concerned,” stated Minister Jean-François Lisée.
“The city has managed to play its cards right over the last few years, despite a difficult economic context. As places for creativity and collaboration, the clusters have played a key role in ensuring the resilience and competitiveness of the Greater Montréal region. Now that their dynamics are well established, it is important to foster exchanges among the clusters in order to further stimulate innovation, increase productivity, and speed up the transfer of technology and the networking of skills. The Board of Trade is pleased to be collaborating in the organization of this event, which will bring together all of the key players in the city’s economic development,” added the President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Mr. Michel Leblanc.
Sharing best practices
This first ever Forum focusing on the clusters will also provide an opportunity to highlight the success of the industrial clusters and current growth-generating projects, and to trigger inter-company collaboration in order to generate innovative projects.
“The Greater Montréal region must continue to play its role as an economic engine for Québec. The strengthening of its industrial clusters, which generate innovation and growth, is key to this momentum. Our government’s economic vision is based on sustainable development, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It is also focused on the development of all regions of Québec. While these regions must exploit their own niches, they can also benefit from and contribute to the development of the metropolitan clusters. The Banque de développement économique, which is soon to be launched, and the industrial policy we are in the process of developing will aim to act as a true economic lever that will allow Montréal and Québec as a whole to position themselves in the economy of the 21st century,” maintained Minister Élaine Zakaïb.
“In 2005, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal ruled on the importance of the industrial clusters for the development of Montréal through its Economic Development Plan (EDP). Today, we must reflect on the way in which they can serve as a springboard that can raise Montréal to the ranks of North America’s most competitive cities, and one whose economic growth is sustained,” concluded Mayor Michael Applebaum.
Strategic Forum
The activity, which is being held as a Strategic Forum, will take place on May 6 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. It is being organized by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, in close collaboration with the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine and the Department of Finance and Economy, and through a partnership with the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the eight industrial clusters. The structured clusters are the following: aerospace (Aéro Montréal), the metropolitan audiovisual cluster (ACTIONMTL), logistics and transportation (Cargo), life sciences (Montréal InVivo), financial services (Finance Montréal), information technology (TechnoMontréal), and clean technologies (Écotech Québec). Note that the Québec aluminium industrial cluster (GIAQ) has been in the process of being put into place over the last few months.
For further information, please visit the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal website at www.btmm.qc.ca/industrialclustersforum or call 514 871-4000, extension 4056.
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Québec's leading private economic development organization.
About the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine
This agency of the Ministère du Conseil exécutif advises the Québec government on all issues or measures that have a significant impact on the Montréal metropolitan region and its development. It serves as secretariat for the Comité ministériel de la région métropolitaine, chaired by Minister Jean-François Lisée, as Minister responsible for the Montréal region. Working with its various strategic partners, the Secrétariat promotes coherence and consistency among all actions, as well as the growth and dynamism of the metropolitan region./em>
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Source:
Christine Fréchette
Press Officer
Office of the Minister of International Relations,
La Francophonie and External Trade and
Minister responsible for the Montréal region
514 864-4168
Danielle Rioux
Press Officer Office of the Minister for Industrial Policy and
the Banque de développement économique du Québec
514 258-9078
Jonathan Abecassis
Office of the Mayor and Executive Committee
514 872-9998
Sylvie Paquette
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Phone: 514-871-4000, extension 4015
spaquette@ccmm.qc.ca
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Twitter: @chambremontreal
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