Axelys and the Sector-Based Industrial Research Clusters (RSRIs) Are Joining Forces to Boost Innovation in Quebec for the Benefit of Research Centers, Businesses and Society! 7th February 2023

Montreal, February 9, 2023 – Axelys, the Quebec public research innovation development and transfer corporation, and the nine (9) sector-based industrial research clusters (RSRI) composed of : CQDM, CQRDA, CRIAQ, CRIBIQ, CRITM, InnovÉÉ, MEDTEQ+, PRIMA Québec and Prompt, all mandated by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE), are pleased to announce a partnership agreement which aims to better coordinate their actions and ensure a better complementarity of their respective initiatives.

These key players in Quebec's innovation ecosystem are joining forces to drive innovation in the following strategic sectors : aluminum ; aerospace ; industrial bioprocesses ; biopharmaceuticals ; electric power ; advanced materials ; information, communications and digital technologies ; health technologies ; and metal transformation.

This partnership is in line with the objectives of the SQRI² 2022-2027, deployed by the MEIE, to align all innovation stakeholders and make innovation support services simpler, more accessible and better known to companies and organizations. Through this partnership, Axelys and the RSRIs aim to define their respective fields of action with the objective of establishing the necessary bridges throughout the innovation cycle, from idea to commercialization. In doing so, this agreement will be an opportunity to further promote Quebec's public research and the innovation support programs that aim to propel it towards application.

With this agreement, the partners are expressing their desire to combine their efforts to ensure a more complete offer, in addition to :

• ensuring a better supervision of innovation projects resulting from Quebec's public research ;
• facilitating exchanges and partnerships between public research institutes and businesses ;
• providing access to programs that support innovation for the benefit of research centers, businesses and our society ;
• ensuring a high visibility of the innovation resulting from Quebec's public research
• supporting scientific entrepreneurship ;
• simplifying the life of companies and researchers who interact with them.

"To develop innovation within Quebec's business and public research communities, we must create synergies and simplify access to the resources that are available to them. This exemplary partnership is a step in that direction. It will allow us to increase the value of public research discoveries, establish a greater number of collaborative innovation projects between the industry and public researchers, and make life easier for the companies involved." Luc Sirois, Quebec's Chief Innovator

"I am enthusiastic about this enhanced about this enhanced collaboration that allows Axelys to rely on the strong expertise that the RSRIs possess regarding their respective ecosystems. By working collaborately, our teams will generate more outcomes that will propel great ideas, approaches and processes from public research into useful applications for our daily lives." Jesse Vincent-Herscovici, president-CEO of Axelys

"The RSRIs are proud of the implementation of this structuring agreement for innovation in Quebec. Not only are we choosing to better align with one another, but this partnership with Axelys will provide more value to our members by facilitating access to public research results that are likely to be transferred and commercialized by the companies with which we collaborate." RSRI CEOs

Click here for more information on the RSRI's.