Québec -- The Honourable Jacques Saada, Minister of Canada Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, is announcing the Federal government's $750,000 contribution for Technopole - Defence and Security, a new player in the field of innovations in Québec and throughout Canada. This is the news announced today by the Honourable Jacques Saada, to the main interveners in the project - Pierre Bélanger, Technopole Chairman of the Board, Denis Faubert, Director General DRDC Valcartier and Paul-Arthur Huot, CEO PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches. How Technopole - Defence and Security Got Started The Technopole - Defence and Security was the brainchild of Defence Research and Development Canada - Valcartier (DRDC), the most extensive of the six National Defence R&D centres and one of the major public R&D centres in Québec. PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches played an important role as promoter and coordinator for the project's implementation. The Technopole was officially incorporated in June 2004. The Technopole, whose focus is on defence and security, is designed to give rise to a community of interests whose mission will be to increase the yield in defence and security innovations through interaction among its members. In the start-up phase, 13 corporations and institutions from Québec and across Canada, some of which are leaders in defence and security, currently form part of this community and are actively involved and have a financial stake in the project. The recruitment objective has been set at 45 businesses and institutions within two years. The Canadian member businesses are: SNC TEC, GDC, CGI, DMR, MDA, Thales, TELOPS, Gentec, ABB Analytical Solutions and the academic sector and Research Centres such as the Université Laval, INO and DRDC. "Innovation plays an essential role in the development of today's small and medium-sized enterprises and communities. Investing in new ideas is the gateway to the economy of the twenty-first century. The Government of Canada intends to seek out and continue building partnerships with people of the milieu to create a vibrant environment for research and innovation. The involvement of Canada Economic Development in Technopole - Defence and Security is partly as a financial contributor, but also as an interested party in developing the potential of the Québec region into a bastion of excellence," declared the Honourable Jacques Saada. Major Spinoff and Tangible Results The direct and indirect economic spinoff from the implementation of the Technopole - Defence and Security has been assessed at some $5 million. Five jobs will be created for the start-up phase, along with tens of millions of dollars awarded in contracts for its members and its many partners from the immediate milieu. "Setting up such a Technopole will result in a great many activities, from business prospecting, especially on foreign markets, to national and international promotion, and the organization of informational and networking activities benefiting innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. The Technopole will also give rise to other activities, such as performing strategic studies that will forge new R&D groups and providing access to the Technopole's Technology Insertion Centre in order to support technological transfers among members," said Technopole's Chairman of the Board, Pierre Bélanger. Mr. Bélanger pointed out that the project is designed to increase the amount of innovation in Defence and Security through business corporations that are planning or are already carrying out industrial activity in the Québec Chaudière-Appalaches region, and in the rest of Québec and Canada as well. The Technopole's activities will expedite the transfer of communicable defence know-how to civilian and security trade applications. Marketing innovative products for the civilian market is also being tangibly planned. Link with DRDC Valcartier's mission "The Technopole - Defence and Security owes its existence to DRDC Valcartier. Close ties between the R&D agency for Canada's defence with partners from the public and private-sectors, with the core of our mission being to carry out the Technological Investment Strategy, the scope of the Canadian Government's Innovation Strategy and the importance of the security aspect, are all powerful reasons encouraging us to develop such a concept," emphasized DRDC Valcartier's Director General, Denis Faubert. PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches, which promoted and coordinated the project, noted that defence and security are one of the high-potential target sectors in which it intends to play a role. "Our common interest is to support the efforts toward regional economic development in a major sector: defence and security. With regard to this, we intend to play a leading role in promoting this new Technopole, mindful of the fact that we already have over 300 businesses in the Québec Chaudière-Appalaches economic area operating in the sectors of interest to the Technopole. Among these are information technology and optical and electronic systems," observed PÔLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches CEO, Paul-Arthur Huot. The Technopole's headquarters will be situated in Building 200 at DRDC Valcartier, which places it near the distinctive DRDC laboratories where 400 top scientists are already employed. - 30 - FOR INFORMATION: Daniel DezaindePress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable Jacques Saada(514) 496-1282Lise LadouceurHead of the Communications ServiceDRDC Valcartier(418) 844-4000, extension 4641 Mélanie RinguetteCommunications and Marketing Executive Officer(418) 681-9700, extension 254
