Achi news desk-
Francois Lego’s government says it wants a more efficient society and to that end it is giving more than $20 million to companies to help them innovate and be more productive.
The government is betting that technological innovation is the best way to make Quebec more productive.
“Fundamentally, we need the research community to contribute to the creation of innovation that will eventually be commercialized,” said Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
The new funding reaches 11 groups, from heavy industry to social economy.
“Different groups will give different amounts of money, from $1.5 to $2.5 to $3 million … to be able to help the government with strategies and innovative ways to do things better than we would do to address some of society’s biggest challenges,” said Christopher Skitta, Minister the economy.
Among these challenges is the decarbonisation of the Quebec economy.
“The solution we’re going to build is something that can be much more cost-effective than a helicopter to inspect power lines and poles,” said Maude Pelletier, founder and president of Balko Technologies.
Pelletier’s company is designing drone-mounted cameras and sensors that can inspect the power grid more efficiently.
There are also investments in the social sector.
David Miljour, director general of the Pôle de l’économie sociale de l’agglomération de Longueuil, supports social entrepreneurship in Longueuil. He received $1.5 million to help companies tackle everything from waste management to housing and homelessness.
According to him, investing in research at a local level will ultimately lead to better services for the public.
“It’s not looking at the 30,000-foot macro view. It’s looking at individual sectors, individual industries, and how they can do it,” Skeet said.
