technologies, positioning Rimouski as a key hub. “There were around 60 companies in 2018, and now we have a little bit more than 140 companies dedicated to marine biotechnologies in Quebec.A lot of them are around Rimouski, and a lot of them exist because there was research work done at the Marine Biotechnologies Research Center,” conveys Soubirou. “We have a very secure and supportive business environment for the blue economy in Rimouski.” This has attracted international attention, with partnerships and collaborations spanning Europe, Asia, and North America.“At the end of the year we’ll have Futurocean,a forum dedicated to the innovations in the blue economy. And we’ll have people coming from several European regions,” Soubirou recounts, “We are very recognized for this, and we expect a new investment from the government of Quebec in this sector.” Presently, Rimouski is awaiting official designation as a Blue Economy Innovation Zone by the Quebec government, a status that would further solidify its position as a front runner in the field. PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION Rimouski has multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with regions worldwide, supported by partnerships with economic agencies like Quebec Investment and Quebec International. “On the blue economy side, we have had bilateral, decentralized cooperation for more than 10 years, with the Britannia region in France,” Soubirou expands. “We’re trying to have more MOUs with all the destinations in other French speaking countries. We are lucky, because we have a lot of delegates from Quebec abroad, and we have built very good relationships with them.” Rimouski also benefits from strong provincial and federal connections, allowing it to showcase its marine biotechnology sector on international platforms like the recent Bio Convention in San Diego. “There is also international cooperation between ports at the international level to help the startups go and conduct experimentation in various 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 09
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