QUÉBEC CITY, Oct. 5, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Québec is proud to have hosted the BioMarine Business Convention, held in Rimouski. The three-day event ended yesterday and featured exchanges of knowledge, expertise and business partnerships in the marine biotechnology sector. Québec's involvement confirms its position and leading role on the international scene in a rapidly growing sector.
Minister for Maritime Affairs and Minister responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent region Jean D'Amour is pleased with the Québec government's participation. More than 250 foreign dignitaries and business executives attended the event, including SAS Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Minister D'Amour took advantage of the opportunity to unveil Québec's vision in the realm of marine biotechnology, which centres on the establishment of an integrated, innovative industry throughout Québec focused on the international market and the sustainable management of fishery resources.
New partnership agreements
The international gathering engendered numerous exchanges with foreign investors and led to new business partnerships.
Québec engaged in bilateral meetings with a number of States, including Portugal, the Principality of Monaco, Argentina, China, Italy and the European Commission, as well as Brittany, Aquitaine and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Québec officials also met with French representatives of the Seventure Partners investment fund. This marks an opening to an immense potential market for Québec and its products.
Moreover, Québec and Argentina are about to conclude a collaboration agreement in the realm of the marine sciences, thus confirming longstanding collaboration between them.
At the conclusion of the exchanges, the Québec government is sounding out stakeholders in the Québec marine biotechnology industry in order to elaborate, in collaboration with them, an action plan that is centred on their needs.
Québec will play a key role at the next BioMarine Business Convention, to be held in Portugal in 2018.
"Québec occupies a strategic place on the world stage in the marine biotechnology sector. We are taking full advantage of the opportunity to rely on the abundant resources of the St. Lawrence River and to develop and process them while preserving them in a sustainable development perspective. Reliance on this new water-based economy, a source of blue gold for Québec, will ensure a prosperous future."
Minister for Maritime Affairs Jean D'Amour
Investments totalling $1.4 billion under the Maritime Strategy
Just over two years after the Maritime Strategy was launched, 205 initiatives have been confirmed in 56 Québec municipalities, totalling $1.4 billion in investments. Roughly 50% of the objective set by the 2015-2020 Action Plan has been attained. The initiatives cover tourism, transportation, fisheries and aquaculture, innovation and the environment and are distributed throughout Québec. The most recent data indicate that the investments will create or maintain 8 000 direct and indirect jobs.
Related link:
http://www.strategiemaritime.gouv.qc.ca
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