Grey Matter   for

Green Economy

Écotech QuébecCleantech Cluster

Écotech Québec works to position Québec as a centre of excellence for cleantech in North America. It is a major player in the development of this industry, which is recognized as an engine of wealth creation and prosperity. It helps make Québec more competitive, greener and healthier. Through its initiatives and activities, Écotech Québec supports the design, development, adoption, commercialization and export of Québec-based clean technologies.

The first organization of its kind in Canada, Écotech Québec represents and brings together all of Québec’s cleantech stakeholders from across the province:

• Major end-user companies and organizations• Innovative companies• Research and development centres • Finance community• Technology transfer centres • Labour unions• Education and training institutions • Associations working in the cleantech sector

As a non-profit organization, Écotech Québec relies on the financial support of the private sector, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the governments of Québec and Canada.

Écotech Québec is a carbon neutral organization. In accordance with ISO 14064-1 and the principles of relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency and accuracy, Écotech Québec’s GHG footprint has been quantified and offset by the purchase of carbon credits with the collaboration of National Écocrédit.

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The cleantechsector

The cleantech sector is booming. Around the globe, both supply and demand are increasing.

Several factors are behind the strong growth of this sector, which will generate an estimated US$ 400 billion in global revenues by 2016.1 In 2011, Canadian investment in cleantech rose 43%. 2

Climate change and public opinion have, of course, played a major role in this change. Energy security, the price of traditional forms of energy and the growing energy needs of emerging countries are also important levers for the development of alternative energies.

Note that, considering the low cost of electricity in Québec, the price of traditional energy (rising in most countries) is not a major driver of cleantech in Québec.

Québec boasts several major assets:• A natural point of entry to the North American continent with access to a market

of 450 million consumers, thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

• A pool of skilled workers, 75% of which have a high school diploma or higher• A regulatory framework that stimulates economic growth and investment • Electricity production in Québec comes from 98% renewable sources • Provincial GDP that represents nearly 20% of Canada’s• GHG emissions from Québec account for only 11.9% of all Canadian emissions

(the lowest emissions per capita of any Canadian province)

Québec is home to some 1000 organizations associated in some way with clean technology, including 450 innovative companies and over 200 research groups. To discover these organizations, consult our interactive map at www.ecotechquebec.com.

1 www.deloitte.com/us/cleantech 2 www.cvca.ca/files/News/CVCA_Q4_2011_VC_Release_FINAL.pdf

• Theeconomy• Regulatoryframework• Venturecapitalinvestment• Climatechange• Priceoftraditionalenergysources• Energysecurity• Publicopinion

• Jobcreation• Economicgrowth• Competitiveness• Innovativeproductsandservices• ReductioninGHGemissions• Increasedenergyindependence

DRIVERS

SPIN-OFFS

CLEANTECH

KNOWLEDGE • Increase the level of knowledge about business opportunities in Québec and abroad

• Support the intellectual property strategies of businesses

• Learn more about Québec’s cleantech needs

NETWORKING • Offer more targeted networking activities

• Increase the involvement of major end-users and influencers

POSITIONING • Boost recognition of the cleantech sector, particularly among end-users and specifiers

• Increase the visibility of entrepreneurs in the appropriate forums

PUBLIC POLICY • Help develop public policy at the regulatory, fiscal and financial level to encourage the growth of the cleantech sector and boost its national and international competitiveness

• Influence public decision makers, particularly with regard to regulations, taxation and funding

Écotech Québec in action working for businesses and the ecosystem

Focussing its efforts on two specific targets, businesses and the ecosystem, Écotech Québec develops activities aimed at both the business environment (generating a major impact on the sector) and the challenges mentioned by member businesses and organizations.

To have an effect on both targets, Écotech Québec has developed four main lines of action:

• Knowledge and networking directly target businesses and organizations. Écotech Québec’s various activities and training opportunities offer concrete solutions to the needs expressed by ecosystem constituents and the challenges they have identified.

• Although positioning and public policy activities have an impact on businesses, they are aimed more broadly at the entire cleantech sector with the goal of boosting its recognition and developing specific practices and measures that can affect it.

A dynamicQuebec marketQuébec is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by a global shift towards a greener economy. Several Québec entrepreneurs have successfully developed market niches in the cleantech sector.

Écotech Québec conducted a study of market trends in the international cleantech industry and combined this information with Québec’s assets in this sector. The study then identified the most promising sectors and those with strong potential for enhancing the prosperity of Québec.

After taking all factors into account, both global and local, Écotech Québec has decided to work with relevant ecosystem constituents to develop a coordinated approach, based on concrete actions, to help the Québec cleantech industry reach its full potential.

Most promising sectors:• Energy efficiency Ü Industrial process optimization• Hydroelectricity Ü Engineering consulting, marine turbines, mini power stations• Waste Ü Vehicle equipment manufacturers, recycling, waste energy• Biomass Ü Biofuels, forest biomass, waste energy

Sectors with strong potential:• Water treatment Ü Treatment and purification• Transport Ü Batteries, charging stations, ground transportation • Soil remediation Ü Bio-treatment of soil• Green chemistry Ü Biomaterials and bioprocesses• Wind energy Ü Wind turbines in Nordic environments• Solar energy Ü Solar thermal power, space heating

ÉCOTECHQUÉBECCleantechCluster

SecretaryOperationalexcellence

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FOCUS FOCUSCONTENT CONTENT

TASKFORCERegulatoryFramework

andTaxation

TASKFORCEInnovation/

Commercialization

TASKFORCEFinancing

TASKFORCEBranding/

Internationalization

TASKFORCEPeople

Strategiclines of action

KNOWLEDGE • Increase the level of knowledge about business opportunities in Québec and abroad

• Support the intellectual property strategies of businesses

• Learn more about Québec’s cleantech needs

NETWORKING • Offer more targeted networking activities

• Increase the involvement of major end-users and influencers

POSITIONING • Boost recognition of the cleantech sector, particularly among end-users and specifiers

• Increase the visibility of entrepreneurs in the appropriate forums

PUBLIC POLICY • Help develop public policy at the regulatory, fiscal and financial level to encourage the growth of the cleantech sector and boost its national and international competitiveness

• Influence public decision makers, particularly with regard to regulations, taxation and funding

Mobilization intotask forces

These four lines of action provide the inspiration for Écotech Québec’s task forces. These work groups are used to mobilize the members of the cluster around common issues, thus developing and strengthening the synergies between the various stakeholders in the ecosystem.

FOCUS FOCUSDELIVERY DELIVERY

The task forces have set mandates and goals based on the specific challenges facing the cluster. The task forces are also flexible initiatives that can take advantage of opportunities by adjusting to changing circumstances.

TASK FORCE Regulatory Framework

and Taxation

Encourage political decision makers to embrace a more consistent and competitive regulatory and taxation framework to promote the growth of the cleantech sector and boost its national and international competitiveness.

TASK FORCE Financing

Ensure that the funding chain meets the concrete needs of the ecosystem’s stakeholders to enable the acceleration of cleantech development in Québec and, in the event of deficiencies, identify and propose practical and realistic solutions to cover the shortfall.

TASK FORCE Innovation /

Commercialization

Implement tools to accelerate the development of relationships between users and suppliers and thus create forums for the exchange, development and adoption of innovation.

TASK FORCEBranding /

Internationalization

Increase the notoriety of Québec expertise, here and elsewhere, to generate even more business opportunities for sector stakeholders and accelerate the development and commercialization of clean technology.

TASK FORCE People

Have a direct impact on the training and employability of current and future skilled workers as well as on their awareness of the sector as an industry of choice, to ensure a better alignment between the supply and demand of labour and training.

MAJOR PROJECT

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Respond to concrete problems raised by major private and public contractors, by suggesting innovative solutions from Québec technology SMEs.

Shared challenges and concrete actions

Cleantech ForumAnnual meetingThe 2012 edition hosted 13 cleantech clusters from 10 European countries, creating numerous business opportunities for cleantech stakeholders.

Summit on Parliament HillThis annual event convenes political decision

makers, senior bureaucrats, ministers and MNAs from the various political parties to accelerate

the development and commercialization of clean technologies.

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These workshops bring together potential users and technology SMEs to find innovative

solutions to concrete problems.

ConneXion

These workshops provide specialized training and strategic information.

International development activities

Targeted visits and meetings with delegations generate business opportunities in the four

corners of the world.

“Carrefour politique” Meetings with public decision makers to discuss the issues and opportunities associated with clean technology.

Targeted activitiesMajor results

Some of our members, key players in the clean technology sector

Prestige Partners

Publics Partners

International Partners

Aclima Espagne

Colorado Clean Energy Cluster États-Unis

Copenhage Cleantech Cluster Danemark

Eco World Styria Autriche

Lombardy Energy Cluster Italie

Olso Renewable Energy and Environment Cluster Norvège

Singapore Sustainability Alliance Singapour

Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster États-Unis

Tenerrdis France

Renewable Energy Hamburg Allemagne

Incheon Technopark Corée du Sud

Yixing Industry Park for Environmental Science and Technology Chine

ACTION New England États-Unis

Ministério do Meio Ambiente Brésil

World Trade Center413, St-Jacques Street, suite 500

Montreal (Quebec) H2Y 1N9 Tél.: +1 514 905-4825

www.ecotechquebec.com