Internationalisation support for Sherbrooke Innopole companies

The pandemic hasn’t stopped science parks and areas of innovation from helping their companies break into international markets, and Sherbrooke Innopole in Canada is no exception.

The park is supporting 12 businesses through its Sherbrooke International programme, which provides direct assistance in business development beyond Quebec’s borders. Included are: All Waves Technologies, DBO Expert, Dunin Technologie, Imeka, Immugenia, INO Science, Interfonction, IR&T, M5 Technologies, Panthera Motorsports, Pieux Vistech, and Stärk Hockey.

Each of these ambassador companies will receive a non-repayable contribution of up to $3000 from Sherbrooke Innopole, to support their virtual or in-person in trade fairs, conferences, or foreign missions in 2022. In addition to receiving financial support, the winning companies will be put into contact with strategic stakeholders, such as trade commissioners, embassy and consulate officials, and other potential partners who could be valuable allies in the companies’ international development efforts.

“It is evident that market development activities, which could have been put on the back burner during the peak of the pandemic, are once again among our companies’ priorities,” noted Sylvain Durocher, Director General of Sherbrooke Innopole. “Despite the uncertainty surrounding the world’s epidemiological situation and constantly evolving health measures, it is expected that most international trade conferences and fairs will be back in 2022 with onsite or hybrid events. This will enable companies from the region to maximize their prospecting efforts and their visibility in foreign markets.”

Since its creation in 2017, the Sherbrooke International programme has benefited almost 70 winners and allowed them to participate in major international events in their sectors. As a result, they have been able to solidify their partnerships, expand their client bases, and keep abreast of new developments and trends.

A winner in 2021, startup Foxtrot Industriel experienced concrete results: “Through the Sherbrooke International program, Foxtrot Industriel’s team attended the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show in Toronto. Exhibiting at Canada’s largest manufacturing trade show was very strategic in terms of introducing our technology and verifying the Ontario market’s interest in our solutions. During the four days of the show, we were able to discover new potential markets, get new potential clients, inform more than 2000 visitors, and gain new ideas for future products,” reported Foxtrot Industriel’s CEO, Charles-Éric Raymond.

The Sherbrooke International program is open to companies in the five key sectors (Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technologies, Cleantech, Life Sciences, and Micro-Nanotechnologies) that carry out an activity outside of Quebec, targeting market development at the international level during the reference year. The selection of winners takes several criteria into account, particularly the activity’s impacts on the company and the Sherbrooke area, the company’s actual need for the financial contribution, and the countries targeted.

To learn more about Sherbrooke Innopole, please visit https://sherbrooke-innopole.com/en/.