Industry

The Technopole Maritime du Québec - A network of expertise at the core of major issues

The leadership of the Technopole Maritime du Québec is exercised through the continued advancement of major industries that have a crucial impact on the development of its niche of excellence and related branches:

 

Marine Sciences and Biotechnology

Northern environments such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence have an abundance of highly potential marine organisms. The active compounds found in cold, salty waters have exceptional properties and remarkable application opportunities in industries such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, horticultural and environmental. As well, the St. Lawrence River is at the heart of extensive research on issues related to climate change and environmental impacts. It is a complex ecosystem that plays a crucial role for the populations that depend on it.

In addition to research centres and academic centres, the Québec maritime is home to a dozen companies involved in marine biotechnology. Part of them are interested in commercializing micro-and macro-algae properties while others are finding ways to commercialize residues from marine co-products. Some residues contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are shown to play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension, cardiovascular or coronary diseases. The areas of potential application are:
 

• Human health - natural health products (NHP), nutraceutical, pharmaceutical
• Human and animal food
• Cosmetic and cosmeceutical
• Energy - biofuel
• Environment
  

Maritime Technology

The marine technology sector is vast and has enormous potential. State-of-the-art technologies, specific to the marine sector such as smart buoys, sonars and professional diving equipment, are being developed alongside other technologies that have wider applications, such as navigation and communication systems, geomatics and electronic data processing.

The Québec maritime companies, involved in the marine technology sector are specialized in high-tech fields. This cluster includes, among others, electronic navigation and communication systems, data acquisition and data management systems, marine systems integration and information technology, marine geomatics applications and mapping. The areas of potential application are:

•   Marine transportation
•   Data management
•   Observation systems
•   Electronic systems
•   Professional scuba diving
•   Maritime engineering and environment
•   Shipbuilding