19 June 2017

PRESS RELEASE – Since last September, Sherbrooke Innopole and Carrefour Québec international (CQI) have been working on a partnership to support companies in the development of export projects. Sherbrooke Innopole has made an assistance program available to them that enables them to strategically plan their initiatives at the international level thanks to guidance from CQI.

“In the current economic context, it’s becoming more important for businesses to diversify their markets, and the free trade agreement with the European Union opens many doors in this regard. Nevertheless, to succeed on the international stage, the companies must have the proper tools at their disposal. Thanks to this program, they will have access to additional means to consolidate their export efforts, while benefiting from the CQI’s contacts and experience for their approach, which, it must be said, requires several months of preparation before going on to conquer new markets,” said Josée Fortin, General Director of Sherbrooke Innopole.

As for the CQI, Roxana Giraldez, Estrie Regional Director, is very pleased with the collaboration with Sherbrooke Innopole.

“This partnership is profitable for the companies and opens the door to expansion into new markets. CQI’s involvement consists of helping them build the project, as being well-prepared and having a deliberate approach is essential for maximizing chances of success. At CQI, we have a dozen experts in marketing, in transport and customs, international marketing, and intellectual property who interact with the companies. In addition to Sherbrooke Innopole, we work with other collaborators such as Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the Ministère de l’Économie, de la Science et de l’Innovation, (Ministry of the Economy, Science, and Innovation), and Export Québec, with the objective of helping businesses succeed and shine internationally.”

Already, almost a dozen entrepreneurs have benefited from support from Sherbrooke Innopole and CQI. Such is the case of Michel Therrien of Lab Intégration.

“Working with the experts at CQI was a great help in the implementation of our export strategy. They believed in our project and they streamlined much of the process. I would even go as far as to say that they gave us the courage to get to the next step. Sherbrooke Innopole’s contribution is a wonderful opportunity for us that all entrepreneurs wishing to export should seize!”

To benefit from this support program, businesses must, among other things, be based in the territory served by Sherbrooke Innopole, that is, the City of Sherbrooke and its boroughs; have a concrete export project; and meet the relevant qualification criteria.