3 December 2019

PRESS RELEASE – Sherbrooke Innopole is proud to unveil the 16 Sherbrooke companies selected following the 4^th call for projects of the Sherbrooke International Program, which offers direct support for international development. These companies are: ArborInnov, Ball Advanced Aluminum Technologies Canada, Calimacil, Calogy Solutions, CIBLE Solutions d’affaires, Défi Polyteck, Dekko Technologies, Diex Research, Dunin Technologie, Inter Fonction, Lucid Dreams Studio, Lumed, Mobilus Technologies, Portable Winch Co., SOS Odours, and TATUM Bioscience.

First row : Joanie Fournier (Diex Recherche), Roxana Giraldez (CQI), Josée Fortin (Sherbrooke Innopole), Patrick Lessard (Calimacil) Behind : Nathalie Ashby (Cible solution d’affaires), Vincent Nault (Lumed), Josée Samson (SOS Odours), Joël Dion (Dekko Technologies), Mahmood Shirazy (Calogy Solutions), Benoit Longpré (Défi Polyteck), Kevin Neil (Tatum Bioscience), Maxime Grégoire (Lucid Dreams Studio), Jérôme Quirion (ArborInnov), Marc Choquette (Dunin Technologie), Samuel Melançon (all Advanced Aluminum Technologies Canada). Absent from the photo: Inter Fonction, Mobilus Technologie and Portable Winch.

These ambassador companies will receive a non-refundable contribution of $3000 each from Sherbrooke Innopole, to enable or optimize their participation in trade fairs, investor conferences, or foreign business missions in 2020. In addition to receiving financial support, the winning companies will be put in touch with strategic contacts, such as trade commissioners, embassy and consulate officials, and other potential partners. These contacts could become valuable allies for these companies in their international development efforts.

Selected startups and SMEs will also benefit from group training offered by the CQI export assistance organization, to maximize their presence on the web and social networks or to better prepare for customs rules and new Incoterms.

“The acquisition of new customers and technology intelligence are essential activities for any company with national or even international targets. To be truly successful, however, these steps require proper planning and a certain budget. Once again this year, Sherbrooke Innopole is proud to support innovative companies in their quest for international expansion. These ambassador companies will make Sherbrooke ingenuity shine around the globe and bring back ideas, contacts, etc. that will boost the development of their business; it’s a win-win!” said Josée Fortin, Director General of Sherbrooke Innopole.

Sherbrooke International’s first three calls for projects enabled 33 Sherbrooke companies to participate in major international events in their field, which allowed them to consolidate their partnerships and expand their client bases.

One of the winning companies in 2019, IBIOM Instruments, noted, in conjunction with its experience: “The Sherbrooke International program has enabled us to deepen our knowledge internationally, particularly in the Middle East through participating in the Arab Health Exhibition in Dubai: Understanding what our challenges are and where to begin to overcome them. Through the program, we have been able to meet a vast number of stakeholders, including distributors, hospital leaders, manufacturing representatives, and regulatory advisors from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and India. The experience has been most rewarding and enlightening in the aftermath of our efforts in these regions,” said Jasmin Bibeau, President of IBIOM Instruments.

For more personal accounts in blogs by 2017, 2018, and 2019 ambassador companies and for more details on the program, visit sherbrooke-innopole.com. The call for projects for 2021 will be launched in September 2020 on Sherbrooke Innopole’s digital platforms (website, social networks, newsletter).

The Sherbrooke International program is open to companies in the five key sectors (Cleantech, Information Technologies, Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, and Micro-nanotechnologies) that are engaging in activity outside of Quebec to expand their market internationally during the reference year. The selection of the recipients is based on several criteria, including the activity’s impact on the company and on Sherbrooke, the company’s actual need for a financial contribution, and the target countries.

Ambassador Laureates – 2020 Sherbrooke International

Cleantech

ARBORINNOV / A company specializing in the production of value-added plants and ensuring their development, planting, and monitoring. Project: Meetings with potential partners in Peru in March 2020, concerning a first pilot project for revegetating two mining sites. There are 935 mines in the country, which are all potential sites for the company’s revegetation technology.

CALOGY SOLUTIONS / Innovative solutions in industrial thermal management for the microelectronics and electrical transportation sectors, among others. Project: Attending The Battery Show Europe, Germany, April 28-30, 2020, which will bring together more than 10 500 professionals and 500 suppliers from the electrical transportation industry and the battery world.

DÉFI POLYTECK / An adapted company specialized in various industrial subcontracting, ceramic mosaic manufacturing, paper shredding, and various circular economy projects. Project: Attendance from April 20 to 23, 2020, at the Coverings trade show in New Orleans, one of the hottest events in the ceramic and floor coverings market, as a visitor, to target and meet new prospects from the United States. The company will be able to use a portion of the kiosk of one of its suppliers for free.

SOS ODOURS / Development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art and environmentally safe products to neutralize odours effectively, quickly, and easily. Project: Participation in a mission to France and Belgium with Business Women in International Trade, January 25 to February 1, 2020, to develop a distribution network for its range of animal-related products.

Information Technologies

CIBLE SOLUTIONS D’AFFAIRES / Marketing communications agency that develops graphical, strategic, and web solutions, including an online donation platform. Project: Participation as an exhibitor at the Séminaire francophone de la collecte de fonds (Francophone fundraising seminar), June 23-25, 2020, in Paris. This flagship event of the Association française des Fundraisers will enable the company to promote the Donna Interactive Suite among the leading figures of French philanthropy. 

DUNIN TECHNOLOGIE / Specialized solutions in artificial intelligence for the sector manufacturing mass-made custom products. Project: Attendance at The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, January 21-23, 2020, Las Vegas, an international event gathering together kitchen cabinet manufacturers with mass customization issues that can be solved by Eve, the company’s intelligent software.

LUCID DREAMS STUDIO / High-quality 2-D game development for PCs and consoles. Project: Attendance at the Game Developers Conference, March 16-20, 2020, San Francisco, the world’s largest gathering of stakeholders in the video game industry. The company will increase its number of business meetings with publishers and marketing agencies in preparation for the launch of its 2^nd title in production.

MOBILUS TECHNOLOGIES / A package transport optimization software, especially for owner-pharmacists. Project: Attendance at the APHA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, March 20-23, 2020, Washington D.C. area, the only event involving pharmacists from all levels of experience and practice settings, to explore marketing opportunities in U.S. pharmacies.

Advanced Manufacturing

BALL ADVANCED ALUMINUM TECHNOLOGIES CANADA / Aluminum packaging and parts manufacturing including for the food and beverage, body care, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Project: Participation as an exhibitor at the Aluminum 2020 trade fair, October 6-8, 2020, Germany, a major biennial event in the aluminum industry, to acquire new customers and strengthen ties with existing customers. 

CALIMACIL / High-end foam weapons design and manufacturing; professional urethane moulding service, flexible foam; die manufacturing, moulds, production equipment, and urethane parts production. Project: Participation as an exhibitor at Gencon 2020, July 30 to August 2, Indianapolis, to find new customers and suppliers. The company will have a booth with an American partner, Larptopia Weapons & Wares, as well as a Quebec partner, Les Artisans d’Azure, and will present a conference on LARPing in Quebec.

INTER FONCTION / Manufacturing of aluminum doors with glass, laminate, or coloured lacquered glass inserts, sliding doors and divisions, adjustable aluminum furniture bases, light shelves, storage systems. Project: Participation as an exhibitor in the Interior Design Show, January 16-20, 2020, Toronto, to present its trademark Kadrium and Sésame collections and to find installers and sales intermediaries for the booming greater Toronto market. 

PORTABLE WINCH CO. / Manufacturing and distribution of portable winches for forestry, hunting, construction, telecommunications, etc. Project: Participation as an exhibitor in the Shot Show, January 21-24, 2020, Las Vegas, the largest hunting gear trade show in the United States. The company is returning for a 2^nd consecutive year, with a larger kiosk, to meet with potential retailers and distributors.

Life Sciences

DIEX RESEARCH / Private clinical research company offering services to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Project: Attendance at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals annual conference, May 1-4, 2020, Seattle, to improve the company’s knowledge and internal processes and to build international contacts to obtain clinical research contracts. The company will be represented at the booth of hyperCORE Alliance, of which it is a founding member, and its representatives will attend workshops and conferences.

LUMED / Decision support tools to optimize the practice of medicine and improve the quality of care. Project: Attendance at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, April 18-21, 2020, Paris, which will bring together important opinion leaders in the process of acquiring tools such as APSS and ZINC, antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention software for the company. The event will help identify potential clients and train staff from its bioMérieux distributor.

TATUM BIOSCIENCE / Development of a new class of drugs based on living modified organisms, called live biotherapeutics. Project: Attendance at the BIO International Convention, June 8-11, 2020, San Diego, to meet potential partners to co-develop their drugs, as well as specialized investors, and to align their choice of therapeutic targets with unmet medical needs.

Micro-nanotechnologies 

DEKKO TECHNOLOGIES / Manufacturing and marketing of acoustic microscopes that ensure quality control in many industries including microelectronics. Project: Participating as an exhibitor in the San José Sensors Expo & Conference, June 22-24, 2020, to position itself as a technological leader in acoustic microscopy at this important exhibition on sensors, connectivity, and the Internet of things, which brings together over 350 giants of the industry.

Source: Sherbrooke Innopole