A sherpa to reach the heights of innovation

The Quebec government recently took a historic step with the launch of its new research and innovation strategy. This $7.5 billion commitment over five years has a clear objective: to propel the commercialization of our discoveries. At the heart of this initiative is Luc Sirois, Quebec’s Chief Innovation Officer. His mandate? To harmonize the forces of the ecosystem so that the genius of our researchers is transformed into concrete economic success.  

Mandated by the Minister of Economy, Innovation, and Energy, his preliminary mission was to orchestrate the consolidation of all college and university research transfer and commercialization activities under a common banner: Axelys.  

Today, Axelys acts as the central hub of innovation in Quebec, bringing together a network of unprecedented scope. The organization now includes 59 college technology transfer centers (CCTTs), hospital research centers, and world-renowned private research institutes.  

“We’re casting a wide net. We have 60 innovation brokers who come from and live in universities and institutes, rubbing shoulders with researchers over coffee in the morning. We want to get closer to the American average for the creation of new start-ups; we’re only at half their rate of new start-up creation,” says Luc Sirois.  

Read the full profile of Quebec’s Chief Innovator (in french only)