About POLE

POLE... helps local companies to reach their full potential

POLE Québec Chaudière-Appalaches (POLE) stimulates wealth creation, encourages entrepreneurship and develops strategic approaches in the areas of innovation, investment, marketing and workforce training, focusing on three sectors of excellence:

Applied technologies – optics/photonics; defence, security and emergency preparedness; geospace; electronics; and information technologies.
Health and Nutrition – biopharmaceuticals (diagnostic tools, contractual research and drug development), active ingredients (nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, natural health products), techno-health (telemedicine), medical equipment manufacturing, wellness products and services, specialized services.
Manufacturing – secondary wood processing, plastics and composite materials, metal manufacturing, green and intelligent buildings.

Whether supporting groundbreaking initiatives in the areas of innovation, productivity and technology transfers, forging strategic partnerships between businesses, organizations, institutions and research centres or organizing world-class events like Futurallia and Laser Precision Manufacturing 2008, an international forum focusing on laser micro/nanomanufacturing technology research and development. POLE’s professionals have dedicated their efforts to promoting prosperity and competitiveness throughout the QCA zone. In recognition of these valuable contributions, POLE was named one of the Top Canadian Groups, an elite ranking of Canada’s 10 leading economic development organizations compiled by Site Selection Magazine in 2007 and 2008.

Every year, small businesses in the QCA zone invest more than $2 million in POLE’s training programs! Our Skills Development and Training Department offers more than 100 high-level training seminars to 2,000 participants annually.

POLE... also helps companies from around the world to invest in a high-potential region

According to various key economic indicators, Quebec City has earned an enviable reputation as the best place to set up and operate a business in North America:

“Best place to do business in Canada” (among similarly sized urban areas), KPMG Competitive Alternatives 2008.
“2nd place in the Best to Invest Canada rankings based on the annual number of new private construction and expansion projects,” Site Selection Magazine, September 2008.
“Ranks first in Canada and the United States (among similarly sized urban areas) for it’s capacity to transform innovation and creativity into economic drivers,” Martin Prosperity Institute, April 2009.
“Lévis 2nd and Quebec 3rd Top places to do business in Canada,” Canadian Business Magazine, September 2008.
“Canada’s 2nd most sustainable city,” Corporate Knights Magazine, February 2009.
“Best quality of life” (among similarly sized urban areas in the North American Cities of the Future rankings), Foreign Direct Investment Magazine, April 2007.
“Research community of the year,” Research Infosource, January 2007.
“Ranks 3rd in Canada for economic vitality in 2007,” Conference Board of Canada, December 2008.

POLE promotes the QCA region’s economic successes in a variety of international markets, primarily the U.S. and Western Europe. We also assist foreign subsidiaries undertaking modernization and expansion projects, in addition to providing support for various major groundbreaking initiatives (link to section investisseur).

Distinctive attributes

The QCA region has gained distinction for four key attributes: innovation, economic prosperity, skilled workers and quality of life.

These distinctive attributes are driven by human qualities such as innovativeness, ingenuity and intelligence.
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Intelligence: the hallmark of the QCA region

A word, an impression, an image!

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