The 2013 BIO Convention in Chicago ended on a high note for Québec on Thursday, April 25th. Through its slogan “Partner to Prosper,” the province made clear its efforts to encourage collaboration and partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry, in order to reflect the sector’s new business model. More than 170 Québecers attended the trade show this year, including professionals and researchers from the biopharmaceutical industry. Representatives from the Québec government participated in the show as well, led by Québec’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Nicolas Marceau, and the province’s Chief Scientist, Rémi Quirion.
The Québec government office in Washington DC (BQW) and the Ministère des Relations internationales, de la Francophonie et du Commerce extérieur (MRIFCE) organized the participation of 12 Québec high-tech firms in SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing 2013, the leading U.S. tradeshow and conference on optics, photonics and imaging in the fields of defence and security.
“Indulgent, heavenly and irresistible” are just three of the adjectives used by Vachon to describe their line of delectable baked treats. With a product line consisting of cakes, tarts and pastries, available in an array of delectable flavors and portions, Vachon provides a sweet relief for everyone. The company, now headquartered out of Montreal, had humble beginnings having been founded in 1923 in the town of Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Quebec, by farmer Joseph-Arcade Vachon and his wife, Rose-Anna Giroux. The pair set forth on creating a wholesome, family owned business, hiring family members to help out both in the kitchen and with deliveries. In 1924, they established themselves as a legitimate operation under the name J.-A. Vachon et Fils, and a history of sweet successes began. The company saw substantial growth throughout the 20th century, and after several name changes and acquisitions, the company was acquired by its latest parent company, Saputo, who changed the name simply to Vachon and re-established the roots and culture of the company that made it such a household favorite.
The University of Sherbrooke and the XLIM-SIC (Signal, Image and Communications) Laboratory of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) affiliated with the University of Poitiers have developed a tool that allows neurologists to better interpret data on patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
The Québec government office in Los Angeles (DQLA) took part from April 16 to 18 in Navigating the American Carbon World (NACW), North America’s largest carbon-market event.
The Governor of Maine, Paul LePage, was in Montréal on April 22 to sign a multisectoral cooperation agreement with Québec Premier Pauline Marois. The agreement formalizes and heightens collaboration between Québec and Maine in several sectors of reciprocal interest, including economic development, energy, transportation, security, culture and La Francophonie.
Jackie Robinson Day and the release of the biographical film 42 (the number of his jersey) were a golden opportunity for the Québec Office in Washington to celebrate the great baseball player’s presence Montréal in 1946.
Pauline Marois, the Premier of Québec, and Rudy Demotte, Minister-President of the French Community of Belgium and Minister-President of the Region of Wallonia, signed a joint declaration announcing more exchanges between Québec and Wallonia-Brussels on April 16, 2013 in Quebec City.
The Québec Government Office in Boston (DQB) joined its local Francophone and Francophile partners to devise an extensive cultural and educational program highlighting the French language and French-speaking cultures during Francophonie celebrations in New England last March.
"Planet Québecers" at South by Southwest (SXSW) returned home enchanted by their experience in Texas. The third year of this international showcase, which was held from March 8 to 17, was an occasion for productive discussions, promising meetings and the promotion of Québec culture and innovation.
A popular booth
The Planet Québec booth was extremely popular. A large interactive digital wall designed by Float4 Interactive captured the attention of thousands of visitors to the exhibitors’ area. Other Québec companies such as E-180, Lucion Media, nventive and pplconnect, also made a big splash with their breakthrough innovations.
With the BIO International Convention only three weeks away, Chicago is gearing up to welcome some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Québec will be well represented at this international event, as many medications have been discovered and developed there, including EGRIFTA®, the first FDA-approved medicine shown to reduce HIV-related excess belly fat.
The Festival de la Francophonie in Chicago took place throughout the month of March and included 14 programs organized by close to a dozen francophone partners. Québec’s presence was rich and diverse this year and the Québec Government Office (DQC) participated in five programs which were collectively attended by over 500 people.
The sold-out Soirée Commune was held on March 8 at the Alliance Française de Chicago and featured culinary treats and libations from each participating country along with jazz music and francophone karaoke. In the Québec/Canada room, guests enjoyed Unibroue Beer Cheese Soup and Maple-BBQ Smoked Pork Sandwiches.
Three years after Chicago last hosted the BIO International Convention, the show returns to the Windy City for its 2013 edition from April 22- 25. The show, which is held annually in major cities throughout the U.S., is the largest and most important event for the biotechnologies industry worldwide. Over 15,000 attendees, including business leaders, government officials and researchers, are expected to attend. The three-day convention includes an exhibition hall with over 2,000 exhibitors, panel sessions on the latest industry developments, and one-on-one partnering meetings.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has just announced that he has selected Alta Bicycle Share, the partner of BIXI in the United States, to set up and operate Chicago’s bike share system.
The Canada Private Label Showcase took place on March 11 and 12 at the Sheraton Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont. The Quebec Government Office in Chicago joined forces with the Canadian Consulates in Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit in an effort to woo food and beverage buyers with some of Canada’s finest edibles.
The Québec Government Office in Atlanta and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal recently set up a hotel-related trade mission to Miami, more particularly in the area of hotel furnishings.
Chicago recently hosted the Fourth Meeting of the Organization of Economic Development (OECD) Urban Development Roundtable of Mayors and Ministers. Rahm Emanuel, the Mayor of Chicago, Angel Gurría, the OECD Secretary General, Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York City and Chairman of the C40 (Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, a group of 40 cities working to protect the climate), and Shaun Donovan, the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, jointly presided over the meeting.
“Planet Québecers” at South by Southwest (SXSW) returned home enchanted by their experience in Texas. The third year of this international showcase, which was held from March 8 to 17, was an occasion for productive discussions, promising meetings and the promotion of Québec culture and innovation.
Chicago
Général
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Houston
Los Angeles/Silicon Valley
Mexico
New York
Philadelphie
Washington
La Havane
São Paulo
Barcelone
Bruxelles
Londres
Munich/Berlin
Paris
Rome
Abidjan
Dakar
Rabat
Beijing
Mumbai
Qingdao
Séoul
Shanghai
Singapour
Tokyo
Affaires francophones et multilatérales 
UNESCO