Government of Canada Supports Innovation in Mauricie

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - March 1, 2012) - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announces that the non-profit organization Économie du Savoir Mauricie (ESM) has been granted funding to provide direct coaching services to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Mauricie region over a 30-month period.

"This is a real boost to innovation the Government of Canada is giving today by supporting the activities of Économie du Savoir Mauricie. This financial assistance illustrates our firm commitment to promoting the economic growth of the region," says Minister Lebel.

ESM is a startup dedicated to furthering the economic development of Mauricie by offering a range of services to the region's innovative SMEs. With this project, businesses operating in a variety of industrial and technical sectors, including transportation, aerospace, forestry and forest by-products, will be able to benefit from the expertise of Économie du Savoir Mauricie professionals.

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This financial assistance, granted in the form of a $250,000 non-repayable contribution, has been awarded through Canada Economic Development's Business and Regional Growth program, an initiative designed to strengthen the conditions conducive to the sustainable growth of Quebec's regions and SMEs by encouraging enterprises in their efforts to improve their performance, become more competitive and engage more heavily in innovation. The program also helps support the development of new markets and the transfer of technology and research outputs to businesses.

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