We have been reporting on the format of teh "Seeks Solution" conferences before. The idea is both simple and surprisingly effective: turn a scientific conference upside down: Skip the presentation of successful research and undertakings and focus, together, on what is really interesting for everybody: challenges yet unsolved.

This article offers an economic-development perspective on a new method for local companies to find innovative solutions to their most challenging business problems: local open innovation. Quebec International, the economic development agency for the Quebec City area, contributed to the development of the Seeking Solutions approach to local open innovation, which included the hosting of problem-solving conferences with local research centres, economic development actors, and companies. Looking back on our experiences and outcomes since 2010, this article shows how the development and introduction of this new approach to local open innovation has changed the rules of the game in the region.

Two initiatives aiming to support technology entrepreneurship were recently announced in Quebec City.

The French-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC, is very pleased to partner with Québec International and Montréal International for the organization of a two-day recruiting event on March 22nd. Mrs. Line Lagacé, Vice-president, Business Growth and Foreign Investment of Québec International and Mr. Louis Arseneault, Vice President, Talent Attraction, Promotion and Communications, Montréal International answer our questions! Interview in English and in French.

Anges Québec is pleased to announce $1M in financing granted to handyem, a Quebec company specializing in life science. The financing comes from 19 Anges Québec members and the Anges Québec Capital Fund. Of this amount, $680K is from Anges Québec members, including Stéphane Pilette, and $320K from the fund. An additional amount in excess of $700K comes from existing shareholders and new private investors, bringing the current round of financing to $1.7M.

Every fiscal quarter, we paint a portrait of the region's economic environment and analyze key economic indicators that help to assess regional performance as well as compare economic variables with those of seven other metropolitan areas in Canada: Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton et Vancouver. The analyses on the economy of the Québec City metropolitan region are based on statistical data published by recognized organizations.

Québec-based IT executives at multinational computer services giants attribute the success and expansion of their enterprises to being located in Québec. An increasingly bilingual and skilled work force, higher education resources, proximity to Europe and the U.S. Northeast and a business climate that encourages capital investment are some of the assets they identify as drivers of their ability to compete. More specifi cally, they compete successfully with other subsidiaries of their parent companies worldwide for capital investment, or they complement those subsidiaries as no other operation can, they maintain.

Quebec City has successfully completed the second round of the prestigious international contest organized by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) and has been named one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities. The announcement was made in Honolulu, Hawaii by Louis Zacharilla, Director of Development for ICF. Last October, Quebec City was ranked among the Smart 21 Communities for the second year in a row. Nearly 400 applications from cities and regions around the world were evaluated.

Canada ranks No. 1 in our annual look at the Best Countries for Business. While the U.S. is paralyzed by fears of a double-dip recession and Europe struggles with sovereign debt issues, Canada’s economy has held up better than most. The $1.6 trillion economy is the ninth biggest in the world and grew 3.1% last year. It is expected to expand 2.4% in 2011, according to the Royal Bank of Canada.

FastTrac® is a top-tier training program for tech firm creation and start-ups. It also gives entrepreneurs access to the local ecosystem’s full range of resources, as well as to all high-level stakeholders. Quebec International is the first organization in Canada to receive FastTrac® Affiliate certification from the Kauffman Foundation. (information page in french only)

On October 22, Quebec City gained another international distinction when it was named one of the Top 21 most intelligent communities (Smart 21 Community 2011) by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a New York-based independent think tank dedicated to developing the digital economy. The announcement was made by Louis Zacharilla, one of the ICF’s founders, at a ceremony in Suwon, South Korea.

Quebec International (QI) and the Quebec City region are shining brightly again thanks to their placement in Site Selection magazine’s Canadian rankings. The Quebec City region placed third in the Top Canadian Metros. This category evaluates the economic performance of Canada’s metropolitan regions. The final result was calculated by compiling major investment projects. The Quebec City region was outpaced by Toronto and Hamilton.

During the ceremony, seven awards were presented, with a total value of nearly $90,000. XpertSea Solutions, a firm specializing in aquaculture, has won the $30,000 Devtech 50 grand prize ($15,000 in cash and $15,000 in services). The prize was bestowed by “Presenter” partner Essor Strategies.

Blog by John Parisella: National unemployment rates often overshadow the work of some communities in transforming their economic profiles. Cities like Raleigh NC have transformed their economy and others like Des Moines IA have significantly lowered their unemployment rates. Another below the radar screen example is Québec City, Canada.

Brochure promoting the Quebec City business environment: Invest in the Quebec city metropolitan region (2010 version)