/ Updated on

Prestigious Recognitions for Québec International in Economic Development

President and CEO of Québec International (QI) Carl Viel is pleased to announce that the Agency has been recognized for economic development on the global stage in recent weeks. Indeed, QI has marked 2018 with exceptional achievements dedicated to the promotion of the region and the growth of key sectors.


Canada’s Best Locations 2018

In its September 2018 edition, American magazine Site Selection revealed the ten top-performing economic development agencies in the country. For the 12th consecutive year, QI is one of the “Top Canadian Economic Development Groups” in Canada’s Best Locations 2018 list that recognizes Canada’s champions of economic development. Québec International is the only Canadian agency to make the list for this long a time.

International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Awards honour the world’s best programs and partnerships in economic development, marketing supports, and the most influential leaders of the year. The awards pay tribute to organizations and individuals for their efforts in instigating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. The award ceremony took place in Atlanta on October 2 during the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)’s annual conference. Among the metropolitan areas around the world with more than 500 000 inhabitants, QI received awards in the two categories below:

  • Québec International received the Gold Excellence in Economic Development for the CATAPULTE program, in the “Entrepreneurship” category. CATAPULTE is a program in the form of a competition that gives access to financial aid and mentorship by experts in the video game industry in order to maximize the success of businesses. This program was introduced by Québec International and the Arts numériques et divertissement interactif (ANDI) niche of excellence, in partnership with Caisse Desjardins de Québec, the Ministère de l’Économie, de la Science et de l’Innovation du Québec (MESI), the Ville de Québec, and in collaboration with the video game industry.
  • The Bronze Excellence in Economic Development was also awarded to Québec International for the “Goûteur à domicile” project in the “Public–Private Partnership” category. The pilot project “Goûteur à domicile” aims to offer businesses direct access to Quebec consumers in order to test all the aspects of their products before they go to market. The project is carried out by Québec International and the Health Food Consortium in participation with the Ministère de l’Économie, de la Science et de l’Innovation du Québec (MESI) and the food processing industry.

ACQ5 GAMECHANGERS Awards 2018 Healthcare / Pharmaceutical / Biotech and Medtech

The ACQ5 Gamechangers Healthcare / Pharmaceutical / Biotech and Medtech Awards recognize individuals and organizations who have contributed to the life sciences sector by supporting development in health technology and innovation. In America, the Agency was honoured for its important role in the increased efficiency and performance seen in the industry at large. What’s more, President and CEO Carl Viel was recognized as a “Gamechanger” for his exemplary leadership and contribution to the life sciences and health technologies sector.

  • America – Economic Development Agency of the Year
  • America – Gamechanger of the year, Carl Viel, Québec International

The Global 100 – 2018

The Global 100 Index acknowledges the performances of the world’s best economic development agencies. QI was delighted to receive the title of “Best Economic Development Agency of the Year – Canada” in their rankings.

The City Nation Place Awards 2018

QI, with the regional promotion campaign “The Québec City area, it’s simple”, is also among the finalists of the City Nation Place Awards 2018 “Best Communications” category. These awards are primarily intended to promote place branding and marketing. The winners will be announced on November 8 in London during the award ceremony. http://www.citynationplace.com/awards/finalists-2018

“We’re extremely honoured and proud of these prestigious recognitions that we share with our partners and collaborators. They are the fruits of great determination and years of significant efforts in establishing best practices in economic development. Today, we can see the constant advancement of the region on the international stage as a result of the area’s consolidated and collaborative endeavours as well as the work of the organization’s dynamic and passionate team.” — President and CEO, Carl Viel.


About QI

Québec International contributes to the economic development of the Québec City metropolitan region and its international reach. As a regional economic development agency, Québec International promotes business growth, supports key sectors, and attracts talent to and investment in the region. To carry out its mission, Québec International counts on the support of its primary funders: the Ville de Québec, the Secrétariat à la Capitale-Nationale, and Canada Economic Development. To find out more, visit www.quebecinternational.ca.

 

Attachment