Québec is mobilised to become an innovation and entrepreneurial leader in North America, giving higher education institutions (HEIs) a central role in this drive. HEIs are pivotal in developing skills and nurturing talent, connecting and contributing to their communities, including firms, public authorities and civil society. The Stratégie québécoise de recherche et d’investissement en innovation (SQRI) has placed HEIs at the fore front of the provincial innovation and entrepreneurship efforts, including with an explicit spatial approach, through the “innovation zones”. This review assesses the “geography of higher education” in Québec through the examination of ten case study HEIs. These case studies represent examples of innovative and entrepreneurial HEIs that support entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities. In particular, the case studies tell the story of the province of Québec in creating sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation, connecting actors and mobilising resources and policies. The review offers actionable policy recommendations to generate further progress in this direction.
The Geography of Higher Education in Québec, Canada
Abstract
Executive Summary
Québec aims to become an innovation and entrepreneurial leader in North America, giving higher education institutions (HEIs) a central role in this drive. HEIs are pivotal in developing skills and nurturing talent, connecting and contributing to their communities, including firms, public authorities and civil society. The Stratégie québécoise de recherche et d’investissement en innovation (SQRI 2) 2022-2027 (Québec research and Innovation Investment Strategy) has entrusted HEIs with an important role to play in provincial innovation and entrepreneurship efforts, including with an explicit spatial approach, through the implementation of “innovation zones”, which connect innovation and regional development agendas in non-metropolitan areas, with a focus on sustainable urban development. The SQRI 2 represents a total investment of CAD 7.5 billion (approx. EUR 5.2 billion) implemented over a five-year period that began in 2022.
Against this backdrop, and reflecting an international trend, Québec HEIs increasingly offer educational opportunities for students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. General and Vocational Colleges (CEGEPs) and college centres for the transfer of technology and innovative social practices (CCTTs), as well as universities in the University of Québec network are peculiar to the provincial system and particularly adept at engaging with local partners.
Québec has made great strides in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, but still has margins for improvement. The province has mobilised a series of entrepreneurship networks, with a specific focus on scientific entrepreneurship. While the focus on AI and deep-tech start-ups has helped create vibrant technological start-up communities; broadening this focus may strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation in more sectors.
A wide variety of accelerators/incubators offer specialised services to entrepreneurs. However, these entities seem to act as silos, limiting the possibility to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation by connecting different disciplines (e.g. economics, medicine, business, among others). Moreover, while HEIs are well-engaged in collaboration activities with their partners, the review highlights discrepancies between institutional activities and incentives/career opportunities for researchers that engage in collaborations with external stakeholders and communities.
The provincial government is in a good position to generate complementarities and synergies among higher education, entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional development, as all fall under its jurisdiction. A broader approach to entrepreneurship, and closer coordination between governmental actors in the province, such as the Québec Ministry of Higher Education, can help spur Québec’s entrepreneurial and innovative potential, mobilising resources in the metropolitan area of Montréal, which has become a true entrepreneurial hub, as well as in other regions of Québec, including rural ones.
Innovation zones, a recent policy device, deserve specific attention. Innovation zones promote local specialisation in knowledge-intensive sectors, especially in Quebec’s non-metropolitan regions. They are forming new models of entrepreneurial ecosystems, connecting different actors, and leveraging on the role of higher education institutions within their own communities. In parallel, at least on paper, innovation zones should aim to promote sustainable, inclusive, urban and regional development, emphasising the social dimension of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Because of these characteristics innovation zones may offer the opportunity to pilot synergies and complementarities among a broad range of policy sectors such as higher education, regional development and innovation policies.
This review involved ten HEIs as case studies, including research universities and CEGEPs – colleges that offer post-secondary technical or pre-university programmes. These case studies represent examples of innovative and entrepreneurial HEIs that connect to provincial and federal policies, and support entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities. In particular, the case studies tell the story of the province of Québec in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, connecting actors and mobilising resources and policies. The methodology used in this review draws on two on-site visit interviews of the selected HEIs and their partners (university representatives, public authorities and firms collaborating with the HEIs) and a series of remote interviews. The review has also been informed by an HEI leaders survey administered to all HEIs in the province; an entrepreneurial education survey for students, and a quantitative assessment measuring the impact of the spatial dimension between universities and firms on regional innovation, which was undertaken in cooperation with Statistics Canada.
Main recommendations
The review identified four key recommendations based on the interviews, surveys and desk research carried out in support of the work:
Create more collaborative spaces (colliders) underpinning entrepreneurship education. While blossoming, entrepreneurship education activities in Québec HEIs appear often fragmented across academic disciplines (e.g., economics, health, etc). This affects effectiveness and scale of entrepreneurship education. Provincial authorities could consider the creation of common spaces to reinforce a transdisciplinary approach. The last point is particularly relevant in Montreal, which is on the verge of becoming an international entrepreneurial leader.
Capitalise on CEGEPs and CCTTs to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems in all regions. In particular, CCTTs could deliver entrepreneurship education to individuals and firms (including established ones) thus promoting innovation and growth, across Québec regions.
Involve the Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur (MES - Ministry of Higher Education) in entrepreneurship and innovation policies, promoting piloting interventions and reforms in Innovation Zones. The MES could use innovation zones as test beds to introduce incentives and career opportunities for academics and students (e.g., by promoting the status of "student entrepreneur") to unlock the potential of collaboration activities and of the start-up movement, in these zones. Once tested in innovation zones, initiatives could be extended to the rest of the province.
Promote the social and urban development sides of innovation zones to connect the start-up movement and entrepreneurship education to other agendas related to well-being and sustainability, in all regions of Québec. The social and urban development components are relevant, and they should not be overlooked when implementing innovation zones.
