This introductory chapter presents data and trends about Québec, Canada. It illustrates the governmental policies, strategies and funds established by the federal and, in particular, the provincial government to support innovation, entrepreneurship and higher education in the region.
The Geography of Higher Education in Québec, Canada
OECD Skills Studies
1. The innovation, entrepreneurship, and HE systems in Québec
Abstract
As Canada’s second-largest province in population, Québec is four times the size of France, and the home of North America’s 15th-largest1 city, Montréal. Its metropolitan area has become an important economic and cultural international hub. In 2016, at least 15% of the population of all larger metropolitan centers from Montréal westward was born outside Canada (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]). Québec also has a highly rural character. Its population density is 7 inhabitants per square kilometre, as compared to the population density of Germany, with more than 200 inhabitants per square kilometre. The province features diverse rural regions stretching all the way from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes and expansive remote regions in the north. With 8 695 659 habitants, of whom 2.3% identify as Indigenous (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]), it is home to almost a fifth of Canada’s total population (Statistics Canada, 2022[2]). East of Montréal and outside metropolitan areas, less than 10% of the population is foreign-born (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]).
The province has enjoyed robust economic performance, with historically low unemployment and skyrocketing GDP. In this favorable situation, the Québec government is trying to make this growth sustainable by investing in innovation capacity and entrepreneurship. Québec-based HEIs have a central role to play, provided that good practices are identified, and the right policy incentives are in place. Overall, Québec’s system includes 18 universities; 48 colleges of general and professional teaching (Cégeps); and 59 college centres for the transfer of technology (CCTTs), rendering it one of the richest provinces in Canada in terms of its higher education.
Québec’s economy is performing well, with some challenges in innovation and productivity
This geographic diversity is also reflected in the diverse economy of the province (Table 1.1). The top five sectors of Québec’s economy, in terms of weight in 2020 GDP, are finance, insurance and real estate services (18.4%), manufacturing (12.5%), health care and social support (8.7%), public administration (7.8%) and construction (7%) (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2022[3]).
Table 1.1. Key statistics of Québec’s economy
Note: Some values may refer to earlier years. This table provides select data on Québec’s economy.
Skills and employment trends in Québec are positive
The province has a large number of skilled workers, who are taking advantage of positive employment trends, and its workforce is highly educated: 73% of workers have a post-secondary diploma/certificate (Statista, 2021[5]). A large proportion of the population in regions that include the major urban centres have a certificate, diploma or a university degree. This is particularly true of Montréal. In 2016, the share of its population between the ages of 25 to 64 who reported having a bachelor’s degree or higher was 31.9%, while 18.4% had a college, Cégep or other non-university certificate or diploma as their highest level of education, and 15.7% an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma (post-secondary total 66%). The percentage with a university certificate or diploma was 36.5% (Statistics Canada, 2021[6]).
Québec’s labour market is also performing well, especially in urban regions. Its unemployment rate was 4.1% as of November 2022, one of the lowest in the country (Statistiques Quebec, 2022[7]). Ontario’s unemployment rate rose from 5.3% to 5.7%, with a combination of fewer jobs (-19 200) and a larger labour force (+18 500) (Desjardins, 2022[8]). In Québec as of November 2022, employment gains were concentrated in the Montréal area, where employment rose by 25 000 (+1.1%), and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2%. In the past decade, most regions in the provinces have created jobs, although both Bas-Saint-Laurent (-2.6%) and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (-6.4%) have seen a decline in employment. A recent OECD report concluded that many of these jobs were in occupations that were at lower risk of automation (OECD, 2020[9]).
However, despite the very low unemployment rates, job vacancies continue to grow. A recent study by the Institut du Québec found only 0.2 unemployed persons per vacant position in health and social assistance, 0.4 in professional, scientific and technical services and 0.6 in construction (Institut du Québec, 2021[10]). This may suggest an increasing need for upskilling and reskilling workers in the near future (Institut du Québec, 2021[10]).
Québec firms are embracing innovation and collaboration, despite low R&D expenditure
Despite some improvements, Québec shares the national tendency toward low R&D investment. Real growth in the 1990s rose to a peak of about 1.7% of GDP in 2006, but Québec had experienced a decline in R&D investment by 2017, at 1.31% of GDP, compared to 1.24% in Ontario.2 The OECD average, by comparison, was 1.92% in 2020, after rising steadily for 20 years (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]). Nevertheless, about 23% of Canadian patents are owned by Québec-based companies or investors. The most important sectors include electronics, accounting for 45% of patents in Québec, followed by machinery, mechanics and transport (18%), instrumentation (17%) and pharmaceuticals (11%) (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]).
About 78% of Québec firms reported innovating between 2017 and 2019. The large majority of these firms, about 71%, undertook process innovation, while 51.3% reported they focused on product innovation. These percentages are in line with the Canadian average of 79.8% and reflected a wider national trend towards process innovation (Institut de la Statistique du Québec, 2021[11]). Possibly as a reflection of the strength in process innovation, there was variation between sectors. Professional services, finance, manufacturing, wholesalers and the IT sector displayed the greatest innovation, and public services, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting and real estate the least (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2021[12]).
As for significant barriers to innovation, firms in Québec noted a lack of skills (28.9%), and concerns about uncertainty and risk (25%). This is consistent with other regions of Canada (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2021[12]).
Figure .1.1. Firms that encountered barriers to innovation, Québec
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 27-10-0364-01 Barriers to innovation and actions taken by industry and firm size, [Online]. Doi: 10.25318/2710036401-eng, accessed September 2021. Adapted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
In the same 2019 survey of business practices, only 18.8% of firms reported undertaking innovation in collaboration with external partners, although Québec ranked above the national average of 17.8% (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2021[12]). Collaboration takes place mostly among firms within the same production chain, such as suppliers of equipment, or software (71.8%) or other related businesses (36.8%). Only 23.1% of such collaborations were with higher education institutions, including universities and colleges (Figure 1.2).
Figure 1.2. Firms that conducted innovation activity in collaboration with other firms
Because of the importance of HEIs in Québec’s innovation system, surveys in the province have focused on the possibility of reinforcing the connection between HEIs and the productive sector. Despite the potential to expand collaboration with HEIs, almost a third of the companies interviewed in Québec mentioned lack of skills as an obstacle (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2021[12]). When asked about innovation support, a growing number of entrepreneurs – up 6% from 2019 – identified research institutes and universities as potential partners, and called for support to improve these collaborations (Figure 1.3).
Figure 1.3. Types of privileged support for innovation
Source: (Marchand, 2022[13])
Québec is poised to become a North American leader in innovation and entrepreneurship
Like other provinces in Canada, given its federal system, Québec has constitutional responsibility for education, health care and significant aspects of economic development policy. As a result, the province has significant institutional capacity and autonomy to develop a coherent set of policies promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in each of its regions. To promote sustainable and inclusive growth, its government has made innovation and entrepreneurship priority policy areas, introducing various strategies to support research and innovation, and placing innovation at the centre of provincial efforts.
The province has adopted a holistic approach to innovation and entrepreneurship
Policy actions promoting innovation and entrepreneurship are part of a multifaceted strategy that has created a provincial “innovation ecosystem” (Figure 1.4). This spans a wide range of organisations and is intended to generate functional linkages between basic research, applied research, innovation and entrepreneurship. The aim is to create a coherent set of policies and incentives and a system that can identify and incentivise the most promising experiences and activities. To maximise the impact of public policies, such as the Stratégie québécoise de recherche et d’investissement en innovation (SQRI2) 2022-2027 (Québec Strategy to Support Research and Investment in Innovation, or SQRI2), Québec structures mirror the mandate of many federal organisations. Within this framework, higher education institutions are a common overlap point across multiple actors within the same ecosystem and are also involved in funding, production and transfer of knowledge.
Figure 1.4. Québec’s Research and Innovation Landscape
Source: Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, 2022.
Québec has made a specific effort to promote implementation research. From a governance perspective, in 2011, the province established the Scientifique en Chef (Chief Scientist) position (Box 1.1). This role consists of advising the MEIE on developing research and innovation and on how to stimulate intersectoral research linked to major societal challenges (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]). Since 2020, a Chief Innovator has worked in tandem with the Chief Scientist. The Chief Innovator heads the Council of Innovation, which acts primarily as an advisory committee for the government on strategies to propel innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, as well as to multiply their economic and social benefits in key sectors for Québec’s future (Box 1.1).
Box 1.1. The Chief Scientist, the Chief Innovator and the Council of Innovation in Québec
The Chief Scientist
The Chief Scientist advises the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Québec’s government on any matters relating to the development of research and science. He promotes international research partnerships and science diplomacy, as well as scientific culture and collaborations with civil society. As CEO of the three Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC), the Chief Scientist develops intersectoral research linked to major societal challenges (demographic changes and the aging of the population; sustainable development and climate change, including AI and digital; creativity and entrepreneurship; and the Science and Society challenge (disinformation, democracy, etc.) and promotes careers in research (trainees at all levels).
At the request of the Minister of Education and Higher Education at the time, in 2020-2021, he chaired a working group, entirely made up of university stakeholders, to conduct consultations and discuss the future of the universities. The report issued a series of 12 recommendations and 50 proposals for measures and action, whose implementation is under way, to facilitate their development and ensure the future vitality of Québec’s universities.
The Chief Scientist of Québec was a founding member of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) in 2013, and has since September 2021 been president of a network of over 5 000 members from 130 countries. As president, he created the Science Advice in the Francophonie network, a new branch of INGSA, in 2022.
The Chief Innovator and the Council of Innovation
Québec’s Innovation system is distinctive for its Chief Innovator and Council of Innovation. Created in December 2020 at the initiative of Québec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE), the Conseil d’Innovation du Québec was given the mission of boosting innovation in Québec’s businesses and society. Luc Sirois was appointed general director-general of the organisation and chief innovator of Québec.
Acting primarily as an advisory committee, with a team of permanent staff, the members of the council advise the minister on strategies to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in the province, and to multiply their economic and social benefits in key sectors. The council has a number of initiatives to achieve this mission, training and connecting hundreds of economic development agents as innovation advisors across the province, and providing useful sources of information on innovation and on the funding available to businesses.
Increased investment in innovation and research have allowed Québec to stand out
The innovation and research ecosystem in Québec is supported by federal and provincial funding. On the federal level, funding is assured through the “Tri-Council”, which provides financial assistance for basic research. This includes bodies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The Tri-Council provides financial assistance primarily for basic research (McGill University, n.d.[14]). In addition, the National Research Council of Canada assures funding for industrial research. A notable example is the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), designed to accelerate the research and development projects of Canadian innovators (National Research Council of Canada, 2022[15])3. There are also other initiatives for research infrastructure on the federal level. The research system in Québec also benefits from “Apogée Canada” projects (“Canada first”), through the research excellence fund of the Government of Canada (Government of Canada, 2022[16]). In the period 2014-2022, Québec received on average 26.4% from the federal granting councils, or CAD 5.1 billion.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the province created three research funding agencies. Since the late 20th century, Québec has invested consistently in the development of research, innovation and entrepreneurship and reorganised its three research funding agencies, focusing on health sciences; natural sciences and engineering; social sciences and humanities. These organisations reflect those of the national government: the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé (FRQS); Fonds de recherche du Québec-Nature et technologies (FRQNT) and Fonds de recherche du Québec-Société et culture (FRQSC) (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]).
The FRQs provide support for the province’s innovation and entrepreneurship framework by investing in different programmes. For instance, the direction of the grands défis de societé has channelled more than CAD 3.2 million into entrepreneurial initiatives between 2018-2019 (Fonds de recherche du Québec, 2019[17]). It is expected to invest the same amount for the 2022-2023 period. These funds financed at least eight programmes or initiatives under the three research funds (FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC). Support programmes focus mostly on technological and life sciences entrepreneurship.
In the life sciences sector, the FRQS has established the Oncopole, a research and innovation centre created with the support of the biopharmaceutical company Merck. Thanks to investments from partners in the life sciences and health sectors, more than CAD 156 000 has been invested in training young talent and young researchers in oncology entrepreneurship.4
FRQS’s STIMuLeS programme promotes and helps establish connections between science, technology, engineering and social sciences in regions and across the province.
Box 1.2. The SQRI2 framework: stimulating research and scientific entrepreneurship and responding to societal challenges
The Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), with the support of the MEIE, is working to develop favourable conditions that will increase innovation based on high-calibre research, close the gap between the academic community and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and exchange innovative ideas within transformative sectors of activity:
1. Programmes to support partnership and sustainable research collaborations between universities, colleges and college centres for the transfer of technology (CCTTs), businesses and the general public in Innovation Zones:
Public-Private Research Chairs to build research capacity and a new generation of researchers.
Innovation Catalysts in colleges to meet the needs of key knowledge users and accelerate the sharing of research results.
Linking science, technology, engineering, mathematics and social sciences to build knowledge and encourage accountability and social acceptance of technological developments.
2. Partnership-based initiatives promoting an entrepreneurial culture in Québec and encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs:
Support of a trajectory for students across Québec to explore, choose and launch their scientific business in collaboration with V1Studio, Axelys, Mitacs and the I-Inc network: the Québec Scientific Entrepreneurship Programme (Programme québecois d’entrepreneuriat scientifique, or QcES); Lab2Market Discover (L2M), an ideation and market validation programme; and a post-doctorate in scientific entrepreneurship, to be launched in 2023.
Support for internship in venture capital investment dedicated to the next generation of researchers through the Grad2VC program, led by Front Row Venture, an investment fund, in collaboration with FRQ for students on more than 20 campuses in Québec and Ontario.
Science and Entrepreneurship program, in collaboration with Esplanade Québec, to support research projects, initiated by start-ups and focused on social and environmental impact, that are interested in strengthening their connection to the research community.
A research and innovation space to develop effective methodologies and support tools with measurable impact with and for the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports start-ups, in collaboration with MAIN, an organisation with a mission to pool coaching and support resources for all incubators and accelerators in Québec.
3. A unique research programme that welcomes a diversity of societal actors to become involved in research and to provide solutions tailored to the context of Québec in addressing major societal challenges:
Demographic changes and aging; climate and digital changes; sustainable development, entrepreneurship and creativity; and science and society dialogue.
This renewed and increased investment in R&D, including significant funding for basic and discovery-driven research, is essential for the production of high-impact scientific knowledge and to allow Québec to build its innovative edge, stimulate its economy, attract local and international researchers, students and key partners and position itself on the world scene. The SQRI2 allows for an increase in FRQ scholarships supporting talents with research expertise and an increase in support for networks and poles of research excellence.
An interdisciplinary approach helps make the most of Québec’s innovation and entrepreneurial efforts
Québec’s government has also adopted an interdisciplinary approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. The industrial research sectoral groups (RSRIs) ensure full and active collaboration to increase the links between its academic research and innovative companies.
Representing Québec’s key sectors, RSRIs are in a strong position to help achieve the new government’s objectives, as well as to support Québec’s economy in its quest for growth. Nine clusters have been designated by the government of Québec to act as intermediation and funding organisations for collaborative research and development (R&D). As successful catalysts of innovation, they have long promoted the transfer of knowledge and technological appropriation by companies in different strategic sectors of the economy, by encouraging relationships between the research community and industry.
With their structured networks and in-depth knowledge of their respective sectors, they have contributed in the past three years to generating CAD 150 million in industrial R&D investments, by supporting more than 371 projects. These projects have yielded significant benefits for Québec, particularly in terms of employment, student training, patent filings, licensing, technology commercialisation, spin-offs and industrial investments, to name a few.
The eight RSRIs currently funded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy are: the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ); Consortium for Research and Innovation in Industrial Bioprocesses in Québec (CRIBIQ); the Québec Centre for Research and Development in Aluminum (CQRDA); Consortium for Research and Innovation in Metal Transformation (CRITM); Consortium Québec Centre for Drug Discovery (CQDM); Innovation in Electrical Energy (InnovÉÉ); Consortium for Industrial Research and Innovation in Medical Technologies of Québec (MEDTEQ); Québec Centre for Research and Innovation in Advanced Materials (PRIMA Québec); Microelectronics oriented research partnership, photonics, ICT and Digital (PROMPT).
More recently, there has been significant investment to make Québec a leader in life sciences as well as artificial intelligence. In particular, for life sciences, the government has launched a new provincial strategy to stimulate private investment across the life sciences value chain; develop new future niches; increase the presence of Québec’s companies in local and international supply chains (Gouvernement du Québec, 2022[18]).
In artificial intelligence, the investment from both the provincial and federal governments was intended to build off the private sector investment and on the existing strengths of the universities based in Montréal. Between 2016 and 2019, the Québec government invested CAD 501 million, including CAD 53 million in SCALE AI, Québec’s supercluster, CAD 75 million in the Montréal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA), CAD 65 million in IVADO Labs, CAD 5 million in IVADO, and CAD 25 million in the company Element AI. The government of Canada has also invested CAD 365 million, including CAD 230 million for SCALE AI, CAD 94 million for IVADO and CAD 41 million for MILA. In addition, the provincial government has committed an additional CAD 125 million to support the AI ecosystem in SQRI 2.
Other policies and strategies have also been defined and directed to managing innovation, including in: sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, aerospace, aluminium, life sciences, digital transformation, critical and strategic minerals, maritime, and the plan for a green economy.
The structure of the provincial HE system is conducive to entrepreneurship and innovation
The structure of the Québec higher education sector is well-placed to respond to the innovation and entrepreneurship needs of the province (Box .1.3). Universities and colleges offer students and individuals an academic pathway to develop skills and prepare for the world of work. In 2018, the Ministry of Higher Education (MES), published the Politique Québecoise de financement des universités, which included the following vision:
The Québecois university system is amongst the highest performing in Canada and internationally; that teaching, research and creation activities serve society and supports the needs of Québec both today and in the future, to be a more educated, more prosperous and more innovative society as well as more open to the world. (Gouvernement du Québec, 2018[2])
The message that the key function of the universities is to build a stronger society in Québec was further expressed in a policy stating that teaching should ensure that graduates are capable of innovation, that research should contribute innovative solutions to the challenges facing society and that universities should directly participate in the development of their communities (local, national and global).
Box .1.3. Structure of Higher Education in Québec
The structure of the Higher Education (HE) system in Québec includes three different levels: i) college, ii) university and iii) postdoctoral studies. College studies are a distinctive feature of the system.
College level – Cégeps
College studies are offered by the Collèges d’enseignement général et professionnel (CÉGEPs), and offer academic studies through three different pathways:
Pre-university training provides a bridge between high school and university. It leads to a diploma of college studies (DEC) and lasts two years;
Technical college training gives access to the job market. It can also lead to the university, if the requirements of the chosen university programme have been met. This training leads to a diploma of college studies (DEC) in a specialty and usually lasts three years;
Short-term college training is for adults who have work experience or who have completed previous training. It leads to an Attestation of Collegial Studies (AEC) and lasts from 6 to 18 months.
Québec has 48 Cégeps. Most are also linked to various college technology transfer centres (Centre collégial de transfert de technologie, CCTT), which specialise in applied research in a specific sector and are in contact with the surrounding ecosystem through their daily operations. This allows Cégeps to establish direct links and bridge the gap between academia and their ecosystem.
University level – bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees
University studies are divided into three cycles and lead to the following degrees:
the baccalaureate (first cycle) of three or four years, depending on the discipline;
the master's degree (second cycle) of one or two years;
the doctorate (third cycle) of three years or more.
Most universities also offer short programmes (certificates, specialised graduate degrees, etc.) of varying duration. It is also possible to carry out postdoctoral studies after university training. Universities have faculties of different disciplines as well as specialised schools, for example for business schools or engineering.
Source: Author’s research based on (Gouvernement du Québec, 2021[19])
One of the distinctive functions of the Québecois higher education system is the network of University of Québec. The Université du Québec (UQ), headquartered in Québec City, was founded by the government of Québec on 18 December 1968. It includes 10 institutions (six universities, one research institute and three higher education establishments) throughout Québec. The Université du Québec network was conceived as a vital element in the reform of the Québec education system recommended by the Commission of Inquiry on Education (also known as the Parent Commission). The UQ network responded to the commission’s threefold mission: to promote access to university education, contribute to Québec’s scientific development, and participate in the development of its regions. Active throughout the province through its network of 10 institutions in 54 cities, it offers comprehensive university education in more than 1 000 programmes of study at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2017[20]). Furthermore, the role of Cégeps in supporting applied research, technical support for business, training and information was recognised in Québec as early as 1983, when 10 specialised centers were established within Cégeps. In 1993, these centers took on their current name, the centres collégiaux de transfert de technologies (CCTT). Since the 2000s, the CCTTs have become an important vehicle of innovation and commercialisation strategy in Québec.
Today, 59 CCTTs are located across the province. While many have a technological focus and are specialised in a specific sector (energy, the marine economy, aerospace) some of them focus their efforts on developing innovative social practices. Generally speaking, their implantation and their link with the local ecosystem are strong. Half of CCTTs’ clients are located within 100 kilometres of their CCTT (KPMG, 2014[3]). CCTTs consist of teams of researchers in a specific sector who conduct more than 7 500 innovation projects annually. They are funded through annual public and private investments of CAD 177 million, resulting in socioeconomic spinoffs of CAD 2.4 billion. The CCTTs are also an important contribution to the development of a highly skilled workforce. Each year, the activities of the CCTTs reach 14 000 students, including 800 who work directly on projects and can become vectors of innovation in the companies and organisations that may host them at the end of their studies (Synchronex, 2021[21]). The network of CCTTs have created “squad” teams, specifically on energy and digital transformation, in an effort to catalyse the CCTTs’ resources and multidisciplinary expertise and to offer integrated and innovative solutions that meet the needs of local businesses,. As important actors in the innovation ecosystem, the CCTTs are represented by the network of CCTTs – Synchronex – in Québec’s provincial government.
The Stratégie québécoise de Recherche et d’Investissement en Innovation (SQRI 2) 2022-2027 (the Québec research and innovation investment strategy) represents the best example of the holistic approach that Québec has adopted to systemically promote innovation and entrepreneurship (Gouvernement du Québec, 2021[22]). The SQRI 2 is the latest in a series of public policy strategies that have steered Québec’s science, research and innovation policies since the early 2000’s. In 2017, the provincial government adopted Québec’s Strategy for Research and Innovation (Strategie québéçoise de la Recherche et de l’Innovation, or SQRI) for 2017-2022. This laid out Québec’s ambitions to become one of the most creative and innovative societies in the world by 2030. With a budget of CAD 2.6 billion, It Is based on three priority areas: advanced manufacturing, export and entrepreneurship (Gouvernement du Québec, 2021[23]).
After its launch, the provincial government deemed the strategy a success, declaring it relevant, effective and compliant. With 94% of the measures implemented, the SQRI helped to create over 32 000 jobs, with an increase in R&D spending, and investment in more than 22 000 businesses, 10 000 researchers, 7 000 students and 400 organisations (Gouvernement du Québec, 2021[24]). The strategy provided the opportunity and the momentum for a second cycle. In 2022, the provincial government updated the strategy for the 2022-2027 period, in SQRI 2. The updated initiative hinges on five strategic priorities:
1. Excel in research, science, and technology;
2. Create an environment conducive to the development of innovation;
3. Support in-company investments and the commercialisation of innovations;
4. Develop talent and a scientific and innovation culture;
5. Rely on promising sectors and catalyst projects (Gouvernement du Québec, 2021[23]).
The underlying approach is that every aspect of the innovation cycle (research, transfer, innovation, commercialisation) should be linked together more effectively. The novelty of the SQRI 2 is that it mobilises the private sector and other stakeholders such as higher education institutions, whose role is to elevate the knowledge intensity of industries in the province. Implementation of the strategy is managed by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, supported by an Interdepartmental Committee for Research and Innovation (CIRI) to co-ordinate government action, with the Chief Scientist and the Chief Innovator acting as advisors.
The new strategy aims to invest more than CAD 7.5 billion to provide Québec with a solid base in research and innovation. This includes an additional budget of: CAD 1.3 billion in budgetary appropriations for the new SQRI 2; CAD 600 million in investment capital financing; and CAD 75 million in investments in the Québec Infrastructure Plan.
Québec’s innovation strategy leverages HEIs as drivers of innovation and development
Higher education institutions are an integral component of the research and innovation strategy. This is evident in their direct involvement in four of the five objectives of the 2022 SQRI, objectives 1, 3, 4 and 5. HEIs are to support the link between academia users, social innovation and scientific creativity, and an intersectoral approach to increase entrepreneurial education. While Canada’s investment in higher education stalled at around 0.46% in the last decade, Québec’s investment reached 0.9% in the same period (Phillips and Castle, 2022[1]; Institut de la Statistique du Québec, 2022[25]).
Efforts of the provincial government have focused on supporting HEIs and their success (Office of the Minister of Higher Education of Québec, 2021[26]). The provincial government has launched the Québec Strategy for Financing Universities (Politique Québécoise de financement des universités) (Politique Québécoise, 2018[27]). This aims to enhance the role of universities, stating that teaching should ensure that graduates are capable of innovation, that research should offer innovative solutions to the challenges facing society and that universities should directly participate in the development of their communities, whether local, national or global.
The Ministry of Higher Education (MES) has three reform initiatives that could support the SQRI 2. The first project aims to support collaborative initiatives of research and education. The second project aims to support HEIs in developing technological or social innovation projects for communities and businesses. The third is to promote the development of skills in scientific entrepreneurship and innovation among college and university students, as well as their socio-professional integration5 (Box .1.4).
Box .1.4. The reform projects in higher education in Québec supporting the SQRI 2
The Ministry of Higher Education of Québec (MES) is supporting the SQRI 2 – and the Innovation Zones – with three different projects that match the axes and actions of the Strategy. Each project is designed to achieve practical goals:
1. Support collaborative research and training initiatives.
Create five joint research units (unités mixtes de recherche, or UMRs) by the National Institute of Scientific Research (Institut national de Ia recherche scientifique, or NRS) in Québec’s regional universities;
Support the creation of two inter-order research, innovation and training cells (CIRIFs) in the designated Innovation Zones.
2. Support higher education institutions in developing technological or social innovation projects for the benefit of communities and businesses.
Increase collaboration between universities and private companies, social economy enterprises and community action organisations
Support the reciprocal transfer of knowledge, expertise and skills between partners and researchers at a university institution.
Stimulate the production of new knowledge and the co-creation of innovative solutions in response to current social, economic, technological and cultural issues.
Encourage the dissemination and implementation of technological and social innovations.
3. Promote the development of scientific entrepreneurship and innovation skills among college and university students and their socio-professional integration.
Initiate activities promoting scientific creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation among students, as well as their socio-professional integration.
Source: Ministry of Higher Education, unpublished.
Results from the HE Leaders Survey
HEIs in Québec are instrumental in entrepreneurial education
The responses received from HEIs in Québec provide a snapshot of the entrepreneurship education trend in the province. Of the responding institutions, 16 out of 28 Cégeps and 4 out of 14 universities reported that they provide entrepreneurial education to students, in both a complementary and transversal way. The programmes can be offered through formal and informal activities. The most common types of opportunities for Cégeps and universities are teamwork and learning projects. This option can be regarded as a “formal activity”. The second and third most common are work-based learning and business competition plans. The latter can be considered informal (Figure 1.5).
Figure 1.5. HEIs in Québec offer both formal and informal learning opportunities for entrepreneurship
Note: The bar graphs show the distribution of answers between 28 Cégeps and 14 universities that provided responses. Each value represented by a bar graph shows the number of Cégeps and universities that chose that option. Respondents could select more than one answer.
Source: HEI Leaders’ Survey of Québec “Éducation”.
These entrepreneurial education courses are mainly offered to individuals inside and outside the HEIs who are interested in entrepreneurship. The second group includes students in the first cycle, i.e. those in the first years of their programmes, in either type of institution. The only difference between Cégeps and universities is evident with graduates: universities’ courses and activities on entrepreneurship are offered to graduates and alumni more than those of Cégeps.
HEIs are catalysts for research and innovation
Most institutions show close collaboration with external partners in their communities. This demonstrates the policy coherence at the federal and provincial level in enlisting HEIs in industrial and development strategies. More than 60% of universities and 80% of CCTTs reported contributing to industrial strategies. Of these, almost half of universities and CCTTs participate in the context of specific provincial strategies, including the Innovation Zones and RSRIs. Moreover, 30% of universities, and 1 in 10 CCTT, take part in federal super clusters (Figure .1.6). These include federal-run programmes that encourage closer collaboration between businesses, academic institutions and non-profits in specific areas, focused on industries in which Canada already had some competitive advantage.
Overall, results show that Cégeps and CCTTs seem to be more engaged with external partners and their communities than with universities. This is partly explained by the nature of Cégeps and CCTTs, which are designed to interact with communities.
Figure .1.6. Institutions active within national and/or provincial industrial strategies
Note: The bar graphs show the distribution of answers for the number of CCTTs and universities that reported that they take part in industrial strategies. Each value represented by a bar graph shows the number of responding CCTTs and universities that chose that option. Respondents could select more than one answer.
Source: HEI Leaders Survey of Québec “Recherche”, 2022.
Québec’s institutions have set up incentives for professors and/or researchers to collaborate with external stakeholders. Typically, professors and researchers teach and do their research, but their work with external stakeholders goes unrecognised. Incentives, whether financial or in terms of career advancement, can help drive their work with external stakeholders and contribute to their institutions’ role in resolving challenges to society.
The most common form of incentive for CCTTs and universities to encourage faculty to take on external collaborations is adding collaboration as a criterion in granting promotions (Figure .1.7). This striking result shows that there may be a discrepancy between institutional conventions and the regulatory frameworks. While the frameworks reward external collaboration in terms of career incentives, HEIs may still be in the process of reflecting this in terms of career support (see Chapter 3).
Figure .1.7. Incentives for external collaboration vary by type of institution
Note: The bar graphs show the distribution of answers for the number of CCTTs and universities that reported providing incentives for external collaboration. Each value represented by a bar graph shows the number of responding CCTTs and universities that chose that option. Respondents could select more than one answer.
Source: HEI Leaders Survey of Québec “Recherche”, 2022.
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Notes
← 2. Based on https://bdso.gouv.qc.ca/pls/ken/ken213_afich_tabl.page_tabl?p_iden_tran=REPER45Z4G229188537945118fB80J&p_lang=2&p_m_o=ISQ&p_id_sectr=96&p_id_raprt=3472.
← 3. At the time of writing, the government of Canada announced that the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) will join the Canada Innovation Corporation (CIC), a new agency. Further information is available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2023/02/government-releases-blueprint-for-canada-innovation-corporation.html.
← 4. The authors are grateful to « la Direction des Grands défis de société et du Service de la planification et performance des FRQ » for having shared documentation on these initiatives.
← 5. The authors are grateful to Jesus Jimenez Orte and colleagues from the MES for having shared documentation on these projects.