Summing up the cluster

Within the Québec Chaudière-Appalaches area, there are over 27 research units active in the field of Life Sciences located in four major hospitals, thus creating 3000 jobs or thereabout for the Québec Chaudière-Appalaches (QCA) area. Furthermore, the cluster encompasses nearly 25 firms, which aggregates to approximately 1000 people in labour. It also accounts for 498 M$ in sales and includes multinationals such as SFBS-Anapharm, Shire Pharmaceuticals, AEterna Zentaris and promising ones like Diagnocure and Infectio Diagnostic (IDI).

The Life Sciences cluster’s technological forces sum up to cancer research, instrumentation, diagnostic and treatments for various infectious diseases.

The QCA area benefits from four main competitive advantages:

• a sector that, since established more than decade ago, proved to be a breeding ground for growth companies;
• a high-quality scientific base in which many world-wide reputed researchers evolve;
• availability of local venture capital, an undisputable asset for regional development (in transition to private public fund);
• low operating costs and tax credit for Research and Development, in addition to a very favourable fiscal environment.