France, Québec Joint Maritime Strategy
Quebec and France have announced plans to create a new bi-national oceanic research network in Rimouski.
The proposed creation of this binational institute was formally agreed between the Premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard, and French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, in Paris.
Such an institute aims to bring co-operation and complementarity of France and Quebec in higher education, research and innovation to a new level. It aims to give France and Quebec a competitive positioning joint mechanism in major international initiatives and fuel the development vision of the maritime industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ultimately, this institute will position together France and Quebec as a leader worldwide for questions regarding the challenges of sustainable maritime development.
This "France-Québec Research Institute and maritime innovation" will be housed at the University of Quebec at Rimouski. Its role, says one, will be to mobilize the French and Quebec researchers around all maritime issues, both for resource management, environment, innovation or economic or social issues.
The Quebec Research Fund and the University of Quebec at Rimouski welcome the proposed creation of a Franco-Quebec institute dedicated to the development of the maritime sector. The establishment of such an international institute will give a major boost to the development of knowledge related to the maritime sector, they said.
Jean D’Amour, minister for Transport and the Implementation of the Maritime Strategy, has been accompanying Couillard during his mission to France, and he says he’s taken the trip as an opportunity to promote the work done by Quebec companies such as Davie Shipbuilding in converting ship engines to run on liquefied natural gas.
