Quebec government invests more than $12 million in the new Innovative Vehicle Institute building

Saint-Jérôme, November 22– The Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation has granted financial assistance of $12.7 million to the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme for the construction of a new building for the Innovative Vehicle Institute. The Minister de l’Économie et de l’Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, made the announcement today, accompanied by the Minister responsible des Affaires autochones and Minister responsable de la région des Laurentides, Sylvie D’Amours, and the MNA for Saint-Jérôme, Youri Chassin. This major investment comes from the government’s Programme de soutien aux organismes de recherche et d’innovation, volet 4 – Soutien au financement d’infrastructures de recherche et d’innovation (PSOv4). The achievement of this expansion project marks a major turning point in the IVI’s history, as the building will become a unique innovation space in Quebec and Canada.

In keeping with its contribution to environmental protection and sustainable development, the future IVI building is intended to be a unique innovation space in Canada that will reflect the best energy efficiency practices. In the same perspective, future construction will aim to use local materials, including wood. The new building will have a total surface area of 2,712 m2. Among other things, this expansion will allow the IVI to carry out three projects for heavy vehicles simultaneously.

This new construction will allow the repatriation of the IVI’s other facilities (administrative offices, workshop and laboratory) under one roof. Thus, by grouping its staff in a larger and better adapted location, the IVI will be able to meet the growing demand from Quebec companies seeking support for applied research, design and integration of innovative technologies in the electric and intelligent vehicle sector.

The Cégep of Saint-Jérôme and the IVI can also count on the strong support of the City of Saint-Jérôme, which has ceded land located in the industrial district. Recognized as a pioneer and pilot city in the field of electric vehicles, the City of Saint-Jérôme thus reaffirms its desire to continue promoting the electrification of transportation.

“For more than 20 years, Saint-Jérôme has been active in the field of new transportation technologies. Thanks to a multitude of past and current projects, our city of opportunity has positioned itself as a leader through its vision, which facilitates the interaction of the spheres of innovation, entrepreneurship and training,” said Stéphane Maher, Mayor of Saint-Jérôme.

“With their very concrete field approach, the college technology transfer centres support Quebec entrepreneurs and transform their ideas into projects, in addition to propelling technological advances in Quebec. The Innovative Vehicle Institute is a good example: since 2015, it has been supporting SMEs in the implementation of innovative technologies in the field of transportation. The project announced today will generate significant spinoffs with regards to the development of energy sources in the transportation sector and the college and university training of students. We can expect an innovation space that is unique in Canada, and the Government of Quebec is proud to contribute to it,” said Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.

The expansion of the Innovative Vehicle Institute, which holds the status of Centre collégial de transfert de technologie (CCTT), will also benefit Cégep de Saint-Jérôme teachers and students involved in various projects.

“We have an incredible asset in Québec, which is to produce energy from a renewable resource, and we have all the assets to become a leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of technologies related to transportation electrification and vehicle intelligence. Thanks to this major support from the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’lnnovation, we will not only be able to enrich education, but also have a major impact on the economy of the Laurentians and throughout Quebec. “said Nadine Le Gal, executive director of the Cégep of Saint-Jérôme.

Thanks to this investment and the new land, the Innovative Vehicle Institute will be able to fully embrace its growth. As a result, the announcement of the expansion project is timely for the IVI, which plans to increase its staff in the coming years.

“Over the past five years, the IVI has worked with more than 120 companies, organizations and partners from across Quebec, generating more than $12 million in projects. In order to meet the demand, we had to double the number of employees and acquire new space. This new pavilion will create about ten quality high-tech jobs and make the IVI a unique applied research centre in Québec and Canada,” said François Adam, IVI’s director general.

The work schedule calls for a groundbreaking ceremony in the summer of 2020. The IVI hopes to inaugurate its new innovation centre in the summer of 2022.

To access the press release issued by the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation : http://bit.ly/35uv8Ou