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New bridges between entrepreneurs in Quebec and China

The IEBN signs several agreements during the Quebec–China economic mission

January 31, 2018

The Institut d’entrepreneuriat Banque Nationale – HEC Montréal (IEBN) signed a series of agreements with partners in China, during a Quebec economic mission to that country between January 20 and 27.

A number of Quebec representatives accompanied Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, including IEBN Director Luis Cisneros and 12 entrepreneurs from the Institute’s support programs, the entrePrism incubator program and the Rémi-Marcoux entrepreneurial track.

The IEBN signed a bilateral co-operation agreement with the accelerator founded by HTC Vive, a world leader in virtual reality. The agreement will let Quebec startups receive support from this accelerator and give them access to the HTC Vive investment fund, to help them get a foothold in the Chinese virtual reality market. At the same time, Chinese entrepreneurs will be eligible for IEBN support to expand their market in Quebec.

Quebec startups in the clean-tech field will also be better placed to develop the Chinese market, thanks to a collaborative agreement between the IEBN and the Green Business Center incubator at Tongji University.

A framework agreement was also signed with the JC Group, a Chinese holding company active in a number of sectors, with one branch offering executive training.

The IEBN will provide training for entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders looking to operate in Quebec and China, including for the planned project to recreate the historic district of Old Quebec City in China. The tourism and residential project launched by JC Group is to be located in Qidong, a city across the river from Shanghai.

Lastly, the IEBN and Concordia University announced the opening of a space just for Quebec startups, on January 25, in Shanghai. The facility was inaugurated by Stéphane Billette, Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining and Regional Economic Development.

The space, an IEBN initiative, is located in the Caohejing Hi-tech Park Innovation Center, in Shanghai, and gives entrepreneurs from the HEC Montréal and Concordia University programs direct access to the resources, infrastructure and networks of major companies in the Caohejing Hi-tech Park, as well as an on-site work space.

Mission en chine 3

The Caohejing Hi-tech Park Innovation Center, in Shanghai.

Mission en chine 2

Luis Cisneros, IEBN Director and He Hao, President, JC Group Academic Branch.

Mission en chine 1

(First row) Alvin Wang Graylin, President, HTC Vive China, with Luis Cisneros, IEBN Director and Winston Chan, IEBN Principal Advisor. (Second row) John McCallum, Canadian Ambassador to China; Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec; Stéphane Billette, Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining and Regional Economic Development; and Jean-Francois Lépine, Quebec’s representative in China.