Tatarstan Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov visits Montreal Technopark

On March 12 during his working trip to Canada, Tatarstan Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov visited Montreal Technopark.

To the point, the Montreal Technopark is a non-profit organisation that was established in 1987. It was set up to provide favourable conditions for Quebecois companies to perform research and development activities as well as to attract foreign investments and scientific potential to Montreal.

The most state-of-the-art projects developed by Quebecois and foreign companies are being implemented at the Technopark.

The Technopark is located near the main city airport (Trudeau), close to motorways connecting Montreal and Ottawa, Toronto and Quebec City. Its favourable location allows fast transportation both to the city center, where all government, financial and scientific offices are situated, and suburbs, where main production facilities are located.

Covering an area of about 230 ha, the Montreal Technopark houses head-quarters and research departments of more than 60 companies. They employe about 6,000 people, including 5,000 engineers and research workers.

It is prohibited to set up production facilities except for those required for carrying out development work and making single product samples at the territory of the Technopark.

According to Technopark employees's estimates, about 30-40 per cent of all research and development activity in Montreal is done at the Technopark.

Answering Ildar Khalikov’s questions after the presentation, Cyril Arno, director of Aerospace company noted that the Bombardier’s office, located at the Technopark, was a scientific research center and not a production facility.

In addition, it was said that “the Technopark is focused on innovative development, not on making profit.”

According to Ildar Khalikov, it is of particular importance that the intellectual component of the Montreal Technopark makes 100 per cent of its activities.

Minister of Health Adel Vafin, Minister of Transport and Roads Lenar Safin, Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Linar Yakupov, trade and economic representative of the Republic of Tatarstan under Trade Representative Office of Russia in the United States Ravil Nigmedzyanov and other officials are on the delegation.