ÉTS strengthens its commitment to the development of innovative emerging companies

Ax-C: A unique ecosystem in Québec

“ÉTS is proud to be able to deploy its expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation to enable even more young talents and emerging local companies to thrive. Our involvement in the creation of Ax-C is a testament to the commitment that ÉTS has made to stand up and be an active partner with government and industry in contributing to the economic and technological development of Montréal, Québec and Canada,” affirms François Gagnon, CEO of ÉTS.

Since its creation, ÉTS has pursued its mission, which is to deliver university education and conduct research in applied engineering and technology, with a view to the technological and economic development of Québec. Ax-C is perfectly aligned with its strategic vision, which is oriented toward innovation and boldness in activities focusing on education, research and technology transfer. 

In support of this mission, ÉTS has forged a name for itself as a major player in the cycle of innovation, most notably by establishing Centech, a business incubator that is ranked among the top 10 in the world, according to UBI. Opened in 1996, this international-calibre innovation centre is home to entrepreneurs and businesses from across the globe. Ax-C is intended as part of the natural progression of the shared vision of ÉTS and Centech, which has provided unwavering leadership in support of this project aimed at enabling emerging local companies to access crucial knowledge and a business ecosystem that will facilitate and enhance their potential and contribute to their success. 

Expertise from ÉTS and Centech

The entrepreneurship expertise provided by Centech and ÉTS has led to the establishment of partnerships with other universities and research centres in Montréal and elsewhere in Québec. These collaborations will help the project to lay down roots within the community and to engage talents from here and around the world to stimulate the creation of innovative businesses. 

“We must seize the strategic opportunity that stands before us for the next years in terms of commercializing our technologies and our expertise. A project of this scope will both simplify and accelerate the provision of support required by these extremely promising innovative businesses, while positioning us among the international leaders in this sector,” claims Richard Chénier, CEO of Centech and Strategic Advisor for Ax-C. 

The project has already garnered a great deal of interest among private and public partners. A number of incubators/accelerators, private and public organizations and sponsors have submitted letters of intent and expressed real interest in occupying the spaces. While ÉTS is taking the lead in this project, the spaces and services are open to the entire international community of entrepreneurs and innovators. Other Québec universities and their entrepreneurship support programs will be called upon to enhance the available service offer.

The meaning of Ax-C

Ax-C signifies access to a common, open and inclusive space that is dedicated to emerging companies, universities and businesses. It will feature an ecosystem that encourages collaboration, the convergence of ideas and the sharing of resources, where collective intelligence is applied to the benefit of society as a whole: www.espaceaxc.com.

“Ax” evokes the concept of the direction to take to succeed with a project geared toward entrepreneurship and innovation. It signifies the focal point and the route to follow to attain the objective, which in this case represents the path to travel from conception to market. “C” evokes the concept of collaboration and collectivity, creation and convergence; growth and commercialization.