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Montréal, June 16, 2015 – French group SII, a world leader in technology consulting and system integration, took advantage of the Paris-Le Bourget International Air Show to announce that it has chosen Greater Montréal as the site of its Canadian head office. The investment, designed to meet growing demand from Canadian companies with operations in aerospace, telecommunications and banking IT, will result in the creation of some 50 jobs in the region over the next three years.

The announcement was made by Jean-Paul Chevée, SII Group’s Director of International Development, in the presence of Jacques Daoust, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Exports, Pierre Gabriel Côté, President and CEO of Investissement Québec, and Dominique Anglade, President and CEO of Montréal International.

Pierre Gabriel Côté (left), Investissement Québec, Alexandre Santos, SII Canada, Jean-Paul Chevée, Groupe SII, Sébastien Recasens, SII South West, and Dominique Anglade, Montréal International.

“Thanks to its cutting-edge expertise, SII Group is able to provide high-added-value solutions to support the most ambitious engineering projects,” stated Chevée. “In the Montréal area, we found the ideal industrial ecosystem for our future growth and development. The emergence of new technologies and the race to innovate are challenges that force companies to constantly review their priorities and investments. In the aerospace industry, for example, the complexity and ongoing development of embedded systems require businesses to be able to turn on a dime.”

In carrying out its international expansion in Greater Montréal, SII Group received strategic support from Investissement Québec and Montréal International.

“Québec is one of the world’s leading aerospace hubs,” added Daoust. “We have succeeded in creating a business environment that is conducive to the industry’s growth. We have a specialized education system that meets the market’s ever-changing needs, a highly qualified workforce, and a pool of top-tier aerospace manufacturers and subcontractors. The arrival of SII Group will help consolidate the Québec industry and create jobs and economic spin-offs.”

“Working in cooperation with our partners, our teams abroad and in Québec do their utmost every day to attract innovative companies of strategic importance to the Québec economy, like SII,” explained Côté. “By assisting foreign companies every step of the way as they look for the best sites and the right partners, we are able to showcase Québec’s competitive advantages. It’s a long-term team effort, and today we are reaping the rewards.”

“SII Group’s choice of Greater Montréal is further evidence of the region’s significant drawing power for foreign companies in the knowledge-based economy,” Anglade concluded. “SII’s advanced expertise will provide a boost for the development of high-value-added industries, innovation and high tech in Greater Montréal while helping strengthen its competitive edge in North America.”

Greater Montréal is a world leader in aerospace and one of its top international centres, alongside Seattle and Toulouse. The Québec industry ranks as the fifth-largest in the world in terms of the number of jobs, behind the U.S., France, the U.K. and Germany. With a workforce of over 43,500 people and sales in excess of $12 billion, the industry boasts a high concentration of principal contractors and high-calibre equipment manufacturers, as well as a network of some 200 SMBs.

About SII Group  

SII provides value-added solutions for large corporations. Drawing on its teams of expert engineers and practices that meet the highest standards of quality, SII focuses on technology consulting (IT, electronics and telecommunications) and system integration (IT technology and networks).

SII provides proximity services, with nine agencies in France and operations in 14 other countries to support prime contractors around the world. SII Group had sales of €316.7 million in the 2014-2015 fiscal year ending March 31 and 3.6% organic growth, and is continuing to grow faster than its reference market.

About Investissement Québec  

Investissement Québec’s mission is to foster the growth of investment in Québec, thereby contributing to economic development and job creation in every region. The Corporation offers businesses a full range of financial solutions, including loans, loan guarantees and equity investments, to support them at all stages of their development. It is also responsible for administering tax measures and prospecting for foreign investment.

About Montréal International   

Montréal International (MI) acts as an economic driver for Greater Montréal to attract foreign wealth while accelerating the success of its partners and clients. Its role is to attract foreign investment, international organizations and skilled workers to Greater Montréal and promote the region’s competitive environment. MI also works to find the best ways to position the region as an attractive investment destination and make recommendations to various levels of government to support Québec’s job-creating, high-value-added industries.

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