Press Releases

Davos, January 25, 2018 – The Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister Responsible for the Digital Strategy, Dominique Anglade, gives a positive assessment of the Québec mission to the World Economic Forum in Davos. By the end of the Forum, Québec had attracted total investments of over $210 million in many key sectors of the Québec economy, and had established numerous projects and partnerships during meetings with company executives and political leaders. The Minister was accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of Investissement Québec, Pierre Gabriel Côté.

Investments that were announced

The companies Zinc électrolytique du Canada (CEZinc)/Noranda Income Fund, ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada, Goldcorp and IBM Bromont will have invested a total of $210.4 million in various projects by 2020. 

These investments are made possible by the electricity discount program for consumers billed at Rate L that was announced by the Québec government in the 2016 2017 budget.

Economic and political meetings

Dominique Anglade had the opportunity to hold several meetings, including those with 12 businesses from various sectors such as mining, transportation, information technologies and pharmaceuticals. She also held talks with Doris Leuthard, head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications in Switzerland, Marie Gabrielle Ineichen Fleisch, State Secretary and Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, also of Switzerland, and Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science.

Workshop and pane

Mrs. Anglade participated in a panel discussion organized by Women Political Leaders on the theme of innovation and technologies (Innovation for Inclusion – embracing technology to create a shared future). This panel, which brought together influential economic players, discussed the arrival of digital technology and artificial intelligence in society, the challenges they present for governments and their repercussions on the population. The minister took advantage of this forum to point out the concrete actions that the Québec government has taken in this area.

She also had an opportunity to take part in a workshop on economic disparity (Solving the Economic Generation Gap). In that workshop, Mrs. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, presented some avenues of solution that public decision-makers could adopt to ensure better economic outlooks for the entire population.

Quotes :

“ I am very pleased with how this mission went. We were successful in achieving our objectives, the first of which was to present Québec as a leading place to invest or to reinvest. We also brought the expertise of Québec businesses and workers into brilliant focus during our meetings with business leaders and political decision-makers. Finally, I feel it is important to mention that for the first time in 47 years, the World Economic Forum in Davos was chaired exclusively by women. This confirms the prominent role that they play in the arena of global economic prosperity and in the transition towards the new economy of the 21st century.”

Dominique Anglade, Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy

“ The World Economic Forum in Davos has given us the opportunity to hold fruitful meetings and many promising discussions with representatives of foreign businesses that would be likely to invest in Québec. We are satisfied with what we have accomplished and we intend to do our best to make those discussions bear fruit in the coming months and yearsp;”

Pierre Gabriel Côté, Presidetn and CEO of Investissement Québec  

Highlights:

The Québec government has been attending the World Economic Forum. for over thirty years. Besides attracting key political and economic players, the Forum counts on the participation of experts and representatives of civil society who come to discuss the major issues that are facing societies and economies around the world. The theme of this 48th meeting was: Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.

This important meeting brings together numerous heads of state and of government, business executives and leaders in a host of fields, providing an opportunity to take the pulse of the world’s economy. To improve the state of the planet, it also hopes to foster a shared vision of the future.

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