Mining
Solid support for the mining industry
In Québec, mining companies can count on solid support in the form of specialized research and development centres as well as a department of natural resources that backs exploration.
Cutting-edge research and development centres
Research consortiumsExpand/Collapse
CONSOREM 
(French website)
The Consortium de recherche en exploration minérale (CONSOREM) is a mineral exploration research consortium representing various stakeholders (companies, universities and government agencies) active in the mining industry.
Its mission is to
- develop modern techniques for mineral exploration,
- facilitate the discovery of new minerals in resource regions,
- develop a highly qualified workforce for mineral exploration; and
- help stakeholders work together to find shared solutions to industry challenges.
Once your company is established in Québec, it can join CONSOREM.
The Consortium de recherche appliquée en traitement et en transformation des substances minérales (COREM) is the foremost ore-processing research centre in Canada and one of the top centres in the world. Serving the mining industry, COREM delivers the benefits of a pre-competitive research program designed by consortium members. What's more, the model maximizes investment in pre-competitive research and prevents duplication of R&D efforts.
Technical centres for technology transferExpand/Collapse
Synchronex is a network linking research centres at Québec's technical schools. There are four collegiate technical centres devoted to the mining industry, and their mission is to assist your company by offering technical support, promoting technological development and providing information and training.
UniversitiesExpand/Collapse
Five Québec universities offer mining-related programs. World-class degrees can be obtained in such fields as mine operations, mining engineering, metallurgy, geomatics and geology.
A government department entirely dedicated to Québec's resources
The mining sector 
of the Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles , the Québec government's energy and natural resources department, is committed to Québec's mineral development. That's why it supports exploration by putting powerful tools at the disposal of mining companies.
Map of mining potentialExpand/Collapse
The department produces a geographic map of Québec’s mineral potential for a variety of resources, showing the location of and identifying active mines and mining projects under development.
3D common-earth modelsExpand/Collapse
Several different geoscientific data banks can be integrated on the same computer platform to construct 3D common-earth models.
Geoscientific workExpand/Collapse
The Bureau de l'exploration géologique du Québec (BEGQ), which is responsible for acquiring and processing geoscientific data on the entire territory of Québec, presents its findings yearly.
DatabaseExpand/Collapse
Québec is a Canadian leader when it comes to geoscientific data. This expertise, built up over the last 150 years by the government, mining companies and universities, has been compiled in a free-access database.
A diverse, well-trained workforce
The mining industry employs over 45,000 people in Québec, which is renowned for its proficient, highly skilled workforce. In particular, there is an impressive pool of qualified engineers here: 63,000 in the Ordre professionnel des ingénieurs du Québec alone. Québec also boasts major world-class engineering firms with their own mining divisions, including Ausenco, WSP Global, Norda Stelo and SNC-Lavalin.
Strong supporting players
In Québec, we're innovative and used to working together. International companies can count on a diverse network of vibrant Québec businesses for support in areas such as specialized equipment production, environmental management and water treatment. Fordia, Magotteaux and Forage Orbit-Garant are just a few examples.
Orbite Technologies: One of the 20 most innovative technology companies
Canadian company Orbite Technologies earned a spot in the 2015 CIX Top 20, the Canadian Innovation Exchange’s rankings of Canada’s most innovative public technology companies. Orbite was selected for its proprietary mineral processing techniques, which allow it to extract all the high-value components from a wide variety of raw materials, including such industrial waste as fly ash and red mud.
Other
sites
Productivité innovation website (in French only)
Compétivert(in French only)