Québec City
Old World Meets New World
Quick Facts
Province: Québec (Capital City)
Population: 728,900
Steeped in history and culture, Québec City takes you back in time, blending the best of European and North American influences. But look beyond the area’s beauty and charm. Québec’s capital city is driving fast forward into the future with one of the highest growth rates in North America and a booming job market. The region is riding an unprecedented wave of development, including university building projects, plant expansions and new R&D facilities — making it the place to be in the 21st Century.
Key Advantages
- Low start-up and operating costs, major tax incentives and low electricity rates — the most cost competitive place in the world compared to similar sized urban centres
- One of the lowest corporate tax rates in North America
- Highly skilled personnel, low turn-over rates and labour costs 15% less than in the US
- $815 million (CDN$) in R&D investments each year
- 6,000 researchers, 400 world-class laboratories and research facilities specializing in optics and photonics, biomedical applications, defence and security
- Easy access to the north-eastern US and 35% of the North American population
- A 2,800-mile road network, an international airport, a well-developed rail network and a year-round deep sea port
- Entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, attracting conventions and millions of tourists annually
- Low living costs — affordable housing, publicly-funded health and education, and university tuition fees among the lowest on the continent
- An unbeatable quality of life — a vibrant arts scene, natural beauty and recreational opportunities, and the lowest crime rate of major urban centres in North America
Sector Strengths
Québec City is targeting three sectors of excellence:
- Applied technologies: Defence, security and emergency preparedness, optics/photonics, geomatics, electronics and information technologies
- Life sciences/health and nutrition: Food processing, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment manufacturing and biotechnologies
- Processed materials: Plastics and composite materials, secondary wood processing and metal manufacturing
