QUéBEC’S
ADVANCED
MATeRIAls
ECOSYSTEM
QUéBEC’S ADVANCED MATERIALS ECOSYSTEM
AT A GLANCE [5]
570 active companies in Québec
A large number of companies are involved in the development, production and integration of advanced materials, as well as the development and production of associated equipment and processes.
$15 billion in sales by 2024
Significant investments are currently underway. More than 70% of large and
medium-sized companies (100-999 employees) have already invested, or plan to
invest, over $1 million between 2021 and 2026.
49,000 jobs
The number of jobs in the advanced materials sector continues to rise. Most of the companies surveyed (65%) are currently undergoing a growth phase, particularly small businesses (10-99 employees), which have grown by 6.6% since 2021.
70% of revenues attributed to exports
The advanced materials sector in Québec has a strong tendency towards export and a significant presence in international markets. Indeed, 70% of revenues associated with almost every business category stems from exports, and over 85% of companies with more than 10 employees are active in foreign markets.
99% research participation rate
Companies in this sector lean strongly towards R&D: almost 99% of these are involved in both internal and external research. On average, approximately 7% of jobs in large and medium-sized companies are devoted to R&D activities.
Consult PRIMA Québec’s detailed studies on the Portrait of the Advanced Materials Ecosystem and Publications and Patents.
Advanced materials include any new or significantly improved material that offers a marked advantage in performance (physical or functional) over the conventional materials currently in use, thus providing a substitute. They include lightweight composites, nanomaterials, high-performance alloys, and specialized polymers, among other things. This definition stems from a documentation exercise conducted by PRIMA Québec in 2018.
These materials play a key role in various application sectors, where their unique properties can, for example, improve efficiency or biodegradability.
Advanced materials can be divided into three categories:
BASE MATERIALS
Materials that have undergone little or no transformation and are used upstream in the manufacturing chain (e.g., materials production).
FINISHED AND SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS
ASSOCIATED PROCESSES AND INSTRUMENTATION
A WIDE RANGE OF
Québec’s advanced materials sector is home to a wide range of products and services that can respond to an equally wide range of industrial and technological requirements, thus strengthening the province’s adaptability and growth in an evolving global market.
PRODUCT AND SERVICE RANGE COVERED BY THE COMPANIES SURVEYED [5]
The vast majority of Québec companies operate in several areas, which speaks to their considerable level of skill. Over 90 % of companies that use advanced materials classify themselves as producers, 91 % as developers, and 81 % as integrators.
A significant percentage of companies operate within two categories (25 %), and within all three categories (68 %)[5], helping them position themselves and compete effectively in various market segments.
R&D activities in Québec’s advanced materials sector have gained considerable international recognition. The province is able to reliably develop international partnerships while promoting collaboration between private and public sectors. It is home to several organizations that conduct research involving various topics while publishing their findings in scientific journals. Québec ranks second in Canada for its number of publications–roughly 25% of the national total.[3]
Québec’s research activities focus primarily on nano/metamaterials like graphene, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and plasmons, as well as electric batteries, composites like polymers and concrete, along with photocatalysts and solar cells[3].
This helps Québec tackle the challenge associated with the energy transition and decarbonization through its commercialization of innovations.
MAIN RESEARCH THEMES FOR ADVANCED MATERIALS IN QUéBEC [3]
Québec stands out for its ability to invent and its considerable rate of growth.
This dynamic helps companies develop various intellectual property (IP) protection strategies. In fact, more than 75% of stakeholders use trade secrets and patents [5].
Québec is home to a number of sub-sectors that work with nanomaterials, semiconductors, composites, and metals, along with a significant number of patents in these areas. These assets provide Québec with a strong position when marketing its inventions in various application sectors linked to the energy transition.
GROWTH BY INGENUITY SPECIALIZATION IN QUéBEC SUB-SECTORS (2003-2020) [3]
HOW TO READ THIS FIGURE
The Québec-based sub-sectors that appear in the top right quadrant represent specializations (specialization index (SI) >1) with a positive trend (growth ratio >1). The sub-sectors in the bottom right quadrant represent non-specializations for the organization involved (specialization index (SI) = 1). The size of the bubbles illustrates the number of patent families.
