Launched in April 2002, the ACCORD Initiative (concerted action for regional development cooperation) seeks to create an environment conducive to the development of businesses. It fosters collaboration between businesses and organizations in a specific field and territory. For more than 20 years, this regional development strategy has been a significant tool to boost the economy in Québec’s regions.
The ACCORD Initiative relies on regional strengths and the quest for excellence in promising economic sectors. The approach, whose key strength hinges on the pooling of knowledge, resources, and expertise, also focuses on the promotion of private investments. All told, the niches of excellence comprise more than 6 000 enterprises.
Objectives that have changed over time
In recent years, the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE) has adapted the ACCORD Initiative to the evolution of the economy and businesses. The ACCORD Initiative seeks to foster:
- the creation through collaborative projects of intraand inter-regional industrial networks;
- the emergence in Québec’s regions of catalyst economic projects;
- the competitiveness of territories through support for collaborative innovation between businesses and allied organizations.
The advantages of participating in a niche of excellence
The niches of excellence are strategic initiatives established to foster Québec’s economic development in specific areas of activity that display regional strengths and recognized competitive advantages.
The niches of excellence have been identified in collaboration with the community and are supported by the Québec government. They seek to encourage the competitiveness and growth of organizations. They bring together businesses but also institutions such as universities, research centres, and college technology transfer centres that engage in inter-related economic activities in a given territory. Collaboration between these stakeholders benefits the territory and the area of activity concerned by:
- generating economies of scale;
- enabling a larger pool of businesses to benefit from the outcomes of varied, catalyst collective projects.
What are the benefits of participating in a niche of excellence?
Aside from facilitating networking and a better knowledge of the industrial milieu concerned, such participation allows participants to take part in the elaboration of an action plan that satisfies the needs of enterprises operating in a given environment. Such enterprises are facing similar challenges and work on concrete collaborative projects related to:
- positioning and promoting the area of activity;
- market development;
- research and innovation;
- technology transfers;
- workforce training and recruitment.
The niches of excellence established in Québec include biotechnologies, the environment and renewable energies, the agri-food industry, materials, mines and metals, furniture, and wood construction.
A niche of excellence is more than a simple business combination since it mobilizes stakeholders involved in converging economic activities to act in practical terms through collaboration and consensus building to further enhance their competitiveness.
