Economic Environment

When you invest in Shawinigan you become part of a dynamic business network that offers a wealth of resources and a bright and promising future!

An Integrated Service Sector

  • One of the first pulp and paper, energy, and metal engineering centres in Canada
  • Financial and legal services dealing with all major world capitals
  • Logistics platforms serving all of Canada and the United States
  • Numerous research organizations focusing on the needs of industry
  • Management companies operating worldwide

500 Businesses Located in the Heart of a Dynamic Region

  • A rich industrial background in fields such as forestry products, pulp and paper technology and production, and production of light metals
  • Recognized expertise in fields such as transportation equipment, aerospace, and electronics
  • Fields of the future such as the environment, energy, hydrogen, and biotechnology
  • One of the largest furniture-producing regions in North America

World Class Research and Development Facilities

Photo : Chercheurs

Shawinigan is one of the regions in Quebec with the most research centres focusing on the needs of industry. A wide range of research areas are covered, i.e. energy and energy efficiency, electrochemistry, hydrogen, pulp and paper technology, metallurgy, and management of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 

Centre d'excellence en efficacité énergétique (C3E)  (Centre of Excellence in Energy Efficiency)
Laboratoire des technologies de l'énergie d'Hydro-Québec (LTE) (Hydro-Quebec Energy Technology Laboratory)
Institut de recherche sur l'hydrogène (Institute for Research on Hydrogen)
Centre national en électrochimie et en technologies environnementales (CNETE)
Institut national de recherche sur les PME (National Institute for SME Research)

 

Renewable Natural Resources

  • Hydro-electric generation of more than 1,600,000 kilowatts per hour
  • A forest encompassing more than 32,000 km²

Industrial Centres of Excellence

  • Electricity/Electronics
  • Composite Materials and Transportation Equipment
  • Metal Processing
  • Pulp and Paper Technology
  • Furniture
  • Lumber and Building Materials
  • Industrial Chemistry

A Region with Highly Professional Skills

  • The University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières (UQTR), four colleges including one in Shawinigan, and several vocational training centres, educate 15,000 individuals annually
  • The region is recognized as having the highest number of tradespeople in Quebec
  • The Mauricie has a labour force of 130,000 individuals
  • The individuals who make up the labour force are stable, loyal, and come from an industrial background