New residents: a record year at the Technoparc de Montréal with more than 42 new companies. In the news: financial support to the NEOMED Institute, Alpha contest 2019, Finance Seminar for your export and innovation projects, a “hub” in life sciences. Services: Lufa farms, preferential rate at the Novotel, innovation centers at the Technoparc and, of course, tips and ideas from our two monthly collaborators.
NEW RESIDENTS
Technoparc Montréal would like to welcome the following company:
Astec Components
Astec Components is a broadline electronic component sales representative firm headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. With a well-trained, seasoned sales staff from coast-to-coast, Astec offers Canadian OEM customers premier service and a superior product offering. Astec has exclusive agreements with top rated semi-conductor, passive and electro-mechanical principals. They strive to provide excellent customer support and front-line technical sales assistance to the Canadian marketplace. They take pride in servicing the requirements of their principals, customers and distribution partners in a balanced and effective manner. More information is available on their Website.
IN THE NEWS
A record in 2018
2018 was a record year for the number of new companies that have established themselves on the site of the Technoparc de Montréal. Indeed, during the year, more than 42 new companies have settled on the site, which represents an increase of more than 36.5% compared to the year 2017. The latter was also an excellent year, with an increase of 18% in number of new companies compared to the previous year. A great performance… and welcome to the Technoparc to all new resident companies! Click here to view a full list of all companies at the Technoparc de Montréal.
Excellent news for the NEOMED Institute
In December, the Government of Canada and the City of Montréal announced their financial support for the NEOMED Institute for the implementation of a new innovation and commercialization complex (ICC), specializing in life sciences and health technology (LSHT). This complex will provide SMEs with customized labs, shared equipment and commercialization coaching. The first phase of the project involves the construction of a new building—to be connected to the organization’s existing building—on the NEOMED Institute’s land. This new building will allow NEOMED to bridge a gap in the commercialization of products stemming from university research, and to meet the high demand of SMEs for coaching services, labs, offices and collaborative spaces. Scheduled for delivery in 2020, Phase 1 of the ICC will provide 50,000 square feet of space for various facilities. The project is valued at $23.6 million and relies on the financial participation of several public and private partners. More information through this press release.
Charity Gala “Hope for Dementia”
On January 31st, 2019, Technoparc Montréal will have the honor of collaborating to the Gala “Hope for Dementia” evening with several public figures. The Novatek International team is behind this fundraising evening and doubles the efforts to support Hope for Dementia, a non-profit organization that works to defend brain health in our aging population. One of their goals is to establish a university chair for teaching and advancing research on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. We invite you to participate in this evening either by buying a solo ticket or a table for your company. Please click this link for your tickets or for more information. A wonderful evening in perspective, with friendly people dedicated to the cause. We are waiting for you, including Federal MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos and the MC of the evening will be our Marketing and Communications Director, Carl Baillargeon.
Alpha contest 2019
The contest is open to SMEs from Saint-Laurent, Ahunstic-Cartierville, Mont-Royal…and Technoparc de Montréal! You have taken some good steps and realized some major successes in 2018 in various areas (administrative, human resources or in energy management, marketing or research). You have stood out in your field of business. Register for the Alpha Contest which recognizes the excellence and dynamism of businesses for more than 34 years. Your firm or your branch is not required to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Saint-Laurent – Mount Royal. Register your company via this link.
Event to put on your agenda
Finance Seminar for your export and innovation projects, Thursday, February 21, 2019, from 7:30AM to noon at the Crystal.
Développement économique Saint-Laurent (DESTL) and Export Montréal Ouest, in collaboration with Technoparc Montréal and the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Saint Laurent – Mont-Royal, are pleased to invite you to the Matinée du financement, an event that will highlight the sources of help available for your international projects and innovation. As part of this event, you will be able to: meet funding experts to discuss your projects;Network with entrepreneurs who are facing the same challenges as you; Participate in the RBC Royal Bank panel with three exporting and innovative companies. Several speakers will be present as well as the Federal Deputy Emmanuella Lambropoulos. Tickets are $ 65. You can register by clicking this link.
A Life Sciences “hub” in Montreal
At the beginning of 2018, the Montreal Technoparc had more than 1,080 life sciences jobs. These jobs were spread across some 39 companies, representing 34% of all companies located on the site. Most of these businesses have an address on Frederick-Banting Street, the street on which the NEOMED Institute is located. Numerous SMEs operating in life sciences at Technoparc can grow and find spaces adapted to their size, be it in the NEOMED Institute or in many buildings across the street offering laboratories and offices. This varied real estate offer therefore enables life sciences companies to evolve over the years by keeping an address in Montreal’s high-end science and technology park. The future is created here. To find out more, we invite you to read our latest annual report.
RESIDENT SERVICES
Netlift
Netlift visited the Montreal Technoparc last year to evaluate the relevance of offering their services to the residents of the site. Their microshuttle service combining taxis and carpooling could initially link the Technoparc de Montréal with the following junctions: Fairview Pointe-Claire, Côte-Vertu station, Henri-Bourassa station and Lionel-Groulx station. They are currently evaluating the implementation of this service and will be able to communicate a start of operations in the coming months. In the meantime, we encourage you to download the application and create your profile to become more familiar with this forward-thinking service! More information is available on their Website.
Eat fresh, eat local, at the Technoparc
For the last 2 years, Lufa Farms has been offering the delivery service of fresh produce from local farms and artisans to residents of the Technoparc. The service is simple, all you must do is to simply register online at and then place your order. The products are delivered every Tuesdays at the Alfred-Nobel business center, located at 2300 Alfred-Nobel. You can then bring your basket at home and eat healthy!
Preferential rate at the Novotel
The Novotel hotel, located at the entrance of the Technoparc, is proud to offer you a preferential rate, as an exclusive benefit available for resident companies of the Technoparc de Montréal. To benefit from these great rates, please click on this link.
The “Customer code” is SC201061335 and the “Access Code” is TE843CA684. Also note that the Technoparc Novotel hotel’s code is 6011. Identification will be required upon check-in. Do not forget to share with your visitors too. Enjoy your “Techno” stay at the Novotel!
Stay in for lunch and get 10% off
It’s cold outside (no punt intended)? You’d rather stay in for lunch? The Bistro 21st Century Food, located at the entrance of the Technoparc, offers a great promotion including freshness, speed and savings. Receive 10% off any order for delivery to your office at the Technoparc. It’s very simple:
1) Click their website at: www.21stcenturyfood.com/en
2) Go to the section “bistro locations” at the bottom left
3) Then create an account (it takes 30 seconds) or log in to your existing account
4) Choose your meal
5) Enter the promo code techno10 and get 10% off
6) Receive your meal at your office, delivered by the Bistro located at the Technoparc7) Smile!!
For more information, check out the Bistro’s website
Innovation Centers at Technoparc
Are you a start-up or small business that wants to establish itself in the largest science and high-tech park in Canada? Our two innovation centers located in the heart of the Technoparc and facing the future REM station are ready to welcome you. There are already more than forty companies and we still have some spaces available in our co-working as well as a team office and two closed offices. Interested? Contact Liliane Sénécal of Technoparc Montréal, at lsenecal@technoparc.com right away. More information on our 2 business centers is available through our Website or you can view our photo album on our Facebook page.
Monthly Sustainability Tips & Insights from ERA: zero-waste challenge
For our 2019 resolution, we’re tackling a Zero-Waste Challenge. We wanted to extend this challenge to our Technoparc neighbors with a few small behavior changes that individuals or groups can apply:
Recycle – Zero-waste actually means needing to recycle less. Instead of recycling try: refusing, reducing, and reusing items instead.
Travel with your own water bottle – Quebecers use 700 million plastic bottles a year. Over 65 million across Canada end up in landfills. Tap water (regulated by the Federal Agency) is much more regulated than bottled water.
Say no to plastic – Invest in re-useable grocery bags. Make a fashion statement by turning a T-shirt into a tote bag for your groceries. Let bars and restaurants know you don’t want a straw. If you can’t enjoy a beverage without a straw, consider buying a reusable one made of glass or metal that you can carry around easily. Pack Tupperware if you are planning to eat at the office and bring your own utensils. Like plastic water bottles, plastic utensils can take up to 1000 years before starting to break down.
Bring your own cup – A recent study by Canadian Geographic estimates that Canadians use between 1.6 and 2 billion disposable coffee cups. This takes up to 35,000 tonnes of paper requiring more than 70,000 tonnes of raw wood harvested from thousands of hectares of forest. Some coffee chains even give a discount to people with their own mugs!
We hope our Technoparc friends join us in this challenge, and happy new year.
For more information, please send an email to ERA at info@era-ehs.com or see their Website.
The Monthly Web Advice by Marketing Ultimum: 5 Strategies for a Powerful “On-page” S.E.O.
The ever-growing competitive landscape of search engines has made it more pertinent than ever to use tools and techniques to help us achieve greater online results. Whether you’re writing a blog article or optimizing a page of your website, “on-page” S.E.O. techniques can be used to increase the likelihood of ranking on the first page of results for your target keyword.
To help you do so, here’s 5 strategies for a powerful “on-page” S.E.O.:
1. Keyword in Title tag: The title tag of your page is what tells search engines the center topic to expect on the page. It’s therefore crucial to include your main target keyword in your title tag.
2. Headings and Subheadings: Every title and subtitle in your page or blog post should be put between heading brackets (<h1>, <h2>, …). Just as with the title tag, this can be done by going inside the back-end of your website, or in your theme settings if you’re using a C.M.S. (Content Management System).
3. Image Optimization: All the images on your page should have your target keyword in their file name. Also, each of their “alt-texts” (alternative replacement texts) should mention the same target keyword, while describing the picture or its use on the page.
4. Responsive Design: As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, having a responsive design for your website is a must nowadays. Because it helps better the user experience on mobile devices, it is also considered by main search engines as an important ranking factor.
5. Boosting Site Speed: One of the main “on-page” factors of the past few years has been to increase the speed of your web page. It is particularly important, as mobile usage continues to outgrow desktop usage and mobile users are hungry for faster loading pages.
If you’d like to learn more about the strategies discussed here or to discover how you can achieve better rankings for your page, Marketing Ultimum offers you a free strategic planning session! You can contact their team today by phone: (438) 793-4960 or email: support@marketingultimum.ca. You can also visit their Website.
