PROMPT’s innovation support program for business productivity obtains a $10 million budget serving to encourage the transition within manufacturing companies

Montreal, April 3rd, 2023 — 

PROMPT, an industrial research cluster specializing in new technologies, has been mandated by the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) to identify the improvement, modernization, and innovation needs of Quebec companies active in the manufacturing sector, in order to accelerate their development and assist them in boosting their competitiveness on both the national and international scenes.
A budget of 10 million dollars has been entrusted to PROMPT to support the innovation efforts of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Through this financial support and the acceleration of modernization and technological development projects, the economic benefits of the Productivity Performance Initiative driven by the MEIE are expected to reach 27 million dollars, which represents a major return on investment for the Government of Quebec.

Experience and trust

The Quebec Government mandated PROMPT because of its recognized experience in supporting the technological innovation of companies: for over 20 years, the organization has been supporting collaborative research by funding numerous innovation projects pertaining to diverse technological sectors such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum, machine learning and microelectronics, among others. Many Quebec companies engaged in different fields, such as transportation, aeronautics, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, finance and much more, have benefited from these programs. Indeed, over the last three years, PROMPT has funded more than 250 projects having a total value of 180 million dollars, including 60 million dollars contributed by PROMPT.
Through its innovation program aimed at business productivity, PROMPT offers support services dedicated to Quebec manufacturing companies and serving to implement digital transformation and innovation projects along three main areas: raising awareness, guidance and counsel regarding a manufacturing-related innovation project’s cycle, and technological support. With a value of nearly 27 million dollars, this initiative will raise awareness among 5,000 companies and support 40 of them during their transformation.

Collaborations and partnerships

PROMPT will closely assist manufacturing companies in identifying their digital transformation needs, thanks to its network of expert partners working throughout the Province’s different regions.
During the summer of 2023, businesses will be able to submit their projects under the Innovation Support For Business Productivity Program. Additional information will be provided during the official launch of the program, the date of which will be announced soon.

“This initiative is a great support and development opportunity for Quebec manufacturing companies needing to implement digital transformation initiatives, and for those looking to identify production or management processes that can be significantly improved thanks to new technologies”, stated Madeleine Jean, Interim Executive Director of PROMPT.

“We are very proud of the trust that the Government of Quebec has placed in us, knowing that the Productivity Performance Initiative will play a major role in the modernization and competitiveness of the Province’s manufacturing sector, and therefore in the economic and technological development of Quebec. We see this as a decisive innovation accelerator for our manufacturing industry. We are very pleased to offer even greater support to this vast and essential sector, and to help it in identifying new, and sometimes unsuspected, technological possibilities.”

"The digital transformation of our companies is essential to ensure their growth and increase our productivity. Digitalisation is necessary to deal with the labour shortage, hence the importance of this deployment. With our new partners, we are covering new sectors, and the latest budget gives us the necessary funds to continue along this path," stated Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for Metropolis and the Montréal Region.