Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole and MAIN join forces to support agri-food innovation

Saint-Hyacinthe, December 5, 2024 – Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with MAIN aimed at rolling out a new range of services for innovative entrepreneurship in the City of Agri-Food Innovation and the greater Saint-Hyacinthe region.

This project, entitled Continuum agroalimentaire, will provide personalized support for ten startups, i.e., young companies with strong growth potential, in the Maskoutain region. The companies identified by the Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole team will receive support and benefit from MAIN's referral services completely free of charge. These services address the needs of all stages of the innovative entrepreneurial journey and connect participating companies with the incubation andacceleration resourcesacceleration appropriate for their growth.

Although it is aimed specifically at entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector, the program is also open to all innovative companies that qualify as startups, regardless of their sector of activity. Set up as a pilot project, it will be available until September 30, 2025, subject to availability.

"This partnership with MAIN allows us to strengthen our mission of supporting local entrepreneurs by giving them access to high-caliber resources to stimulate their growth. By implementing this program, we also hope to add an even stronger offering of support services for business innovation activities to our agri-food innovation ecosystem," said Karine Guilbault, Executive Director of Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole.

"The collaboration between Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole and MAIN was intuitive, since we work in a network just as they do to optimize resources in the agri-food sector. In our ambition to give entrepreneurs access to the best resources, the creation of a continuum of specialized activities will give those who have the courage to take risks in agri-food every chance of success," said Louis-Félix Binette, Executive Director of MAIN.

MAIN is committed to building an inclusive and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem, designed by and for entrepreneurs. Its renewed mission is to give entrepreneurs the courage to take risks by promoting simplified, relevant, and timely access to support resources, strengthening collaboration between ecosystem players, and developing tools that support their long-term impact.

Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole is the organization responsible for economic development in the Maskoutains RCM. Its mandate is to attract new businesses, both industrial and commercial. In particular, it promotes and develops Quebec's largest agri-food innovation hub and coordinates the implementation of the Saint-Hyacinthe agri-food innovation zone. It also promotes and develops tourism, particularly business tourism, agri-food activity, and immigration.