Transforming Canada's researchers into innovation leaders and entrepreneurs.
WE LOOK FOR THE BRIGHTEST MINDS AND HELP THEM BRIDGE THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND RESOURCE GAP TO BRING THEIR RESEARCH TO MARKET FOR GLOBAL IMPACT.
Building a resilient and prosperous economy
Quebec is noticeably resourceful in terms of the number of graduate students and R&D funding. Despite the opportunities, the conversion rate of master’s, PhDs, and postdoc researchers into entrepreneurs is less than 1%. Researchers are under-served and have difficulties in finding jobs relevant to their academic expertise.
In collaboration with the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) and District 3, we aim to stimulate the economy by creating deep tech ventures and jobs for highly skilled and specialized graduates and researchers. This initiative is not in opposition with fundamental research—it is a complement for bringing research from the lab to the market for global impact.
Our Impact
& Researchers
Trained
Created &
Accelerated
Partners
RESEARCHERS
Graduates
IN STEM
“Bridging the gap between the lab and commercialization will allow researchers to pursue an entirely new path. Their scientific knowledge combined with the right support could see several innovations come to market that positively impact employment in the province.”
Xavier-Henri Hervé, Executive Director of District 3
OUR TEAM
Program Lead
Laila is leading the Quebec Scientific Entrepreneurship program (QcSE) at District 3 Innovation Center. QcSE is an online lab-to-market program that helps PhDs, Post-Docs and Researchers to build world-changing tech companies derived from their academic research.
Laila Benameur is the co-founder of Impactful Health R&D, a startup that develops active packaging solutions to prolong the shelf life of fresh fish. Laila completed a Ph.D. in nanoscience and nanotoxicology from Aix-Marseille University. Following her graduation, she worked as a teaching assistant and postdoctoral researcher at McGill University, as well as a scientific recruitment consultant in industry.
Our Partners
