Bécancour, October 15, 2024, PRESS RELEASE – Back from their mission in Seoul, the Energy Transition Valley (VTE), its founding members and the Quebec Delegation to Seoul (DQS) team are delighted with the meetings held and collaborations established. Their participation in Smart Life Week enabled them to exchange views on a variety of subjects, including scientific collaboration, shared challenges and training.
This business mission to Seoul is part of the VTE’s drive to establish collaborations with international players in order to foster collaborative innovation and attract investment and new talent. The mission was made possible thanks to an invitation from the Mayor of Seoul and the support of the DQS.
This initiative is helping to perpetuate relations and exchanges between South Korea and Quebec, who have reiterated their desire to pursue close, results-oriented collaboration. During the various meetings held, the members of the delegation and their Korean counterparts were able to note the similarity and complementarity of their expertise in smart cities and energy transition. In terms of the knowledge ecosystem, training and scientific collaboration were at the heart of the discussions held during this mission.
Business visits
The itinerary began with a meeting with the mayor of Daejeon, followed by a visit to the Korea Institute of Energy Research. The delegation then travelled to Pohang to meet with Ecopro and POSCO, two well-established players in Bécancour’s battery industry. The members of the delegation were given a technical tour of the facilities of these major principals, which bear a strong resemblance to what will be built at Bécancour. Finally, the delegation travelled to Seoul to attend and participate in Seoul Smart Life Week.
An important place for city representatives
The trip was an opportunity for the mayor of Trois-Rivières, Jean Lamarche, the mayor of Shawinigan, Michel Angers, and the mayor of Bécancour, Lucie Allard, to meet the mayor of Seoul and the mayor of Daejeon to present their respective cities and share their vision. The mayors were also introduced at the Mayors’ Forum.
“I’d like to start by thanking the Mayor of Seoul for welcoming us and making our stay so pleasant. This kind of mission is a unique opportunity to hear from our counterparts around the globe, who often have the same concerns as we do. We’re leaving Seoul with additional baggage of knowledge to pursue our mission of making our cities smarter,” says Michel Angers, Mayor of Shawinigan.
“This is a unique opportunity that the Mayor of Seoul has offered us. I’m very proud and grateful to have represented Trois-Rivières in this economic mission, where we were able to share the best initiatives in terms of smart cities, and it’s in this aspect that our city shone. The development of our community was at the heart of the discussions, as was the potential of the VTE. I’d like to thank all our partners for this privilege,” shares Jean Lamarche, Mayor of Trois-Rivières.
“We are very proud and grateful to have received the invitation to take part in this mission, which enabled us to forge strong ties with our Korean colleagues, while allowing us to visit their plants and discover more about their processes and innovations. My assessment of this mission is very positive, with opportunities for collaboration at the forefront. I’d like to sincerely thank the Quebec delegation in Seoul, who provided real support in coordinating these activities, and who were able to position Quebec and our cities as important poles of innovation in the energy transition,” says Lucie Allard, Mayor of Bécancour.
Returning and learning
“ The DQS is very proud to have hosted this VTE mission, which represents a major step forward in strengthening ties between Quebec and South Korea in the key sector of energy transition. I would like to congratulate the mayors of Bécancour, Trois-Rivières and Shawinigan for their leadership and vision in developing new partnerships in Korea,” says Damien Pereira, Québec delegate in Seoul. “ The meetings in Pohang, Daejeon and Seoul have highlighted the importance of our cooperation with Korea to propel our shared ambitions for sustainable growth. Québec and Korea share values and a common vision of a better future, and our complementary expertise will enable us to reach new heights,” he adds.
“ This mission enabled us to deepen our understanding of the ecosystem of Korean companies and organizations involved in research, innovation and investment related to the energy transition. We also had the opportunity to present our own education ecosystem, focusing on our model of pooling expertise in research, innovation and training by bringing together those of our school service centers, CEGEPs and universities. By putting people at the heart of our approach, understanding Korean culture and their model of collaboration is an invaluable asset for establishing solid partnerships between Quebec and Korea in the field of energy transition,” emphasizes Adel O. Dahmane, Vice-Rector, Academic and Training at UQTR.
“This mission, initiated by our Korean partners, is the result of several weeks of meticulous work by the DQS and VTE teams. It has considerably strengthened the ties between Quebec and Korea, not only in terms of industrial investment in the battery sector, but also in terms of collaboration on innovation in the energy transition in general. We’ve come away greatly enriched by the exchanges we had during the week, and with an impressive list of follow-ups for future links between our two ecosystems ”, says Clément Villemont, Vice-President Innovation at VTE.
About Energy Transition Valley
The Vallée de la Transition Énergétique (VTE) is an innovation zone dedicated to the development of the battery, transportation electrification, hydrogen and industrial-port decarbonization energy sectors. This development is achieved by bringing together entrepreneurs, industrialists, municipalities and the world of knowledge in attractive, sustainable living environments. The ETV aims to establish a world-class research and innovation ecosystem that will develop innovative decarbonization solutions to support the energy transition.
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Energy Transition Valley
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Energy Transition Valley