Québec at a glance

Québec City: growing by leaps and bounds

Quick facts:
Province: Québec (capital city)
Population: 728,900

Steeped in history and culture, Québec City takes you back in time, blending the best of European and North American influences. But look beyond the area’s beauty and charm. Québec’s capital city is moving fast forward into the future with one of the highest growth rates in North America and a booming job market. The region is riding an unprecedented wave of development (including university building projects, plant expansions and new R&D facilities), making it the place to be in the 21st century.

Key advantages

Low start-up and operating costs, major tax incentives and low electricity rates — the most cost-competitive place in the world compared with similar-sized urban centres
One of the lowest corporate tax rates in North America
Highly skilled talent, low turnover rates and labour costs 15% less than in the U.S.
CDN$815 million in R&D investments each year
6,000 researchers, 400 world-class laboratories and research facilities specializing in optics and photonics, biomedical applications, defence and security
Easy access to the northeastern U.S. and 35% of the North American population
A 2,800-mile road network, an international airport, a well-developed rail network and a year-round deep-sea port
Entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, attracting conventions and millions of tourists annually
Low living costs — affordable housing, publicly funded health and education, and university tuition fees among the lowest on the continent
An unbeatable quality of life — a vibrant arts scene, natural beauty and recreational opportunities, and the lowest crime rate of major urban centres in North America

Sector strengths

Québec City targets three sectors of excellence:

Applied technologies: defence, security and emergency preparedness, optics/photonics, geomatics, electronics and information technologies
Life sciences/health and nutrition: food processing, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment manufacturing and biotechnologies
Processed materials: plastics and composite materials, secondary wood processing and metal manufacturing