From February 26 to 28, 2019, Propulsion Québec led a Quebec delegation on electric and intelligent transportation to Detroit, Michigan, in collaboration with the Government of Québec, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the Detroit Regional Chamber.
Participating in the mission, the Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Nadine Girault, presented the transportation electrification sector as a showcase of Quebec's ingenuity and innovation. She also praised the expertise of Quebec companies and research centers in electric vehicle assembly, electric drivetrains, batteries, and charging systems. Land transportation and sustainable mobility are strategic sectors of Quebec's economy, she reminded, and Quebec's representations abroad can support entrepreneurs in these sectors wishing to export to the United States[1].
Quebec was proudly represented by several members and partners of Propulsion Québec:
- Louis Tremblay, President and Chief Executive Officer of AddÉnergie as well as Chair of the Board of Propulsion Québec;
- Jean-Pierre Fournier, Business Development Manager for Jakarto;
- Nick Voisard, Director of Sales at La Compagnie Électrique Lion;
- Gwenaelle Thibault, Project Director at Montréal International;
- Dakx Turcotte, VP Sales and Application Engineering at Leddartech;
- Emmanuelle Toussaint, Vice President of Public and Legal Affairs at Novabus and Prévost (a member of the Volvo Group) as well as Vice-Chair of the Board of Propulsion Québec;
- Alain Charlois, member of the Board of Directors of Phantom Intelligence;
- Geeri Kowlessur, Partner and Executive Vice President of Proxybus.
The delegation first took part in a Michigan-Quebec conference in the presence of decision-makers from the electric and intelligent transportation industry. Exciting discussions about the future of mobility were fueled by several seasoned speakers from the transportation world:
- Sarah Houde, CEO of Propulsion Québec;
- Sarah Yager, business development analyst at NAVYA Group;
- Mac Dashney, special advisor to the MAPT (Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation);
- Collin Castle, manager of the Intelligent Transportation Systems program of the MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation);
- Kevin Kerrigan, Senior Vice President of the Automotive office of the MEDC (Michigan Economic Development Corporation);
- Justin Robinson, Vice President, Business Attraction of the Detroit Regional Partnership (Détroit Regional Chamber).
The issues and challenges encountered regarding several current topics such as the deployment of test vehicles, the electrification of school buses, and the optimization of the user experience were widely addressed during the discussions.
Members of the delegation also had the chance to visit regional facilities and companies, notably the Planet M Landing Zone, the American Center for Mobility and MCity.
The outcomes were numerous for the delegation. Vehicle and infrastructure manufacturers met with major buyers, including the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation, Navya, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and Ann Arbor SPARK. Moreover, companies related to autonomous vehicles met with leading figures regarding testing or the coordination of this ecosystem, not to mention the very inspiring visit to facilities renowned worldwide for testing and prototyping autonomous and connected vehicles.
To learn more
- Mission to Chicago and Detroit from February 25 to 28, 2019 – The economic shift of Quebec's international relations: a new impetus in the United States – February 25, 2019
- Mission to Chicago and Detroit from February 25 to 28, 2019 – Minister Nadine Girault in the Midwest: investor outreach, tariffs and exports on the agenda – February 28, 2019
1 Paragraph taken from the press release issued by the MRIF on February 28, 2019.
