Our history

Since 30 years, Centech has supported entrepreneurs and startups that are transforming industries through innovation. Discover the key moments that have shaped our history and helped build a strong and engaged deeptech community.

Centech Advisory Committee. These discussions highlighted a lack of resources for businesses at the pre-startup and pre-incubation stages in Quebec.

Official launch of Centech by ÉTS under the leadership of Jacques Fortin, Founding Director. Centech was established as a pre-incubator and incubator for technology and industrial businesses, serving ÉTS students and graduates.

  • Centech incorporated as a non-profit organization (NPO).
  • Establishment of the first Board of Directors.

Inauguration of Centech’s first facilities in the Nordelec building on Richardson Street in Montréal, in the presence of Pierre Bourque, Mayor of Montréal; Robert L. Papineau, Director General of ÉTS; Robert Perreault, Minister responsible for Municipal Affairs and the Montréal region; and Jacques Saada, representing the Minister responsible for Economic Development Canada.

5th anniversary of Centech’s incorporation. Centech celebrated five years of growth, with approximately 20 incubated companies and the emergence of its first entrepreneurial success stories.

  • Move to the former O’Keefe Brewery headquarters, at the corner of Montfort and Notre-Dame streets.
  • First trade mission to Belgium, marking the beginning of Centech’s international outreach.

Official inauguration of the new facilities in the presence of Yves Beauchamp, Director General of ÉTS, and Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for the Canada Economic Development Agency for the regions of Quebec.

Launch of a thematic training program led by experts. These conferences quickly became a popular gathering point for entrepreneurs and the ÉTS community.

  • Robert Dumontet appointed Director General following the retirement of Jacques Fortin.
  • Launch of the IMAGINÉ short graduate-level program. Students and graduates could now have their incubation experience recognized through a certificate in business start-up.

Centech named Canada’s Best Incubator of the Year by the Canadian Association of Business Incubation (CABI).

  • Richard Chénier nominated as Director General.
  • Launch of the Accélération and Propulsion programs to support companies in their growth phase.
  • Move to the former Dow Planetarium, transformed into an innovation space.
  • Creation of the Collision Lab, an open innovation hub facilitating collaboration between startups and large corporations

Centech recognized by UBI Global as one of the top 20 incubators in the world.

  • Centech recognized by UBI Global as one of the top 10 incubators in the world.
  • Launch of the first edition of Open Innovation Day (JIO).
  • Marjorick Foisy appointed as Centech’s first female Director General.

Move to Ax.c, a vibrant gathering place for Québec’s startup ecosystem. Initiated by Centech, ÉTS’s incubator, Ax.c brings together a critical mass of key players from Quebec’s startup ecosystem to accelerate innovation and collaboration.

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