Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole and MAIN join forces to support agri-food innovation

Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with MAIN aimed at deploying a new range of services for innovative entrepreneurship within the Cité de l’innovation agroalimentaire and the greater Saint-Hyacinthe region.

This project, entitled “Continuum agroalimentaire” (Agri-Food Continuum), will provide personalized support for ten startups—young companies with high growth potential—from the Maskoutain territory. Thus, companies identified by the Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole team will receive guidance and will be able to benefit completely free of charge from the navigation services offered by MAIN. These services help meet the needs at all stages of the innovative entrepreneurial journey and facilitate connections with the most appropriate incubation and acceleration resources for the growth of the participating companies.

Although it is aimed particularly at entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector, the program is also accessible to any innovative company that qualifies as a startup, regardless of its sector of activity. Implemented as a pilot project, it will be accessible until September 30, 2025, subject to availability of spaces.

“This partnership with MAIN allows us to strengthen our mission of supporting local entrepreneurs by giving them access to top-tier resources to stimulate their growth. By implementing this program, we also hope to be able to add, to our agri-food innovation ecosystem, an even more robust offering of support services for companies’ innovation activities,” emphasizes Karine Guilbault, Executive Director of Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole.

“The collaboration between Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole and MAIN was intuitive since they work in a network, just as we do, to optimize resources in the agri-food sector. In our ambition to give entrepreneurs access to the best resources, the creation of a specialized activity continuum will allow those who have the courage to take risks in agri-food to have every chance of succeeding,” supported Louis-Félix Binette, Executive Director of MAIN.

About MAIN
MAIN is committed to building an inclusive and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem, designed by and for entrepreneurs. Its renewed mission is to give entrepreneurs the courage to take risks by promoting simplified, relevant, and timely access to support resources, strengthening collaboration between ecosystem players, and developing tools that support their long-term impact.

About Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole
Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole is the organization responsible for economic development within the territory of the MRC des Maskoutains. Its mandate is to attract new businesses, whether industrial or commercial, to the region. It notably ensures the animation and development of the most important agri-food innovation hub in Quebec and coordinates the establishment of the Saint-Hyacinthe agri-food innovation zone. Similarly, it ensures the promotion and development of tourism, particularly business tourism, agri-food activity, and immigration.

In the photo:
The Executive Director of MAIN, Louis-Philippe Binette, surrounded by the Executive Director of Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole, Karine Guilbault, and Geneviève Pelletier-Jacques, Project Manager for the Cité de l’innovation agroalimentaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.
Credit: Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole