ITAQ and CEC join forces to support the competitiveness of Quebec's dairy industry
12 January 2026
The Quebec Institute of Agri-Food Technology (ITAQ) and the Cheese Expertise Center (CEC) are announcing the establishment of a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of Quebec’s dairy sector.
By combining their technical, educational, and industrial expertise, both organizations aim to offer the entire sector an integrated range of services spanning training, innovation, applied research, and technology transfer.
Complementary Missions Serving a Common Goal
ITAQ, recognized for its expertise in college-level and continuing education, as well as its research and knowledge transfer activities, and CEC, an expert in cheese technology, advisory services, innovation, and knowledge dissemination, share a common vision: supporting the dairy sector in achieving the highest standards of quality and performance.
By joining forces, the two partners promote:
-
Greater operational and financial efficiency of projects;
-
Pooling of resources;
-
Development of emerging talent and professional upgrading;
-
Implementation of structuring projects for the benefit of the entire dairy sector.
Four Concrete Areas of Collaboration
The partnership is structured around four main areas:
-
Training: Combining expertise to enhance existing programs and develop specialized training, particularly in dairy and cheese processing.
-
Infrastructure: Sharing facilities and spaces between the two organizations to support training, research, and experimentation activities.
-
Structuring Projects: Joint development of programs and solutions to address the issues and challenges facing the dairy processing industry.
-
Promotion: Joint creation and dissemination of educational and scientific content, and organization of events to showcase Quebec expertise.
A Promising Alliance for the Future
“This partnership perfectly illustrates the complementarity of our missions. Together, we can offer dairy sector players solutions that are even better tailored to their needs and contribute directly to their success,” says Karine Mercier, Executive Director of ITAQ.
For her part, Estelle Thériault, Executive Director of CEC, adds: “By joining forces, we are creating a true center of expertise dedicated to innovation and sustainable development in the Quebec dairy sector. This is great news for our businesses and for the next generation.”
In the photo: Jean Bolduc, Chair of the Board (CEC), Estelle Thériault, Associate Executive Director (CEC), Karine Mercier, Executive Director (ITAQ), and Christine Ferland, Director of Continuing Education (ITAQ).
Photo credit: CEC / ITAQ
About the Quebec Institute of Agri-Food Technology (ITAQ)
For over 60 years, ITAQ has been the only college-level institution specializing in agri-food in Quebec. It stands out for its teaching laboratories, teaching farms, large animals, teaching plants (dairy processing, bakery, meat and vegetable), in addition to its unique and exclusive programs in equine techniques, agromechanical engineering technology, and animal production technology. Positioned as the benchmark for agri-food development, the Institute has developed expertise that meets the needs of the workforce and managers of agri-food businesses in Quebec. The Institute is continuing a long tradition and making a significant shift towards agroecological transition.
About the Cheese Expertise Center (CEC)
For nearly 15 years, the Cheese Expertise Center (CEC) has been actively contributing to the development and sustainability of Quebec’s cheese industry. The only center of its kind in Canada, this non-profit organization supports cheese makers of all sizes with a team of specialized advisors and cheese makers. It offers a full range of technical and professional services: knowledge transfer, training, quality support, technical advice, and data digitization solutions.
Guided by a clear mission—to support high-quality, sustainable, and innovative cheese production—and by the vision of becoming the Canadian center of reference for cheese making, the CEC integrates the principles of sustainable development into all of its actions. True to its values of performance, commitment, collaboration, ethics, and innovation, it remains an essential player in the vitality of Quebec’s cheese-making expertise.