Québec City’s research excellence attracts global conferences

Research conferences play a crucial role in fostering connections, sparking new ideas, and driving innovation in essential fields. They have the power to strengthen networks of scientists from all over the world, enhancing cross-border and multidisciplinary collaboration. Conference planners are tasked with organizing rewarding experiences where attendees can share their expertise and learn from their peers’ latest discoveries in an environment that facilitates conversation and fellowship. Therefore, the choice of destination is key to achieve success.

Québec City’s close-knit research community supports collaboration between scholars and industry leaders to develop solutions, advance innovation, and shape the future. It has the highest ratio of researchers per capita in Canada, with over 5,500 researchers and associates working across diverse fields and industries in the region. Université Laval is a hub for academic and applied research, home to over 300 research units, including international joint research units and laboratories—and 40 recognized research centres.

With so many bright minds in one place, conference attendees have the opportunity to liaise with and learn from researchers on the leading edge of their field. Set against Québec City’s historical charm and the region’s year-round natural beauty, conferences hosted here leave attendees feeling reinvigorated and inspired to push the limits of what’s possible.

Beyond Université Laval, Québec City is home to four other universities including the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), and the École nationale d’administration publique (ÉNAP), along with 16 colleges and technical institutions, and 22 vocational schools and specialized institutes. Research spans diverse fields such as computer vision, wildlife conservation, autoimmune disease, biotechnology, social change, and community development.

Several professional organizations foster collaboration across academia and industry. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), for example, has over 250 regular members across four technical chapters—including geomatics, biomedicine, communications, and computer science—as well as student chapters and the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) sections. Organizations like Québec International connect businesses with R&D expertise, helping applied researchers translate their work into real-world solutions. Accelerators such as Le CAMP and networks like the Jeune chambre de commerce de Québec work to support up-and-coming innovators as they bring new strategies and powerful perspectives to the region’s business landscape. Student communities like CIRODD and TransBIOTech, provide fertile ground for emerging research in specific sectors.

In recent years, Québec City’s thriving research community has attracted events like the 16th World Congress on Inflammation and the 8th International Conference on Estuaries and Coasts as well as ​​the 23rd International Symposium on Fluorine Chemistry and 9th International Symposium on Fluorous Technologies. Not only do these events broaden the knowledge of Québec City’s current and future leaders, they also introduce visiting conference attendees to new perspectives and knowledge they won’t find anywhere else.

Event attendees can easily slip away and enjoy unforgettable entertainment and experience the beauty of the Saint Lawrence River valley up close, no matter where they’re staying in the city.

In spite of its small footprint, Québec City is packed with exceptional venues for conferences and meetings of all sizes, steps away from convenient accommodations, delicious dining options, and iconic historical architecture. Here, attendees have the unique opportunity to experience the city like a local and fully immerse themselves within the community of researchers and industry leaders who call this place home.

Québec City’s human scale creates a tight-knit ecosystem where researchers, industry leaders, and institutions are closely connected. This makes it easy for conference organizers to arrange on-site visits to cutting-edge labs, renowned research centres, and local businesses, ensuring direct access to the people and expertise that drive innovation. Many of the city’s academic institutions are near the city centre or readily accessible via public transport and major roads, simplifying logistics and offering a seamless experience for attendees across multiple locations.

Québec City Business Destination connects meeting planners with local resources to ensure seamless and successful conferences. Our services are also available to local leaders via the Ambassador’s Club (Cercle des ambassadeurs de Québec).

Bringing together researchers and business leaders generates fresh ideas and smarter solutions to pressing problems. Hosting a conference in Québec City means tapping into a hub of innovation in one of Canada’s most culturally vibrant cities. Its human scale and interdisciplinary research communities make Québec City the perfect place to exchange knowledge and learn something new, empowering attendees to take their research to the next level, drive business growth, and spur economic development at home, and around the world.