From January 29 to 31, a mission to France led by the St. Lawrence Shipoperators brought together various players in the Quebec maritime sector. They participated in the Euromaritime trade show and met professionals in the sector in order to draw inspiration from best European practices in maritime transport and decarbonization initiatives implemented by the French authorities.
Mission participants included representatives from St. Lawrence Shipoperators, Canada Steamship Lines, Groupe Desgagnés, Dawco, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, Cégep de Rimouski, Institut Maritime du Québec, Pierre-de-Saurel Economic Development (DEPS), Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping (NEAS), Novarium, Port de Québec. Société des Traversiers du Québec (STQ), and Public Affairs Advisers (PAA).
The participants began their mission with a meeting with ADEME (France’s Environment and Energy Management Agency) followed by discussions with the Shipowners of France. The Paris stopover ended with an evening hosted by the director of the Economic Service of the General Delegation of Quebec in Paris (DGQP), Julien Cormier, and his team, in support of the mission.
Participation in the Euromaritime exhibition in Marseille, an event bringing together French and European players in the maritime and river economy, was enriched by exchanges with targeted stakeholders such as the State Secretariat for the Sea as well as the Mediterranean Sea Pole. , Provence Promotion and Rising SUD.
Visits were also organized to the National Maritime School (ENSM), then with the Corsica Linea group, the European Commission on Mobility and Transport and that of Maritime Affairs.
This mission aimed to establish commercial relations with potential partners and to explore avenues for collaboration with maritime training institutions in France. It enabled discussions on the latest innovations and technological trends in the maritime sector, both in terms of research and development, particularly linked to decarbonization, and to the sustainability and social responsibility of companies in the sector.
