New Ubisoft office opens in Saguenay – Stimulating innovation in Quebec’s regions

Investing in their expertise, know-how and creativity

SAGUENAY, Québec, February 9, 2018 — The Ubisoft office in Saguenay opened its doors today. By the end of the year, twenty more people will join the twenty employees already in place. Note that this is the company’s first branch office in Quebec outside of a major city. Eventually, within five years, Ubisoft Saguenay hopes to have a team of 125 people. Ubisoft’s decision to open a studio in Saguenay is a great show of confidence in the region’s talent, creativity and energy. More and more companies are choosing to invest here—and everywhere else across Quebec—which encourages quality job creation and greatly contributes to the betterment of our families’ quality of life.

The Government of Quebec announced the implementation of 18 regional innovation hubs earlier this week, one of which is located in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. These hubs will be meeting points that support entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Their goal will be to stimulate collaboration and cooperation between several socioeconomic players. They will also help guide current or future entrepreneurs towards specialized support services and help them seize business opportunities, in tandem with existing regional partners. Ubisoft emphasized today that it will be contributing to the hub’s establishment with the help of various partners in the region.

Quotes:

Quebec has been doing better since 2014: consumption and investments are on the rise while unemployment is at an all time low. This strong economy that defines the new Quebec of the 21^st century needs to be present across all regions and all sectors. To succeed, our government is proud to support companies like Ubisoft that decide to establish themselves in our regions. In addition to creating high-quality jobs, this will also promote the development of the economy and of educational opportunities in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. With the innovation hubs, this solution will help our youth study, achieve their dreams and fulfill their ambitions, wherever they desire.

– Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec, Minister responsible for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region and Member for Roberval

Today’s inauguration is excellent news for our region and there is no doubt that Ubisoft made the right choice by investing in the talent and creativity of the people of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Over the course of the last few years, we have worked to diversify the economy of the regions and to create an attractive business environment for companies, which allows us to offer quality jobs to our youths in niche markets that interest them. I am convinced that this initiative will inspire other major players to extend their activities across all of Quebec, whether in the video game industry or in other technological sectors.

– Serge Simard, Member for Dubuc and Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region 

Key facts

• As part of its Horizon 2027 project, Ubisoft plans to invest $780 million and create 1,000 jobs in Quebec by 2027.
• The Quebec video game industry employs approximately 11,000 people in over 140 companies, which makes it a leader in Canada and an important global presence.
• The refundable tax credit for the production of multimedia titles was established to encourage the growth and development of the video game industry in Quebec. It has allowed Quebec to position itself as a leader in the industry and as a centre of excellence on an international scale.