High-end labs, clean rooms, pilot plants, and testing platforms can cost millions to build and maintain. For many Quebec businesses, that price tag blocks R&D progress. The good news: you can use shared research facilities in Quebec, which is faster and cheaper than building your own lab. Public research institutions like the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) offer access to their infrastructure through research partnerships.
Quebec’s innovation system encourages sharing infrastructure. Public research institutions welcome industry partners into their facilities, usually through research collaborations. These projects are often supported by grants and tax credits.
A partnership with INRS is one of the most direct ways to use advanced research facilities in Quebec without buying equipment.
INRS is a public research institution focused on both applied and fundamental research. Its mission includes working with businesses to solve technical problems, test technologies, and develop new intellectual property.
INRS offers research partnerships that allow your business to:
This support is not a cash grant. Instead, it is a collaborative R&D project. Your project is carried out using INRS expertise and infrastructure.
INRS does not post strict eligibility rules. However, partnerships usually include:
Projects must fit with INRS research strengths and show real innovation or technical uncertainty.
Through INRS research partnerships, you can access:
Instead of purchasing or leasing, your business uses this equipment through a collaboration agreement.
GrantHub’s eligibility matcher can help you filter programs by province and industry in seconds, including research partnerships available in Quebec.
IP ownership does not happen automatically. The terms are set in your agreement with INRS. In general:
You should clarify IP rules early when using advanced research facilities in Quebec without buying equipment.
INRS partnerships can be short or long. Typical projects last:
Timelines depend on technical complexity, funding, and research goals.
INRS support is:
Many businesses structure INRS projects so eligible R&D costs can later be claimed under tax credit programs, depending on the agreement. Planning your funding early helps you make the most of available support.
Assuming you need to own the equipment
Many businesses wait to innovate because they think they must own the infrastructure. Public research facilities are meant to be shared.
Waiting too long to discuss IP
IP negotiations should happen before any lab work starts. Delaying this can stall or cancel projects.
Treating the partnership like a vendor contract
INRS collaborations are research partnerships. Both sides contribute and set clear technical goals.
Not stacking funding properly
Failing to plan how grants or tax credits fit with the collaboration can reduce your total funding.
Q: Do I need to be based in Quebec to work with INRS?
Most industry partners are Quebec-based, but eligibility can vary by project. The research must fit INRS priorities and benefit Quebec’s innovation system.
Q: Can INRS partnerships be combined with other grants?
Yes. Many businesses combine INRS collaborations with provincial grants or SR&ED tax credits, as long as funding rules allow stacking.
Q: Is there a minimum project size?
There is no fixed minimum. Projects range from small studies to multi-year R&D initiatives.
Q: Who pays for the research work?
Costs are usually shared between the business, INRS, and any supporting grant or tax credit programs.
Q: How do I start a partnership with INRS?
Most projects start with a discussion with an INRS researcher or technology transfer office to define the project and funding options.
After this, you can use GrantHub to track active grant programs across Canada and see which ones match your business profile.
Using shared research facilities in Quebec is faster and cheaper than building your own lab. INRS partnerships allow you to focus on innovation while sharing infrastructure, expertise, and risk. To find similar research collaborations and funding options across Quebec, platforms like GrantHub can help you identify programs that match your industry, stage, and location.
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