Montréal, May 12, 2025 — The Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ), in partnership with ADM Aéroports de Montréal, hosted an RDV Réseau dedicated to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) at the YMX Innovation Centre of YMX International Aerocity of Mirabel. The event brought together more than 100 innovators committed to shaping the future of Québec’s aerospace sector.

RDV Réseau: A Catalyst for Engagement

With the participation of members and partners from the private, academic, and institutional sectors, RDV Réseau has established itself as a catalyst for collective engagement within the ecosystem.

The May 2025 edition took place in the context of the growing Espace Aéro innovation zone, where the Mirabel site is one of three territorial hubs. Anchored in this territory through its new Innovation Centre at YMX, ADM—together with CRIAQ—hosted its first official event in these new facilities, specifically designed to foster synergies between research organizations (universities, college technology transfer centers) and businesses in their research and development efforts.

Highlights

Institutional perspectives shared by ADM, the City of Mirabel, CRIAQ, and Espace Aéro showcased the vision and leadership driving the Mirabel hub. An expert panel on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) further highlighted Québec’s strengths and advantages in developing key technologies in this promising sector.

Participants also discovered the Innovation Centre’s facilities and their strong potential for research and innovation. Networking sessions further reinforced professional connections and fostered exchanges on opportunities, challenges, and issues tied to innovation, competitiveness, and market development.

Advanced Air Mobility: A Driver of Innovation

Designing the aviation of tomorrow offers a unique opportunity to implement sustainable solutions in the context of the energy transition. Leveraging Québec’s technological expertise, AAM opens development pathways in transportation that will contribute to Québec’s rise as an innovative aerospace hub, well-positioned to seize new international business opportunities.

Quotes

“The YMX Innovation Centre is far more than just a venue; it is first and foremost an engine that will propel Québec’s aerospace innovation by bringing together industry leaders, institutional and government partners, academic institutions, as well as researchers and students. And that is exactly what we are doing today by hosting CRIAQ’s RDV Réseau—the first event of this new era. There is an impressive concentration of expertise on the YMX site, and ADM is very pleased to welcome large-scale projects, collaborate with leading companies, and support the research that will shape tomorrow’s smarter, more sustainable aeronautics.”
— Yves Beauchamp, President and CEO, ADM Aéroports de Montréal

“In Mirabel, our ambition is to build Québec’s aerospace future alongside all our partners. By bringing together companies, research centers, and training institutions, we are creating a dynamic, sustainable ecosystem for the next 20 years. Through industrial optimization, decarbonization, advanced air mobility, and workforce training, we are driving innovation and asserting our leadership in aerospace—and particularly in Advanced Air Mobility.”
— Patrick Charbonneau, Mayor of the City of Mirabel

“The ecosystem uniting researchers, SMEs, large companies, and test infrastructures in Mirabel enables us to explore advanced technological solutions for tomorrow’s mobility and advanced manufacturing. This networking, at the heart of the Espace Aéro innovation zone, is essential to structuring an innovation chain capable of generating tangible economic and environmental benefits.”
— Mélanie Lussier, President and CEO, Aéro Montréal, on behalf of Espace Aéro

“CRIAQ, in collaboration with ADM, is proud to mobilize our members and partners to seize and create opportunities in aerospace innovation in Mirabel. RDV Réseau offers an ideal platform to discuss trends in Advanced Air Mobility and spark high-impact collaborative research projects. Building on our strengths in innovation, we can enhance our ability to attract talent, investment, and key players to boost exports.”
— Guillaume Côté, PhD, President and CEO, CRIAQ

About CRIAQ (criaq.aero)

The Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ) is a unique model of collaborative aerospace research led by companies of all sizes, in partnership with universities and research centers. Its mission is to increase the competitiveness of the aerospace industry by stimulating business innovation through collaborative R&D. CRIAQ also aims to develop a new generation of innovators to strengthen Québec’s technological leadership in cutting-edge aerospace applications: digital aviation, the future of air mobility, and sustainable aerospace.

Source: Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ)
Contact: Stéphanie Dion, stephanie.dion@criaq.aero
, (514) 825-5145