Reference
Bérubé, Julie, Naomie Allard. Entre recherche et pratique : PERSÉIS comme écosystème favorisant l’entrepreneuriat innovant dans les régions. Sommet Voir Grand, Fédération des sciences humaines. Edmonton (Alberta), juin 2026.
Summary
This session will focus on the challenges of attracting and retaining entrepreneurial talent in Quebec’s regions, an issue that has become increasingly critical to fostering innovative entrepreneurship in a context marked by shortages of specialized labour and the distance from major urban centres. Drawing on the PERSÉIS project, Attracting and Retaining Talent in the Regions to Foster Innovative Entrepreneurship in Quebec, the session will highlight how a collaborative research approach can support the co-creation of solutions tailored to regional realities.
The presentation is intended for professionals working in business accelerators and incubators, policymakers, researchers in innovation and regional development, and stakeholders interested in strengthening regional entrepreneurial ecosystems. It will provide practical insights into the benefits of building structured partnerships between academic institutions and practitioners.
Participants will gain three key takeaways from the session: 1. An understanding of the regional challenges faced by innovative entrepreneurs, informed by data collected through focus groups and a survey. 2. Concrete examples of knowledge co-creation, illustrating how practitioners, business accelerators, and researchers can work together to develop relevant and actionable solutions. 3. Examples of policy and practice levers, including the creation of a sustainable network of regional business accelerators and the structured sharing of best practices.
Overall, the session will demonstrate how partnering to create change can transform regional challenges into opportunities for innovation and sustainable development.