Centre de Géomatique du Québec

What Centre de Géomatique du Québec does

Centre de Géomatique du Québec (CGQ) is a non-profit geomatics research and technology transfer center founded in 1998 and affiliated with Cégep de Chicoutimi, operating from a LEED Silver-certified facility in Saguenay (Chicoutimi), Quebec. CGQ provides applied research, geospatial data acquisition, training, and digital twin services to Quebec municipalities, SMEs, government bodies, and research institutions, executing nearly 60 projects per year across verticals including municipal geomatics, Earth sciences, environmental monitoring, resource management, marine/seafood, forestry, and tourism. Its technical stack combines proprietary hardware (a four-component multisensor hyperspectral system capturing 400–2500nm across 474 bands, drone-mounted GMapper with Nvidia Jetson TX2, Velodyne VLP-16 LiDAR, Basler RGB, and MicaSense RedEdge-M cameras) with proprietary software (CGCopilot mission management) and AI/deep learning pipelines running on an in-house NVIDIA DGX A100 for tasks such as invasive species detection and hyperspectral classification.

The organization operates as a College Centre for Technology Transfer (CCTT) certified by MEES and MEI, and holds Technology Access Center (CAT) designation from Tech-Access Canada, granting access to provincial and federal research funding (NSERC) and the Réseau des CCTT network of 59 centers. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service applied research projects (often co-funded via government subsidies such as Mon succès numérique, which covers up to 50% of project costs for eligible SMEs), training programs (e.g., $800 per participant for ArcGIS Pro courses), and managed government research funding. Customers include Ville de Québec, Canadian Space Agency (T-MARS planetary exploration project), Merinov, OrganicOcéan, and various Quebec-based SMEs, with go-to-market executed via direct project engagement supported by CCTT network referrals and ecosystem events such as the Géospatial Québec Forum.

Name

Centre de Géomatique du Québec

Legal name

Centre de géomatique du Québec

Website

https://cgq.qc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre de Géomatique du Québec (CGQ) is a non-profit geomatics R&D center affiliated with Cégep de Chicoutimi, providing applied research, geospatial data acquisition, and digital twin services to Quebec municipalities, SMEs, and government bodies using AI, hyperspectral imaging, and proprietary drone systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geomatics Research and Geospatial Analytics Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK), Remote Sensing & Geospatial Vision (satellite/drone imagery) (HDAAAEAL), Forest Inventory, Mapping & Monitoring (GIS/Remote Sensing/MRV) (IMAMAJAB)

Keywords

• Geomatics research services
• Remote sensing analytics
• Geospatial data acquisition
• Hyperspectral imaging systems
• Digital twin solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacré-coeur-saguenay

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Applied Research Projects: Fee-for-service research projects for businesses and organizations in geomatics, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, resource management, and digital transformation. Projects are typically co-funded through government subsidies and client contributions.
2. Training Services: Continuing education programs such as ArcGIS Pro training delivered in multiple sessions. Revenue generated through participant fees.
3. Government Research Funding: Core funding as a CCTT affiliated with Cégep de Chicoutimi, supported by provincial and federal government programs including NSERC, MEES, and MEI.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centre de Géomatique du Québec is a non-profit geomatics research center providing applied research, geospatial data acquisition, and training services. It operates drones, LiDAR, hyperspectral sensors, and AI-based analytics to deliver digital twins, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and resource management solutions to municipalities, SMEs, government organizations, and research institutions in Quebec.

Product overview

Centre de Géomatique du Québec (CGQ) operates as a non-profit technology transfer center affiliated with Cégep de Chicoutimi, offering a portfolio of applied research services and proprietary technology products. Their core services include applied research, geospatial data acquisition, training, and technical support. Key technology products include CGCopilot (mobile application for drone pilots), GMapper (drone-mounted AI/LiDAR system for forest mapping), and the Multicapteur hyperspectral (airborne hyperspectral imaging system). They also deliver specialized training programs such as ArcGIS Pro courses and provide Digital Twins solutions for environmental, urban, and industrial applications. The center combines expertise in remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and geospatial data analysis to serve businesses and organizations across Quebec.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Applied Research (Recherche appliquée) Research and development services in geomatics, developing innovative methodologies to improve performance of businesses and organizations. Targets municipalities, SMEs, and government bodies needing geospatial solutions for urban planning, climate adaptation, and resource management.
• Data Acquisition (Acquisition de données) Geospatial data collection services using cutting-edge equipment including drones, aircraft-mounted sensors, and ground-based systems for precise data gathering. Used for forest mapping, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and mineral exploration.
• Training and Technical Support (Formation et soutien technique) Continuing education programs including ArcGIS Pro training (14 hours over 4 sessions covering 10 modules), and technical support services. Designed for GIS professionals and analysts seeking practical skills development.
• GMapper Embedded drone-mounted system combining AI, LiDAR (Velodyne VLP-16), RGB camera (Basler), and multispectral camera (MicaSense RedEdge-M) with Nvidia Jetson TX2 onboard computer for high-performance forest mapping and real-time geospatial data capture. Used for forest mapping, environmental monitoring, and precision agriculture.
• CGCopilot Innovative mobile application supporting pilots during geospatial data collection missions. Enables real-time trajectory tracking, flight parameter monitoring (speed, altitude, position), high-precision cartography, and visual coverage overlap monitoring for optimal data acquisition.
• Multisensor Hyperspectral System (Multicapteur hyperspectral) Four-component airborne sensor system comprising two hyperspectral imagers capturing the 400-2500nm light spectrum across 474 bands (186 VNIR + 288 SWIR), a Phase One RGB industrial camera (11.3cm resolution), and a fiber-optic inertial navigation system with GNSS for precise georeferencing. Used for geological exploration, environmental characterization, and forestry assessment.
• Digital Twins (Jumeaux numériques) Virtual replica technology for planning and management of physical environments, evolving in parallel with real-world counterparts. Serves environmental, urban, and industrial (Industry 4.0) applications, enabling real-time decision-making and continuous improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 709 projects completed through Mon succès numérique Volet 1, supporting 526 enterprises with $11.6M government investment and $5.2M private investment mobilized
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Réseau des CCTT (Digital Squad)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024CGQ joined the 'escouade numérique' (digital squad) of 15 CCTT specialists working with SMEs across Quebec for complex digital transformation projects. The ecosystem includes 59 CCTT centers with over 2,400 experts.
• Cégep de ChicoutimicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998CGQ was founded by Cégep de Chicoutimi and maintains a close affiliation. College teachers and students participate in CGQ activities, enriching education and stimulating interest in scientific careers. Associate teachers from various departments collaborate on projects.
• MerinovmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership for wild seaweed characterization using hyperspectral remote sensing. Merinov provides marine industry expertise while CGQ contributes geospatial technology for resource management.
• Canadian Space AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerT-MARS project (Terrestrial Mineral Analysis by Remote Sensing) funded by the Canadian Space Agency, involving hyperspectral data collection for geological exploration applicable to planetary science.
• Tech-Access CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that conferred Technology Access Center (CAT) status to CGQ, enabling participation in national technology transfer networks.
• OrganicOcéan inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in wild seaweed inventory project, providing industry expertise and validation data for hyperspectral classification development.
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research professionals and graduate students. Scientific Director Charles Gignac holds a PhD from INRS and was a research professional at the Center for Research in Geospatial Data and Intelligence at UQAC.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trimble Geospatial: Global provider of geospatial hardware and software (LiDAR, GNSS, photogrammetry, GIS). Broad incumbent offering competing solutions across surveying, mapping, and remote sensing where CGQ applies its GMapper and hyperspectral capabilities.
• Planet Labs: Public commercial satellite earth observation company providing daily global imagery. Broad incumbent competitor in remote sensing data acquisition, especially relevant for CGQ's satellite imagery use cases (Yannick Duguay's practice).
• ESRI Canada: Canadian arm of global GIS platform leader ESRI, providing ArcGIS software (CGQ offers ArcGIS Pro training). A broad incumbent that anchors the GIS ecosystem in which CGQ operates as a specialized service provider.
• Maxar Technologies: Large commercial satellite imagery and geospatial intelligence provider serving government and commercial customers. Broad incumbent in the same earth observation space, including Canadian federal contracts (e.g., Canadian Space Agency adjacent work).

Direct peers

• Effigis Géo-Solutions: Quebec-based geomatics firm offering remote sensing, geospatial data acquisition, and GIS consulting services. Most directly comparable to CGQ given overlapping service lines (drone-based mapping, LiDAR, environmental monitoring) and shared Quebec customer base.
• MAP Geomatics: Quebec geomatics firm specializing in open-source geospatial web mapping solutions; represented on CGQ's Board of Directors. Direct peer given shared Quebec-based operations and focus on geospatial data management platforms.
• PCI Geomatics: Canadian remote sensing and image processing software company headquartered in Ontario. Comparable to CGQ in earth observation image analytics, though commercially oriented vs. CGQ's non-profit research model.

Emerging players

• DroneDeploy: Commercial drone mapping and analytics SaaS platform enabling aerial data capture and processing. Comparable to GMapper/CGCopilot offerings, though as a venture-backed commercial product competing in the same drone geospatial space.
• Pix4D: Photogrammetry software platform for drone-based 3D mapping and geospatial data processing. Comparable to CGQ's data acquisition and processing workflow, particularly relevant for clients considering DIY alternatives to CGQ's services.

Regional players

• CIDCO (Centre Interdisciplinaire de Développement en Cartographie des Océans): Quebec-based research center specializing in ocean mapping and hydrographic geospatial data. Comparable to CGQ as a Quebec research/technology transfer center with overlapping expertise in remote sensing and applied geospatial research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre de Géomatique du Québec