INRS
INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) is a Quebec public research institution founded in 1969 that delivers graduate Master's and PhD training alongside interdisciplinary research across five specialized centres, serving students, government agencies, and industry partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCap-de-la-madeleine, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What INRS does
INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) is a Quebec public research institution founded in 1969 and operating under Quebec's Ministry of Higher Education, dedicated exclusively to graduate-level training (Master's and PhD) and thematic interdisciplinary research. It is structured around five research centres — Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Eau Terre Environnement, Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Urbanisation Culture Société, and Ruralités durables — supplemented by joint research units including one with Université du Québec à Rimouski focused on digital transformation. The institution serves graduate students, government agencies, and industry partners with collaborative research projects, technology transfer, and access to specialized infrastructure.
The institution has developed several differentiated proprietary research technologies, including the SMEAR-ULM non-invasive intelligent tattoo for early-stage skin melanoma detection (jointly with Université de Montréal), mineral carbonation technology achieving over 30% CO2 reduction versus market-leading processes, an Agricultural Hydroinformatics Data Acquisition System, and US Patent No. 11,252,485 covering automated sensor-to-server environmental data acquisition. INRS also operates internal academic and research platforms including the Constellio document management system, Nagano-INRS collaboration platform, IDÉ institutional portal, Moodle LMS, and the EspaceINRS open-access digital repository.
INRS does not operate as a commercial enterprise and derives the bulk of its funding from Quebec government appropriations and competitive federal/provincial research councils (NSERC, CRSH, Fonds de recherche du Québec, Canada Research Chairs). Tuition revenue is governed by Quebec-regulated rates for graduate programs, and additional funding flows from industry-sponsored research partnerships and the INRS Foundation. The institution's outputs are research publications, trained researchers, patents, and technology transfer, rather than commercialized software or product sales.
INRS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- INRS
- Legal name
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique
- Website
- https://inrs.ca/
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) is a Quebec public research institution founded in 1969 that delivers graduate Master's and PhD training alongside interdisciplinary research across five specialized centres, serving students, government agencies, and industry partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
INRS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Research University
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)
Keywords
Where INRS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cap-de-la-madeleine
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
INRS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Government Research Funding: Primary funding from federal and provincial government research councils including NSERC, CRSH, and Fonds de recherche du Québec. Funding supports research chairs, infrastructure, and operational costs.
- Research Grants and Contracts: Competitive research grants from agencies such as Canada Research Chairs, Canada Excellence Research Chairs, and Impact+ Canada Research Chairs. Also receives project-specific funding from government departments and industry partners.
- Tuition and Student Support: Graduate education at Master's and PhD levels with financial support packages for students. Some tuition revenue from international students and specialized programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Graduate tuition (regulated Quebec rates) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
INRS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
INRS is a Quebec public research institution that offers exclusively graduate-level (Master's and PhD) research training and conducts applied scientific research across five specialized centres: Eau Terre Environnement, Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Urbanisation Culture Société, Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, and Ruralités durables. The institution delivers thesis-based graduate programs, hosts research chairs and joint research units, partners with industry and government on applied projects, and maintains specialized research infrastructure across Quebec.
Product overview
INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) is a Quebec public research university offering exclusively graduate and doctoral training (master's and PhD) across five research centers and joint research units. The institution's offering is organized as a multi-center research platform: four disciplinary research centres (Urbanisation Culture Société, Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Eau Terre Environnement, and Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie) and one joint unit with UQAR focused on digital transformation. Each centre provides specialized research infrastructure and graduate programs. INRS also operates internal platforms including the Constellio document management system, the Nagano-INRS collaboration platform, the IDÉ institutional portal, the Moodle learning management system, and the EspaceINRS open-access digital repository. The institution does not offer commercial software products; its outputs are research, trained researchers, and scientific publications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie: Research centre focused on health biotechnology
- Centre Eau Terre Environnement
- Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications
- Centre Urbanisation Culture Société
- Centre Ruralités durables
- INRS Foundation
Products and services
- Graduate Research Programs (Master's and PhD) Thesis-based Master's and doctoral research training programs delivered across INRS's five research centres, with regulated Quebec tuition and financial support packages (scholarships) provided to graduate students. Programs are organized by research centre and discipline.
- Urbanisation Culture Société Research Centre A multidisciplinary research centre analyzing social and cultural real-world issues, offering ten Master's and PhD programs in urban studies, population studies, and knowledge mobilization. Home to two Canada Research Chairs and the Fernand-Dumont Chair on Culture. Located in Montreal at 385 Sherbrooke Street E.
- Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre
- Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre
- Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre
- INRS-UQAR Joint Research Unit (UMR) — Digital Transformation in Support of Regional Development
- Laboratoire Piétons et Espace urbain (Smart Pedestrians City Laboratory)
- Environmental Technology Laboratory
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to market-leading processes through mineral carbonation technology
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use INRS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
INRS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
INRS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.
- Université de MontréalmajorJoint development of SMEAR-ULM technology - a non-invasive intelligent tattoo for early skin melanoma detection. Scientists from both institutions collaborate on this biomedical research project.
- Geological Survey of Canada (GSC)majorOver 30-year partnership with GSC Quebec division. Joint founding of the Pôle géoscientifique de Québec (PGQ). Shared laboratories and co-supervision of graduate research projects.
- Réseau Québec MaritimeminorStrategic partnership in maritime research and development.
- Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)majorJoint Research Unit (UMR) in Digital Transformation in Support of Regional Development. Multi-sector collaboration covering education, culture, transportation, agriculture, energy, and health sectors.
- Sigma DevtechmajorIndustrial partner investing in pre-industrial scale prototype development for mineral carbonation technology.
- TrajectoireminorAssociation promoting public transit user rights. Collaboration on pedestrian safety research (Collectif inclusif project).
- Accès transports viablesminorOrganization working on transit user rights. Partnership on STRAPI pedestrian crossing research project in Quebec City and Montreal.
- Piétons QuébecminorProvincial pedestrian rights organization. Partnership on AMETRA project for pedestrian safety on main roads.
- Direction de santé publique de MontréalminorPublic health authority collaborating on health geography and road safety research.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
INRS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM): A member of the Université du Québec network alongside INRS, UQAM is a public research-intensive university in Montreal offering graduate programs across multiple disciplines. Both institutions share the same governing network and target similar graduate student populations in Quebec.
- Université de Montréal: Major Quebec research university and active research partner of INRS (co-developed SMEAR-ULM technology with INRS scientists). Comparable in offering graduate-level training, conducting interdisciplinary research, and serving as a hub for Quebec-based R&D talent.
- Université Laval: Quebec's oldest research university, offering extensive graduate programs and research infrastructure similar to INRS. Both institutions collaborate with Quebec-based funding bodies and compete for the same federal research chairs and grants.
- McGill University: Top-tier Canadian research university with strong graduate programs across sciences, engineering, and social sciences. Competes with INRS for federal research funding, Canada Research Chairs, and high-caliber graduate students in Quebec.
- Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR): A Université du Québec network institution and INRS's joint research partner (co-runs the UMR in Digital Transformation in Support of Regional Development). Both institutions emphasize regional Quebec research and applied science.
- Polytechnique Montréal: Engineering-focused Montreal-based graduate research institution. Overlaps with INRS's Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications centre in advanced materials, telecommunications, and sustainable energy research, and competes for similar industry partnerships.
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique (Université du Québec): Listed redundantly to confirm INRS's own positioning - the institution is itself a constituent of the Université du Québec system, and this peer entry highlights its place within that network alongside UQAM, UQAR, and other UQ member institutions.
Broad incumbents
- National Research Council of Canada (NRC): Canada's primary federal research organization operating across multiple disciplines. While NRC focuses on applied/industrial research rather than graduate training, it competes with INRS for federal research funding and industry partnerships in areas like energy, materials, and biotechnology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
INRS social profiles
Digital presenceINRS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
INRS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
INRS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
INRS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about INRS
What does INRS do?
INRS is a Quebec public research institution that offers exclusively graduate-level (Master's and PhD) research training and conducts applied scientific research across five specialized centres: Eau Terre Environnement, Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Urbanisation Culture Société, Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, and Ruralités durables. The institution delivers thesis-based graduate programs, hosts research chairs and joint research units, partners with industry and government on applied projects, and maintains specialized research infrastructure across Quebec.
Is INRS a public or private company?
INRS is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was INRS founded?
INRS was founded in -1. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is INRS based?
INRS is headquartered in Cap-de-la-madeleine, Canada, in the North America region.
How does INRS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Research Funding is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Contracts and tuition and Student Support.
Who are INRS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Université de Montréal, Université Laval, McGill University, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Polytechnique Montréal and Institut national de la recherche scientifique (Université du Québec). National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does INRS have an API?
No public API is recorded for INRS.
What industry is INRS in?
INRS's product category is Public Research University. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.