Économie du Savoir Mauricie

What Économie du Savoir Mauricie does

Économie du Savoir Mauricie (ESM) is a non-profit regional innovation support organization headquartered in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, founded in 2011 and operating with an eight-person team. It is officially designated by the Gouvernement du Québec as the Espace PME innovation for the Mauricie region, operating under the SQRI2 2022-2027 strategy and Plan PME 2025-2028, with co-funding from the federal Développement économique Canada. ESM provides agile, expert accompaniment to small and medium-sized enterprises across Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, La Tuque, and the MRCs of Maskinongé, Mékinac, and Des Chenaux, helping them develop and execute innovation projects, digital transformation initiatives, and growth strategies.

ESM's service offering consists of advisory accompaniment, specialized expert referrals, structured innovation events (including the annual Colloque en innovation de la Mauricie and 4@6 networking cocktails), and content publication on innovation and technology adoption. The organization does not sell technology products; its 'core technology' is its curated network of accredited experts, regional partners (IDÉTR, Québec Tech, multiple MRCs and municipalities), and its formal mandate within Quebec's innovation policy stack. Services are delivered free of charge to qualifying SMEs, with ESM's operating budget funded through federal and provincial program allocations rather than commercial fees.

ESM's business model is therefore government-funded professional services delivered at no direct cost to the end business. Marie-Andrée Trudel was appointed General Manager on November 19, 2024, and in February 2026 the organization renewed its services and visual identity. In fiscal year 2024-2025, ESM reported facilitating more than CAD $3.4M in innovative projects with client SMEs, and its testimonials reference hundreds of businesses accompanied across manufacturing, distribution, wellness, and industrial verticals. The organization previously operated under the name Espaces régionaux d'accélération et de croissance (ERAC) and has no parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership.

Name

Économie du Savoir Mauricie

Legal name

Économie du Savoir Mauricie

Website

https://economiedusavoir.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Économie du Savoir Mauricie (ESM) is a Quebec non-profit officially designated as the Espace PME innovation for the Mauricie region, providing free expert advisory accompaniment, events, and partner referrals to local SMEs seeking to develop innovation and digital transformation projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Innovation Advisory

akta.pro primary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE)

Keywords

• Innovation advisory services
• SME innovation support
• Regional innovation ecosystem
• Business transformation consulting
• Innovation project accompaniment

Headquarters

HQ city

Trois-Rivières

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded innovation support services: ESM operates as a non-profit innovation support organization funded by federal (Développement économique Canada) and provincial (Gouvernement du Québec) government programs. Services are provided to SMEs free of charge as part of the SQRI2 2022-2027 and Plan PME 2025-2028 government strategies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Économie du Savoir Mauricie (ESM) is the officially recognized "Espace PME innovation" for the Mauricie region of Quebec, providing free, agile accompaniment and advisory services to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the development and execution of innovation projects. The organization connects regional SMEs to a vast network of specialized expertise, government innovation programs (SQRI2 2022-2027, Plan PME 2025-2028), and resources, while organizing regional events such as the Colloque en innovation de la Mauricie (CI Mauricie) and networking activities to foster an innovation culture.

Product overview

Économie du Savoir Mauricie (ESM) is not a product company but rather a regional innovation support organization recognized as an 'Espace PME innovation' by the Quebec government. ESM provides advisory services, event organization (such as the Colloque en innovation de la Mauricie), blog/news content on innovation topics, and resource documentation for businesses in the Mauricie region seeking innovation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Espace PME innovation Accompaniment Services Free, agile advisory and innovation project accompaniment services for SMEs in the Mauricie region, providing access to specialized expertise, resources, and connections to federal and provincial government innovation programs.
• CI Mauricie (Colloque en innovation de la Mauricie) Regional innovation conference and colloquia organized to foster an innovation culture, bringing together SMEs, experts, and innovation stakeholders in the Mauricie region.
• 4@6 Cocktail-Réseautage Networking Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3.4M CAD in innovative projects facilitated with client companies in 2024-2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Innovation développement économique Trois-Rivières (IDÉTR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization for Trois-Rivières, collaborating with ESM on regional innovation initiatives and business support services.
• Ville de ShawiniganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting regional innovation efforts in the Shawinigan area of Mauricie.
• MRC de MaskinongéStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional county municipality partner providing support for businesses in the Maskinongé region.
• MRC MékinacminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional county municipality partner supporting innovation and economic development in the Mékinac region.
• MRC des ChenauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional county municipality partner supporting businesses in the Des Chenaux region.
• Ville de La TuqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting regional innovation initiatives in the La Tuque area of Mauricie.
• Québec TechmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology and innovation network organizing events like Maillages Tech Mauricie (Tech Networking Tour) in collaboration with ESM.
• Réseau des Espaces PME innovation du QuébecmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork connecting all officially recognized PME innovation spaces across Quebec regions, enabling knowledge sharing and coordinated support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Investissement Québec: Provincial investment agency providing financing and advisory support to Quebec SMEs, including innovation-focused programs. Comparable in mission (SME growth and innovation support) but operates at significantly larger scale and with direct financing capabilities ESM does not have.
• ADRIQ (Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l'innovation du Québec): Provincial association supporting Quebec innovation through events, awards, and SME connections. Operates at a broader (provincial) scale than ESM and serves a similar SME-innovation audience with overlapping services like networking and advisory referrals.

Direct peers

• Centre d'entrepreneuriat technologique (CET): Quebec-based technology entrepreneurship support center providing accompaniment and advisory to tech SMEs and startups. Comparable in offering innovation advisory and accompaniment to SMEs, serving a similar client type within the broader Quebec ecosystem.
• NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program): Federal program that provides advisory and funding support to Canadian SMEs for technology innovation and R&D. Highly comparable to ESM as both act as publicly funded intermediaries connecting SMEs with innovation resources and expertise, though at the national level rather than regional.
• PME MTL: Quebec-network PME support organization offering accompaniment and financing to SMEs in the Greater Montreal area. Closely comparable mandate (regional SME innovation and growth support) and similar delivery model to ESM, serving as the Montreal counterpart within Quebec's PME support ecosystem.
• Québec Tech: Quebec technology and innovation network that organizes events, networking, and ecosystem support (including Maillages Tech Mauricie with ESM). Comparable as a regional tech ecosystem builder, with overlapping audiences and event-driven GTM motion.

Regional players

• IDÉTR (Innovation et développement économique Trois-Rivières): Regional economic development organization for Trois-Rivières, partnered with ESM. Comparable in scope (regional economic development) but focused on economic development more broadly, while ESM specializes specifically in SME innovation accompaniment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economiedusavoirmauricie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Économie du Savoir Mauricie