Roles and objectives

The mission of RISQ’s Innovation Group is to promote broadband networking and information technologies to member universities and research institutes.

• It contributes to RISQ’s revenues by stimulating the development of innovative uses for the network — to the benefit of the whole research and education community.
• It puts RISQ’s telecommunications infrastructure at the disposal of Quebec researchers by taking an active role in R&D projects using its unique, Quebec-wide, 5,000-kilometre network.

The research sector, however, is not confined to the university sector, which is one of RISQ’s natural partners. Private, governmental, and paragovernmental research institutes can also take advantage of RISQ’s R&D support services – as can artists who use the network for creative ends. More generally, it is not necessary to be a RISQ member in order to use the Innovation Group’s services.

In this context, the Innovation Group privileges a project-based approach. These self-contained technical projects must be self-financing through external revenue streams, independent of RISQ’s standard telecommunications services. Nevertheless, existing infrastructure can be used without additional compensation.

The Innovation Group thus takes on a leadership role for the telecommunications component of R&D projects. It also provides project management services for wider projects, allowing its clients to benefit from its neutrality and from the best-in-class expertise available within its membership.