Welcoming Remarks

Damien Pereira

Quebec Government in Seoul
Chief Representative

Damien Pereira was appointed Québec Government Office Chief Representative in Seoul in May 2024.
Previously, he served as Director Growth and International Affairs at Québec's aerospace cluster, Aéro Montréal. Before joining Aéro Montréal, Mr. Pereira was an International Affairs Advisor at Québec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy, specifically within the Division of Canadian and International Innovation Partnerships.
From 2011 to 2021, he represented Québec's economic and diplomatic interests in France at the Québec Government Office in Paris, and in Western Canada at the Québec Office in Vancouver. He held various positions, including Economic Affairs Attaché, Innovation Attaché, and Interim Director of Economic Affairs. In these roles, he developed innovative market development strategies and led major industrial events to support the growth of exporting companies.
Mr. Pereira also provided operational services for the establishment of consular centers in Western Canada for the Consulate General of India in Vancouver and the High Commission of India in Ottawa. Previously, he held various positions in the private sector in France, Australia, and Vancouver, in the fields of plastic industry, IT engineering, and transportation.
A graduate of the International Business School MBS Paris XIII, Mr. Pereira holds a master's degree in Organizational Sciences and Public Affairs from Paris Dauphine University and a diploma in International Business Management from Greystone College in Vancouver. He is also a founding member of the Québec-Korea Business Association, where he served as Vice President of Innovation on the board of directors until 2024.
In addition to his professional career, Mr. Pereira is actively involved in international collaboration missions, as evidenced by his recent role as a member of the board of directors of the Global Aerospace Cluster Partnership (GACP) until 2024.

Introduction to Québec aerospace innovation zone and to Québec-Korea collaboration opportunities

Dr. Besma Benredjem

Québec government in Seoul
Scientist in residence

Dr. Besma Benredjem is the scientist in residence/Science advisor at the Québec government in Seoul where she promotes and facilitates the development of research, scientific and technological collaborations between Québec and South Korea in various fields (aerospace, advanced materials, biotechnology, AI, Smart cities, Energy Transition, Quantum Technologies etc.). A graduate of the University of Montreal, she holds a master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and a PhD in Pharmacology and Neurosciences.

CRIAQ aerospace ecosystem and funding opportunities

Dr. Guillaume Côté

CRIAQ
CEO

Guillaume Côté PhD is President and CEO of the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ) since April 1st, 2024.
Previously at Collins Aerospace, he was responsible for developing global strategy for a business division with more than 10,000 employees. Among his achievements were Collins’ strategy for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization and his leadership on advanced technologies strategy workshops.
He was also Vice-President of Technology and Innovation for the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC). There, he led an extensive national
consultation leading to the drafting of the Aerospace Innovation White Paper in 2016.
Prior to this, Guillaume worked ten years in the federal public service as a senior advisor and manager in the aerospace, defence, energy, and infrastructure sectors, as well as in regional economic development. He also led the renewal of
Canada’s bilateral science, technology and innovation action plans with France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union.
In 2009, Guillaume was one of two Canadians selected for the European Union Visitors Program. To this day, he remains actively involved in the INRS community – his alma mater - and contributes to several industry associations, networks and
think tanks.
Guillaume is an expert in innovation ecosystems. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Laval University, including a year exchange at the University of Lausanne. His academic background includes a M.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from INRS, as well as a French doctorate in Geography and Planning.

TEAM industry-academia collaboration project

Dr. Jean-Marc Frayret

SDG Innovation Network
Professor of Polytechnique Montréal

Jean-Marc Frayret is Professor of Industrial Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. His research focuses on modeling, optimization, and simulation of complex logistics systems in various sectors, including circular economy, manufacturing, product distribution, natural resource industries, and advanced air mobility. He is also the research director of the SDG Advanced Air Mobility Institute, which aims to develop tools and processes to optimize vertiport operations and airspace utilization, and to support the social and technological integration of advanced air mobility in Montréal and Québec. He is a member of the scientific committee of CIRODD, the SDG Innovation Network, and the Chantier de transition industrielle de l'Est de Montréal. He co-chaired the 2024 annual conference of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE).

Aerospace Engineering at ÉTS

Dr. Patrick Germain

ETS Montréal
Director of Aerospace engineering department

Professor Patrick Germain is currently director of the new Aerospace Engineering department at École de technologie supérieure. He has 25 years of experience in the aerodynamics of gas turbine installations. While employed by Pratt & Whitney Canada from 1996-2011, he worked on the installation aerodynamics of engines for business, commercial, regional, military, general aviation, including that for helicopters and APUs. As a senior staff specialist, he solved various complex problems for all P&WC models. At Bombardier Aviation in 2011-2020 he was a principal engineering specialist and the key person for all questions related to the aerodynamics of turbofans and APU installations for all Bombardier aircraft models. Since his arrival at ÉTS in 2021, he created a new bachelor’s program in Aerospace Engineering, and he has undertaken a research program for the aerodynamic integration of engines in unconventional airframes and aero-shape optimization