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Busan Meets with Delegation from Quebec, Canada to Discuss Promotion of Practical Exchanges

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that Vice Mayor Lee Jun-seung met with Martine Biron, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie of Quebec, at 8:40 a.m. on June 26 at Busan City Hall. They discussed ways to deepen friendly ties and promote practical cooperation across various fields between Busan and Quebec.

The Quebec delegation included Minister Biron, Damien Pereira, Director of the Quebec Government Office in Seoul, and other officials.

Located in eastern Canada, Quebec is renowned for high-value-added advanced industries such as hydropower-based natural energy, aerospace, information technology (IT), life sciences, and electric-vehicle batteries.

Vice Mayor Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you for taking the time to visit Busan despite your busy schedule,” and warmly welcomed Minister Biron on her first visit to the city.

He continued, “Quebec is familiar to us because Montreal—one of Busan’s sister cities—is located there. Busan is a logistics and port hub and is nurturing advanced industries such as quantum technology and AI, while Quebec is very active in aerospace and quantum/AI fields.” He emphasized that both regions serve as important industrial and research centers in their respective countries and voiced high expectations for future exchanges.

Last year (2024), Pusan National University initiated practical cooperation by using D-Wave’s quantum computer to conduct research on optimizing port logistics.

Additionally, the city secured a total of KRW 5.5 billion in national funding after being selected for the central government’s “Research Project for Industrial Utilization of Quantum Computers” for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024).

Minister Biron expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome, noting, “I could not visit Busan during my trip to Korea in 2023, but I believe this visit will pave the way for strengthened cooperation between Quebec and Busan, building on our respective strengths.”

She added, “In addition to quantum and AI, Quebec’s specialized industries include aerospace, batteries, and healthcare, and we also anticipate cooperation in the port sector. Quebec will be a practical and reliable partner.”

Minister Biron further explained that Quebec plans to expand practical exchanges with major Korean cities as part of its strategy to enhance cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries.

In response, Vice Mayor Lee stated, “With quantum and AI as key strategic industries for Busan’s future, we plan to send a delegation to Quebec in July to sign MOUs and pursue joint projects with universities, research institutes, and organizations there. We look forward to discussing mutually beneficial cooperation.”

He concluded, “Quebec and Busan share many points of contact across various fields. I expect active, practical exchanges between our two regions.”

After the meeting, the Quebec delegation visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea and the Korea Maritime Institute. This marks the third visit to Busan by Quebec officials this year, following visits by the Quebec Government Office in Seoul in April and Invest Quebec in May.

The city has been discussing expanded cooperation in areas such as education and culture, including partnerships with Quebec’s quantum and AI research institutes, companies, and organizations, as well as with Invest Quebec.

Through discussions with the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Quebec has also explored potential areas for industrial cooperation and co-hosted events focused on economic collaboration to develop future joint growth strategies.