Quebec has just won its battle against Ontario to attract the pharmaceutical company Moderna. The company, which is behind one of the most widely used vaccines against COVID-19, will settle in the greater Montreal area, according to information first revealed by The Journal of Montreal.
“It’s done, Moderna has chosen the Montreal region,” we were told.
The pharmaceutical giant, which has been at the heart of the fight against COVID-19, will set up its RNA vaccine production plant there. The exact location will be known when announced on Friday.
The total investment is not yet detailed, but in recent months, several players close to the file have mentioned an amount of several hundred million dollars.
The announcement will be made Friday in the presence of the two prime ministers Justin Trudeau and François Legault.
The Minister of Economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon will also be present. Behind the scenes, the latter told us last December that Quebec had put a lot of effort into overtaking the neighboring province.
“We are extremely involved, we have a full-time team on this. I myself had the opportunity to meet the president of Moderna Canada,” he said at a press conference.
The Federal Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne will also make the trip. According to a source, the latter has also been active in the file in order to attract pharmaceuticals to Canada.