Opportunities and infrastructure
Invest in Sept-Îles
Investment opportunities
A competitive, forward-looking business environment
Sept-Îles offers one of Québec’s most attractive investment environments for growing industries. With a strategic position in global markets and a long industrial tradition, the region combines economic momentum, available land, and institutional support for innovation.
Direct access to global markets
Thanks to its deep-water port (one of the largest in Canada), Sept-Îles lies at the heart of shipping routes linking North America, Europe, and Asia. This exceptional logistics gateway reduces export costs and boosts the competitiveness of businesses established in the area.
Strong industrial expertise
The region relies on a skilled workforce in mining, metals processing, energy, logistics, and northern engineering. Proximity to natural resources and export infrastructure provides an ideal setting for developing innovative value chains.
An energy transition full of opportunities
Sept-Îles plays a key role in the energy transition by leveraging mineral resources essential to green technologies and by developing clean-energy projects. The area offers reliable, competitively priced hydroelectric power—an important advantage for energy-intensive businesses seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.
High-potential investment sectors include:
- Critical minerals and processing value chains
- Renewable energy and hydrogen
- Port industry and intermodal logistics
- Sustainable technologies and materials
- Adventure and cruise tourism
- Innovation in northern environments
Privileged access to northern territory
Sept-Îles is the gateway to the North and Labrador, offering numerous investment opportunities in infrastructure, energy, logistics, and northern tourism development.
Infrastructure and industrial sites
The Sept-Îles–Port-Cartier IP Zone is at the heart of a provincial economic strategy focused on accelerating investment, local resource processing, and the growth of innovative industries.
The IP Zone is already attracting foreign capital in mining, metallurgy, energy, and industrial technologies. It is structured to support the growth of exporting businesses and integration into global supply chains.
PRIMARY USE
Heavy industry
TOTAL AREA
3,420 ha / 8,450.7 acres
ZONING
Industrial
Large undeveloped industrial zones “Greenfield”
TOPOGRAPHY
Flat
OWNERSHIP
City of Sept-Îles / MERN and private companies
RAIL SERVICE
Arnaud Railway and QNS&L Railway
TOPOGRAPHY
Variable
OWNERSHIP
MERN, Port of Sept-Îles (265 ha) and
SFPPN
RAIL SERVICE
Rail-ferry terminal and Arnaud Railway
PRIMARY USE
Light / heavy industry
TOTAL AREA
13,561 ha / 3,390 acres
ZONING
Industrial
Large undeveloped industrial zones
“Greenfield”
TOPOGRAPHY
Flat
OWNERSHIP
City of Sept-Îles / MERN and
private companies
RAIL SERVICE
Arnaud Railway and
QNS&L Railway
PRIMARY USE
Light industry
TOTAL AREA
37.6 ha / 93 acres
ZONING
Industrial and commercial
TOPOGRAPHY
Flat
OWNERSHIP
City of Sept-Îles and private
companies
RAIL SERVICE
QNS&L Railway and Tshiuetin
Rail Transportation
PRIMARY USE
Light industry
TOTAL AREA
320 ha / 790.7 acres
ZONING
Industrial and commercial
TOPOGRAPHY
Flat
OWNERSHIP
City of Sept-Îles and private
companies
RAIL SERVICE
QNS&L Railway
Major companies
Major prime contractors (MPCs) operating in our area play an essential role in regional economic vitality. Through their investments and supply chains, they create business opportunities for local companies and contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs.
Year established:
1989
Business sector:
Metallurgy / primary aluminum production
Number of employees:
Approximately 900 to 1,000 employees
Type of company:
Private company – international consortium of aluminum producers
Year established:
2016
Business sector:
Mining industry – extraction and processing of iron ore
Number of employees:
Approximately 1,200 to 1,500 employees
Type of company:
Private company – subsidiary of Champion Iron
Year established:
1999
Business sector:
Marine transportation, logistics, and port infrastructure
Number of employees:
Approximately 70 to 80 employees
Type of organization:
Canada Port Authority (autonomous federal not-for-profit organization)
Year established:
1949
Business sector:
Mining and metallurgical industry: extraction, processing, and export of iron ore (concentrate and pellets)
Number of employees:
Approximately 3,000 employees in total in Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador, including several hundred in Sept-Îles (port and railway)
Type of company:
Multinational private company in the mining sector (subsidiary of the Rio Tinto Group)
Year established:
2016
Business sector:
Rail transportation and port logistics for the mining industry
Number of employees:
Approximately 120 to 150 employees
Type of organization:
Public enterprise – Québec government Crown corporation
Year established:
2017
Business sector:
Mining industry – extraction and processing of iron ore
Number of employees:
Approximately 200 to 500 employees
Type of company:
Private company
COMAX and the Northern Business Network
COMAX Sept-Rivières: a structuring lever for regional development
COMAX Sept-Rivières’ primary mandate is to maximize local economic benefits from major projects—whether mining, infrastructure, energy, or others. It is a strategic tool to ensure that major projects truly benefit the region. It embodies the idea that economic development must be driven by local integration, the strengthening of regional SMEs, sustainable employment, and the fair distribution of benefits.
For investors, developers, or decision-makers, COMAX is a partner that facilitates project establishment while ensuring social acceptability and a positive impact on the territory.