"Competitive Alternatives" KPMG Study - Greater Montréal offers the most
competitive operating costs among the main industrialized regions in the
world

MONTRÉAL, April 1 /CNW Telbec/ - According to KPMG's "Competitive Alternatives" study, Greater Montréal offers the most competitive business-operating costs among the main industrialized regions in the world. Montréal ranks 1st among the 41 metropolitan regions with a population of two million or more, excluding the cities in Mexico, the only emerging country in the 10 countries considered in the study.

All sectors combined, the cost advantage of operating in Greater Montréal compared to the average of American cities is 5.8%. This advantage rises to 22% in clinical trials, 18% in electronic systems testing, 14% in software design and web/multimedia, and 12% in biotechnology.

In general, Metropolitan Montréal's cost advantage is more striking in non-manufacturing sectors such as IT and enterprise services, as well as R&D services. "The superior cost performance of the Montréal region in high-technology sectors is due in particular to the advantageous tax incentives for R&D offered by the Governments of Québec and Canada," underlined the Acting President and CEO of Montréal International, Mr. Luc Lacharité.

The KPMG study compares business-operating costs in more than 100 cities in 10 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. This comparative analysis measures the combined impact of 26 cost factors that are particularly sensitive to geographic location, for 17 types of businesses, over a 10-year period.

The study is available to download on the following website: http://www.competitivealternatives.com.

About Montréal International

Montréal International (MI) was created in 1996 as a result of a private/public partnership. Its mission is to contribute to the economic development of metropolitan Montréal and to enhance its international status. Its mandates include attracting foreign investment, international organizations and qualified workers, supporting the development of innovation and metropolitan clusters, and promoting the competitive and international environment of Greater Montréal. Montréal International is funded by the private sector, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montréal Metropolitan Community), the City of Montréal and the Governments of Canada and Québec.

Since its creation, Montréal International has helped to attract more than $7 billion in foreign investment to Greater Montréal. From these investments, more than 40 000 jobs have been created or maintained. To date, MI's activities have also allowed more than 25 international organizations to establish themselves in the city and attract more than 3 000 qualified foreign workers. To learn more, please visit MI Web site at: www.montrealinternational.com.

For further information: Benoît Lefèvre, Communications Advisor, Montréal International, [phone], [email protected]