Quebec companies head to Cambodia to do business in French

People watch a video projection in an exhibit at Kontinuum, a multimedia production taking place in the future Lyon Light Rail Transit station as part of Ottawa 2017's Canada 150 celebrations, in Ottawa on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Quebec companies are heading to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, this weekend to do business in French.

The FrancoTech event is taking place on the sidelines of the 20th Francophonie Summit, which brings together the world’s leading French-speaking players.

In particular, it will be an opportunity for Quebec’s entertainment leader, Moment Factory, to raise its profile in Southeast Asia—a region brimming with potential, according to Marie-Pier Veilleux, the company’s senior director of Global Communications and International Relations.

In an interview, she made no secret of her company’s interest in Cambodia’s ancient temples, which could be illuminated and showcased in a similar way to what was done at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 2012.

Moment Factory specializes in lighting displays and special effects, particularly for concerts, the Super Bowl, airports, and the facades of historic buildings around the world. It is also behind the Lumina nighttime experiences in Quebec and elsewhere.

“We’re really in exploration mode,” explained Veilleux, who praised Cambodia’s “cultural richness.”

“The United States remains our priority market because we’re fortunate to have some wonderful collaborations and partnerships, (...) but I think we’re more aware than ever of the importance of diversifying.

“Will this potential be realized? Only time will tell. (...) Sometimes things come to fruition, sometimes they don’t. So, we’ll have to wait and see,” she added.

The trade show in Phnom Penh is also generating enthusiasm at the IT firm Resologi, based in Repentigny.

Specializing in data integration for complex projects—particularly public transit projects such as metro systems—the company aims to raise its profile and expand its market.

“We’re established in Montreal with the STM, the Cairo Metro in Egypt, and Paris Metro lines 18 and 19, (...) but we’d like to see if we can find a few more clients,” said Resologi’s director of research and development, Ariel Gamelin. “It’s very exciting in those parts because infrastructure is developing at breakneck speed. (...) In Phnom Penh, all they have are buses, but they really want to develop quickly and are already starting to talk about the possibility of a metro system with two lines.”

Gamelin, who will also be travelling to Singapore and Thailand, believes he will benefit from the positive image Canada projects on the international stage and calls on Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to “maintain this united front” during the summit.

“He’s a reasonable person, after all. (...) I hope he’ll maintain this united front with Canada while we have a positive image. (...) We have nothing to gain by quarrelling and giving the impression that we don’t really have a united front in Canada,” he said.

Resologi’s goal is “definitely” to take advantage of the summit to “explore opportunities” across the Francophonie, its representative noted.

More than 200 exhibitors from around the world will participate in FrancoTech, a trade show dedicated to innovation and economic cooperation within the Francophone world, according to the organizers. Approximately 5,000 visitors are expected to attend.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 12, 2026.