Montreal Tech Watch

A proud opening

Last Friday, Monique Savoie, founder, CEO and artistic director of la SAT, held a re-opening ceremony of the SAT. Closed for almost a year for renovations, la Société des Arts Technologiques (or la SAT, as everyone calls it), now boasts new facilities and new projects. It now has a new Living Lab, a new Dome, and a new restaurant called FoodLab.

The re-opening should be interesting for the technology community, since la SAT has been home to many BarCamps, democamps, rococo, Pecha Kucha, video game events, as well as the StartupCamp Montreal series a few years ago. In the beginning, the SAT was the only space that has the capacity to host hundreds of people, with a bar and a networking space in the opening area, and also offered friendly rates for organizers.

A recipe for success – or how to get a $4.1m grant from Ottawa

What’s also interesting is that La Presse Affaires reporting a total cost for the renovation of $9.9 millions, with the federal government paying 42%, the QC government paying 36%, the City of Montreal 8%, and the University of Montreal 1%. It’s a rare achievement, considering that a lot of programs for artists and minorities were axed by the federal government, back in late 2009.

If you see the SAT website, the organization knows smartly to insert itself into various movements and plans, putting itself somehow on the crossroads of art, technology and Montreal. It’s in a key location on St-Laurent, in the “Quartier des Spectacles”, and is thus key to the City’s plans. The SAT also knows how to present in the best light its art and technology projects. And it’s not just a coworking space: it offers workshops, a research & development center, as well as art production. Are the art projects in the SAT really superior? I couldn’t find rave reviews of la SAT projects, so the answer to that question is left to the reader, but what’s sure it that la SAT knows how to communicate them beautifully, with a good mix of *fancy* imagery and professional presentation.

For projects like Notman House, and also other arts and community programs, it might be worthwile to have a hard look into that “recipe” of success.

A new 360 deg, 18 meter diameter dome

The most visible aspect of the renovation is of course the new Dome, called la SATosphere, which apparently has state-of-the-art audio and visuals. Artists are invited to use the space creatively, and la SAT is hoping to commercialize and “conquer the world” with that new space.

FoodLab, an experiment in cuisine, and a Living Lab

For foodies, la SAT now offers the FoodLab, a space where chefs are freed from the tyranny of the bottom line, and are invited to experiment and create, almost as if they were doing an art project. The space got the attention of the local press and bloggers a few weeks ago, in special events where dancers were serving food, plus a visual feast offered to the audience’s eyes.

The University of Montreal also sponsored the Living Lab, which will be used for common medical/technological projects, making the SAT now a R&D center.

What’s in it for the technology community?

Because the SAT closed for a year, tech event organizers found other places to host events, plus there are now a good variety of coworking spaces. The SAT is not essential, and other groups are now getting organized to get spaces further north, mixing in the same location FabLabs, artists, an event space, and hackers.

Of course, la SAT still has the advantage of awakening all the sense. Imagine a technology startup launch in that dome, or maybe one of the International Startup Festival parties around FoodLab. It’s a unique way to brand an event as innovative, and inspire bloggers and media about your product.