Changing Times in Ontario's Tech Ecology

Ottawa, Toronto, and Waterloo have long been the technological-innovation hubs of Ontario. These cities are home to major innovation institutions, Invest Ottawa, MaRS Discovery District in Toronto and Communitech in Waterloo. While these hubs have been an essential element of the growth of technology and entrepreneurship within the province, there is always room for more growth. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recently announced the provincial investment in merging these three institutions into one overarching program. This program launches under the expectation that it will bring in $100 million dollars in revenue to its 30 scale-up companies, as well as providing services to thousands of entrepreneurs and their innovations. 

This new program, called the Scale-Up Platform will be receiving an investment of $52.4 million from the Government of Canada in order to facilitate this growth. By combining these programs and affiliating them with the Ontario government, the hope is that the network will expand and bring new opportunities for partnerships with post-secondary institutions as well. 

Southern Ontario has already proven to be a powerhouse in the tech ecosystem, and by linking these major players, the opportunity for growth grows exponentially. The pooling of resources across the provinces facilitates the opportunity for expansive growth, larger networks and accelerated growth. 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-growth-and-innovation-network-in-ontario-to-help-create-18-000-jobs-851882017.html

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 27, 2019 at 7:56 AM

    Hi Maya, I find the Scale-Up platform very interesting. It is a great opportunity for Canada's tech sectors to improve and prosper. We have proven to be an impact on technology innovation around the globe, especially as Canada is recognized for tech centers such as "Silicon Valley of the North" between Waterloo and Toronto through Highway 401.
    - Tarik Lee-Vaiya 151524380

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