A culture of collaboration is really at the heart of what’s next in innovation. What’s exciting in Toronto is that we have local and international businesses partnering with the startup ecosystem and increasingly with the academic community to position themselves for success in the future. And it’s happening across the spectrum from digital media and information technology to life sciences and healthcare, energy solutions and social innovation.
Dr. Ilse Treurnicht, CEO, Executive Chairperson, Triphase Accelerator Corporation
Toronto is alive with enablers of innovation, with over 70 incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces that offers programs to support startups not only in tech, but a range of sectors including manufacturing, food production, fashion, and the arts and music.
At its heart is the MaRS Centre, one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs and a home for entrepreneurs building Canada’s next generation of growth companies. Toronto is also one of the top technology industries on the continent with a thriving startup community and boasts an impressive amount of established businesses including tech giants like Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Google and Facebook.
The Toronto Region is home to one of North America’s largest life sciences sectors – employing close to 40,000 people in areas such as medical research, biotechnology, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The Toronto Region is home to one of the most vibrant biotechnology clusters in the world. The region’s Discovery District, a 2.5km2 downtown research park and health innovation hub, is comprised of 7 million square feet of facilities representing Canada’s largest concentration of hospitals, research institutes, business incubators and venture capital organizations. MaRS Health Venture Services supports nearly 300 high-potential health startups that span the full industry spectrum, from health monitoring and disease treatment to information storage and sharing. With more than 650,000 square metres of facilities, this innovation centre represents Canada’s largest concentration of research institutes, business incubators, and banking/venture capital organizations.
New and improved R&D centres help to retain and attract scientists from Canada and abroad as well as solidify the Toronto region’s position as the centre of Canada’s life sciences sector. Toronto’s sector comprises pharmaceuticals; biotechnology; and medical research, devices, surgical supply and assistive technologies.
Learn more about Toronto’s life sciences sector.