With the Collision Technology Conference and its 36,000 international attendees descending upon Toronto, Ontario between June 17th and 20th, there is no better time to showcase the province’s innovation ecosystem.
Ontario is where bold ideas come to life, tackling some of the biggest challenges the world has ever seen. Businesses in Ontario’s information technology sector thrive because they work within a robust digital infrastructure and an innovative and open culture, with a multicultural, tech-skilled workforce and a government that supports technological developments.
Home to three of North America’s top five most concentrated tech markets (Ottawa, Toronto, and Waterloo), Ontario is where industry giants like Nokia, Google, IBM and Amazon invest in major R&D operations. With a record of accomplishments that includes BlackBerry, the world’s first Geographical Information System (GIS) software, IMAX film technology, ground-breaking two-way wireless technology and breakthroughs in 3D animation, Ontario has an impressive history of invention and innovation in the information technology sector.
On June 17th, the Government of Ontario, in partnership with nearby municipalities and regions, is hosting an Innovation Road Trip, for Collision Attendees, to highlight the province’s technology hot spots, including the cities of Brampton, Markham, Mississauga, and Toronto, and the regions of Durham and Halton.
This tour is appropriate for international entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who want to explore the vibrant business ecosystem, unique support programs, and growth potential in one of Canada’s most desirable and livable regions.
Halton Profile
Halton’s strategic location in west Greater Toronto Area (GTA) provides easy access to major North American markets, a fast-growing pipeline of talent and a highly educated labour force. Halton has four communities: Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville. With a population of close to 600,000 residents, Halton has been rated the safest Canadian municipality with a population of 100,000 or more for 15 years. It is one of the most vibrant and desirable communities to live in Canada.
Halton’s diverse technology ecosystem, combined with its proximity to international airports and livable communities, make Halton a premium choice for tech companies. Halton is home to a diverse and evolving Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) sector, including more than 300 firms. The ICT sector in Halton has remarkable breadth, covering a wide range of specializations.
Halton boasts the most educated labour pool in the GTA with 78% of residents holding post-secondary degrees and diplomas. Halton businesses draw from 20 colleges and 12 universities within a one-hour drive. Sheridan College, located in Halton, has been named the “Harvard” of animation, producing high-demand graduates in the animation and gaming industry internationally. Sheridan’s Centre for Applied AI creates innovative solutions to industry-relevant challenges in mobile health, in close collaboration with industry, community, and academic partners.
Watch a short video of Halton’s Innovation Tour 2023
TOUR PROGRAM
The tour will introduce participants to Halton’s thriving tech sector with a stop at one of Halton’s homegrown successes – Geotab. Participants will tour Geotab’s impressive facility and learn how Geotab grew from a small family business to a leading global company with over 2,000 employees and more than 700 partners. Lunch at Burlington’s ‘innovation hub’-TechPlace, will allow participants to relax and enjoy a view of the city, network, with local entrepreneurs and learn about the services available to international tech companies, including soft-landing, and Start-up Visa programs and services. Panel discussions will allow participants to ask direct questions to international start-ups and local business leaders.
Tour site Profiles
Headquartered in Oakville, Geotab is a global leader in connected transportation services that provides telematics (vehicle and asset tracking) solutions to over 50,000 customers in 160 countries. For more than 20 years, Geotab has invested in ground-breaking data research and innovation to enable partners and customers, including Fortune 500 and public sector organizations, to transform their fleets and operations. With over four million subscriptions and processing more than 75 billion data points per day, Geotab helps customers make better decisions, increase productivity, operate safer fleets, and achieve their sustainability goals. Geotab’s open platform and Marketplace offer hundreds of third-party solution options. Backed by a team of industry-leading data scientists and AI experts, Geotab is unlocking the power of data to understand real-time and predictive analytics—solving for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s world. To learn more, visit www.geotab.com, follow @GEOTAB on X and LinkedIn or visit the Geotab Blog.
TechPlace is a thriving innovation centre located in Burlington that supports the start-up and growth of technology companies across the region, and welcomes international businesses looking to expand or relocate in the Canadian market. An initiative of Burlington Economic Development, TechPlace offers a range of free and paid memberships that provide access to hot desking and private offices, meeting rooms, event space, collaboration areas, and extensive programming, networking and mentorship opportunities.
Co-located in TechPlace is Innovation Factory, a leading business accelerator in Ontario, acting as strategic advisors, connectors and much more to 3000+ innovators and Angel One Investor Network, a network of Angel investors that have invested more than $35 million in early-stage companies. TechPlace has welcomed more than 41 international start-ups from nine different countries through previous programs. Tour participants will have the opportunity to meet some of these founders and hear their stories.
Halton Business Blog 