Today, FedDev Ontario announced an investment of up to $11.1 million in Innovate Cities, a not-for-profit organization that brings together a network of Canadian leaders in the development of innovative city technologies. This investment in combination with contributions from the private and public sector will establish the foundation for a $30 million program.
We at ThoughtWire are excited to hear the news as proud founding members of Innovate Cities.
“Canadians know there is boundless potential for sustainable development and this investment demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure our Canadian network of innovators, dedicated to developing technologies, is well placed to lead the future of working communities,” said Mikele Brack, Executive Director of Innovate Cities. “I would like to thank the government for their support of our objectives, to create safer, more accessible, energy-efficient spaces that benefit all citizens, while delivering economic diversification and job creation.”
Brack joined Marco Mendicino, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities who announced, on behalf of The Hon. Navdeep Bains Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, funding made available by the Government of Canada through the Regional Innovation Ecosystem stream which aims to advance innovation in strategic sectors of the economy.
“Canadians have long been leaders in innovation, and the Toronto region in particular is a recognized center of talent, growth and discovery,” said The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. “Today’s investments by the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, build on this region’s competitive advantages, and will support many local organizations as they drive employment, growth and economic success in the new innovation economy.”
The Innovate Cities ecosystem promotes a more competitive, prosperous and innovative economy and will address the resiliency challenges in cities, drive prosperity for citizens and businesses, and position Canada as the global leader in smart city innovation.
There is a need for a highly collaborative, integrated and accelerated model so that Canadian innovators can successfully translate leading-edge capabilities into high-growth, scaling enterprises and create relevant community resiliency outcomes.
We are proud to be part of this first-of-its-kind collaboration, and aid the development of a full-stack, cloud-based Community Hub platform for innovative start-ups and scale-ups to rapidly design and deploy capabilities.
Thanks to the Government of Canada’s funding we believe the future is bright for Innovate Cities and it’s mission. We are excited to see this organization create safer, more accessible, energy-efficient spaces that benefit all citizens.
Read the full release from Innovate Cities here.
Read the release from the Government of Canada here.
For further inquiries:
Andrew Brander
andrew.brander@crestviewstrategy.com