Building a global commercialization network

From December 6-8, MaRS will host the 2006 Global CONNECT Annual Conference – one of the year’s most important technology events happening anywhere in Canada.

Global CONNECT is an international conference focused on accelerating promising technology companies and developing networks and partnerships stretching across regions and sectors. This year Global CONNECT comes back to North American for the first time in four years – and comes to Canada for the first time ever.

We expect the conference to underline Ontario’s emergence as a world-class centre of research and commercialization excellence. It will also build on the success of the 2005 conference – which I attended in Taipei, Taiwan – by attracting an international audience of technology commercialization experts, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, researchers and policymakers to Toronto.

Speakers include:

• David Thomson (best-selling author of “Blueprint to a Billion”)
• Dr. David Naylor (President, University of Toronto)
• Mary Walshok (Co-founder, CONNECT San Diego)
• Rick Nathan (President, Canadian Venture Capital Association)
• Peter Brenders (President and CEO, BIOTECanada)
• Adam Bly (Editor-in-Chief, SEED Magazine)
• Natalie Dakers (CEO, Centre for Drug Research and Development)

Looking at this list, I’m expecting 48 hours of fantastic conversation – not to mention a flurry of blog-able material. For the first installment of “Live at Global CONNECT” tune in here in two weeks. And if you’re interested in attending – or simply want to find out more – click here.

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Tags: canada, commercialization, globalization, MaRS, ontario, ross wallace, technology