Global CONNECT Comes to MaRS
MaRS hosted the Global CONNECT Annual Conference in December in partnership with the San Diego-based Global CONNECT organization. The Conference brought the leaders of innovation centres and business accelerators as well as policymakers and economic development specialists from 18 countries together in Toronto.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to highlight the Province of Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty outlined the actions taken by the government to “ensure that Ontario is positioned now and in the future to manage the challenges and seize the opportunities of our new world economy.” He also holds the Minister of Research and Innovation portfolio.
Premier McGuinty underscored the importance of innovation. “It’s no longer about big economies taking over small economies... It’s about the fast overtaking the slow. It’s not about maintaining the status quo. It’s about challenging the status quo. It’s no longer a question of asking whether we should innovate ...Innovation is the only way to go,” McGuinty said.
Attendees commended the Ontario Government’s focus on innovation while so many others are hard-pressed to make innovation a central theme.
Conference attendee Mark Bradley, head of ATP Innovations in Sydney, Australia, noted on his blog that “the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Research and Innovation to support [the knowledge economy] headed by the Premier sends a powerful message of where the Province wants to be in the world scene.”
The Global CONNECT program covered a diverse range of topics, showcasing Ontario’s innovation hubs, the state of venture capital, new web-based collaboration tools, lessons learned from older, more “mature” business accelerators, and the role of creativity in innovation. The final dinner held at the MaRS Centre even featured an address by Toronto’s Poet Laureate, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco.
During Di Cicco’s keynoted, the attendees were completely silent as he brought a new perspective on creating an environment to nurture innovation, focusing on the role of the city: “Though it will appear that a city is attractive because of certain types of technology, the city wants to attract people who not only specialize in those technologies, but who see that city as a livable place with a strong creative ethic.” Di Cicco continued, “The creative city is more than just innovative. It manufactures an appetite for life. It respects the random, not just as new information for design, but as the currency of civic allowance. People will not volunteer their ideas if they live in the regulated environment of gentrified enclaves, free only to exercise imagination in front of computer screens.”
The Global CONNECT Conference seeks to provide a forum where those working to accelerate technology commercialization can share experiences, brainstorm, and get to know one another. The event held in Toronto surpassed these expectations.
To see more of the conference by podcast, visit http://successful-innovation.blogs.com/global_connect_conference/
Taking advantage of the opportunity to highlight the Province of Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty outlined the actions taken by the government to “ensure that Ontario is positioned now and in the future to manage the challenges and seize the opportunities of our new world economy.” He also holds the Minister of Research and Innovation portfolio.
Premier McGuinty underscored the importance of innovation. “It’s no longer about big economies taking over small economies... It’s about the fast overtaking the slow. It’s not about maintaining the status quo. It’s about challenging the status quo. It’s no longer a question of asking whether we should innovate ...Innovation is the only way to go,” McGuinty said.
Attendees commended the Ontario Government’s focus on innovation while so many others are hard-pressed to make innovation a central theme.
Conference attendee Mark Bradley, head of ATP Innovations in Sydney, Australia, noted on his blog that “the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Research and Innovation to support [the knowledge economy] headed by the Premier sends a powerful message of where the Province wants to be in the world scene.”
The Global CONNECT program covered a diverse range of topics, showcasing Ontario’s innovation hubs, the state of venture capital, new web-based collaboration tools, lessons learned from older, more “mature” business accelerators, and the role of creativity in innovation. The final dinner held at the MaRS Centre even featured an address by Toronto’s Poet Laureate, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco.
During Di Cicco’s keynoted, the attendees were completely silent as he brought a new perspective on creating an environment to nurture innovation, focusing on the role of the city: “Though it will appear that a city is attractive because of certain types of technology, the city wants to attract people who not only specialize in those technologies, but who see that city as a livable place with a strong creative ethic.” Di Cicco continued, “The creative city is more than just innovative. It manufactures an appetite for life. It respects the random, not just as new information for design, but as the currency of civic allowance. People will not volunteer their ideas if they live in the regulated environment of gentrified enclaves, free only to exercise imagination in front of computer screens.”
The Global CONNECT Conference seeks to provide a forum where those working to accelerate technology commercialization can share experiences, brainstorm, and get to know one another. The event held in Toronto surpassed these expectations.
To see more of the conference by podcast, visit http://successful-innovation.blogs.com/global_connect_conference/
BROWSE PAGES
- MaRS Convergence: Spring 2008
- MaRS Convergence: Fall 2007
- MaRS Convergence: Winter 2006/07
- Global CONNECT Comes to MaRS
- Thinking Like a Citizen of the World
- Heritage Building Recognized
- Building a Successful Global Company
- Creating a Culture of Innovation
- Ushering in a "Medical Revolution"
- MaRS Educating Future Entrepreneurs
- Tenant Profile: AXS envisions what we can't see
- MaRS Joins Give a Day to AIDS Campaign
- MaRS and OCE Introduce Market Readiness Program
- MaRS Attracts International Attention
- MaRS Blog Takes Off
- MaRS Convergence: Fall 2006
- MaRS Convergence: Winter 2005
