MaRS Innovation Links Research Powerhouses

A new partnership known as MaRS Innovation aims to fully tap the commercial potential of Toronto’s outstanding research cluster.

Drawing more than 20 per cent of Canada’s investment in research, Toronto’s Discovery District is unquestionably home to exceptional science. The commercialization output of the Toronto academic community, however, has lagged behind its research excellence.

Leveraging the MaRS business platform and extending the work of BioDiscovery Toronto, MaRS Innovation will, for the first time, aggregate the research output of 14 leading institutions across Toronto with a mission to harness the economic potential of the best opportunities. It is uniquely positioned at the market-facing end of conventional technology transfer.

“MaRS Innovation is an unprecedented arrangement whereby the institutions will collectively contribute resources proportional to their research activity,” explained Tony Redpath, MaRS Vice President, Partner Programs. “The idea is for joint teams from MaRS Innovation and each institution to work with researchers to take the most promising discoveries out to the marketplace, as the basis for new companies or to be used by existing companies”.

It’s the scale of MaRS Innovation and the breadth of its technology pipeline – given the academic strength of its partners – that will enable recruitment of top-notch managers and analysts accustomed to working at the interface of science and business, significantly improving the chances of commercial success in the global marketplace.

The project is among 11 new Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECRs) announced this year in Ottawa.

The Founding Board Chair of MaRS Innovation is Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children.

MORE INFORMATION

• Ottawa Funds MaRS Innovation

• Email Page
• Print Page
• Increase Font
• Decrease Font

MaRS FACTS

MaRS provides advisory services to entrepreneurs – from market intelligence and financing, to partnership building, sales and PR advice – through its team of Venture Group advisors.