Canadians delegation raises profile of Ontario Technology Corridor
A Canadian delegation from the Ontario Technology Corridor cities of Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo, Canada - along with Government of Ontario representatives - is touring the UK to raise the profile of the business opportunities that exist in Ontario's Technology Corridor
The delegation will be taking the message to English economic and technology advisory councils including Think London, St. John's Innovation Centre (University of Cambridge), UK Trade & Investment, Government Office for the East of England and the Cambridge Network.
Canada's Ontario Technology Corridor hugs the Great Lakes alongside the U.S. border and includes the municipal regions of Toronto, Ottawa, Waterloo, London and Niagara, and employs nearly 256,000 people in 5,900 technology companies spanning the software, photonics, wireless, cleantech, digital media, life sciences, and microelectronics sectors.
Further information can be obtained from Blair Patacairk, Senior Consultant, Investment Ontario Technology Corridor, mobile number +1-519-574-3322 or +1-416-843-8692 (ask for Blair Patacairk)
"The Ontario Technology Corridor offers a spectacular, and previously unknown value proposition to UK companies seeking to expand in North America," says Michael Darch, Executive Director, OCRI Global Marketing (Ottawa). The Ontario Technology Corridor Delegation's economic development message includes the following facts:
· Technology and research-driven companies including Google, IBM, RIM, Adobe, Cisco, Microsoft, Toyota, GlaxoSmithKline, Nortel and Xerox take advantage of a highly educated workforce. 55% of Ontario residents aged 25 to 64 have advanced education certificates, diplomas or degrees - compared to 51% for Canada as a whole and 39% for the U.S.
· Through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Ontario-based technology companies have long-term access to the North America's $16.9 trillion (GDP) economy.
· Federal and Ontario provincial research and development tax credits combine to offer Canada the most favourable tax treatment among G-8 countries - giving technology companies the ability to cut R&D expenditures by up to 70%.
· Ontario is the financial centre of Canada, and the Geneva-based World Economic Forum recently declared that Canada's banking system ranks as the soundest in the world.
· The Ontario's Technology Corridor's talent engine is fueled by 22 universities and colleges with extensive R&D facilities - many offering extensive internship and co-op education programs highly responsive to technology industry needs.
· Ontario's academic research labs are further bolstered by access to Federal R&D and Provincial Centres of Excellence facilities spread across the province.
· The Ontario Technology Corridor leads Canada on immigration, and surpasses U.S. cities such as Miami, Los Angeles and New York. Close to 100,000 immigrants come to the region every year and 75% of those over age 15 have a post-secondary certificate or degree.
· Canadian immigration policy is more worker-friendly than in the U.S. It's far easier to staff technology companies with imported talent, and spouses of imported workers can receive automatic work visas.
· For bandwidth-enabled virtual travel, the province's telecom infrastructure is 100% digital and features the largest "free calling" area in North America. For non-virtual business travel, there are non-stop flights to 110 cities in 44 countries by 65 international airlines.
· Ontario Technology Corridor residents benefit from the province's affordable, safe, culturally diverse cities, and access to natural beauty, abundant lakes and rivers, and stable urban infrastructure.
