University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is Canada’s leading comprehensive university and a major worldwide source of graduates in science, mathematics and engineering.  Waterloo has a well-earned reputation for combining academic excellence with real-world relevance.  Technology transfer is a way of life at the University of Waterloo, where the bond forged between academia and the private sector has become an inherent part of the university’s culture.

A few of the highlights include:

• 1000-acre campus in the City of Waterloo;
• There are over 24,000 full and part-time students, 22,328 full-time undergraduate students; 1,974 part-time undergraduate students, 3,023 full-time graduate students and 613 part-time graduate students. More than 50% of Waterloo undergraduate students are involved in the pioneering cooperative education program;
• The world’s first and largest post secondary co-operative education program, Canada’s largest Faculty of Mathematics and the biggest Faculty of Engineering in Canada;
• 15 percent of Canada’s engineering graduates and 30 percent of all mathematics graduates in Ontario;
• Accounts for 22 percent of all university spin-off companies in Canada;
• Generates $1.1 billion in economic activity in the Waterloo Region annually and $1.6 billion province-wide;
• Ranked in top 3 for comprehensive universities in Canada for high quality, innovation and reputation by MACLEANS MAGAZINE for 17 years in a row (Nov, 2007); and
• Canada’s only English-language School of Optometry.
• In 2006/7, more than 95% of Waterloo co-op students found co-op employment and they earned over $125 million in the same year, much of which they spent back in the local community

Get to know them better: www.uwaterloo.ca

University of Waterloo’s Centre for Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology

The Centre for Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (CBET) was created to support, build on, and expand the entrepreneurial initiatives at the University Waterloo. The university's reputation for encouraging and spinning off successful entrepreneurial ventures is unmatched in Canada.  

The Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) is the degree that distinguishes graduates from general business programs by emphasizing technological, innovative and entrepreneurial energies that are the foundation of the University of Waterloo's reputation. Specifically, the program has been designed to fill a market need for individuals with the business acumen to successfully move ideas and innovations into commercial practice.

This program allows leaders to have the skills to innovate, execute, and develop a culture of continuous improvement within their organization.  The non-credit courses and certificates can provide you with both the theoretical and practical skills necessary to do this.

For more information, visit www.cbet.uwaterloo.ca

WLU’S Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship

Another Laurier first, the Centre exists to serve the shared interests of the School of Business and Economics, its faculty and students, entrepreneurs and the private sector.  Among its activities, the Centre supports SBE’s academic programs, provides opportunities for Laurier students to gain real-world experience in the entrepreneurial community and facilitates the incubation of student business ideas.

The university’s new Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) MBA, which commences in January 2008, is the first of its kind in Canada.  It will help students who have an entrepreneurial spirit and an eye for opportunity reach their goal of either founding their own company or working and thriving within an existing entrepreneurial organization.

Several critical new courses have been developed that are unique to the MBA I&E program, including Design & Innovation, the Management of Creativity, and Leadership of Innovative Organizations. These courses are designed to help new business owners recognize the value of design, innovation and creativity as key sources of competitive advantage, business growth, and shareholder value. Students enrolled in Laurier’s MBA I&E program will also benefit from the support of Laurier’s Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit www.wlu.ca/sbe/schlegel

Entrepreneur Week

Hosted in the fall, Entrepreneur week brings entrepreneurs of tomorrow together with mentors, professional service firms, investors, government, and business organizations. Canada’s biggest entrepreneurial conference includes more than 16 community partners hosting 15 events during Entrepreneur Week, creating the largest celebration of entrepreneurship in Canada. Acknowledging a rich entrepreneurial history, a strong and diverse economic sector, the week celebrates the entrenched spirit of entrepreneurial spirit in Waterloo Region.

For more information, visit www.entrepreneurweek.ca

Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

The Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame celebrates and showcases inspirational entrepreneurs who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship in our region, and inspire that spirit in others.

The Hall of Fame:

• celebrates entrepreneur success stories from within Waterloo Region
• nurtures the community entrepreneurial spirit and encourages new start-ups in Waterloo Region
• promotes role models that inspire and encourage future entrepreneurs
• increases the profile of Waterloo Region on a national scale

Inductees in the Hall of Fame are pioneering entrepreneurs whose drive and perseverance have established a legacy of entrepreneurial excellence. Up to ten individuals are inducted annually at a gala celebration held during Waterloo Region's Entrepreneur Week in early October.

The Waterloo Way Wiki
The Wiki is a project to build the first comprehensive resource about Waterloo Region’s fascinating entrepreneurial culture, from its early beginnings to the way it looks today. Share your story of an entrepreneur and his or her venture, or add to one that’s already here. Help us capture the many stories of the bold entrepreneurs who built – and continue to build – a prosperous Waterloo Region!

The Wiki is part of a larger project called thewaterlooway.com, also home to the Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

For more information on these initiatives, visit www.thewaterlooway.com

LaunchPad $50K

LaunchPad $50K Venture Creation Competition is a pioneering initiative that provides a platform for Canadian students, alumni, researchers, and entrepreneurs to join together in teams and commercialize innovative ideas. Started in 2004 by Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo, the competition has grown to include the University of Guelph and Conestoga College. LaunchPad $50K provides a network of resources for teambuilding, mentorship, learning and business development.

For more information, contact Lindsay Whiting, Regional Coordinator, at
lwhiting@wlu.ca

iGNITION $1K Pitch Competition is a warm-up to LaunchPad $50K and has been designed to emulate real-life pitch conditions. Being able to deliver an effective “pitch” is of critical importance for an entrepreneur. iGNITION $1K is a stepping-stone to writing a real business plan. Regardless of whether you win, you are encouraged to develop your idea and enter LaunchPad $50K.  This competition gives you the opportunity to meet potential teammates for LaunchPad $50K, as students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers are invited to watch the competition.

For more information, www.launchpad50K.ca

Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION)

All three of Waterloo's post-secondary institutions participate in ORION, a high-speed fibre optic network that brings broadband and connectivity to the provinces' research and advanced education institutions, and which connects Ontario's 43 post-secondary institutions and more than fifty publicly-funded research organizations to one another, and to the world.  ORION was created in 2003 to bring leading-edge network capability to the publicly-funded research and education community, and to stimulate create and next generation Internet applications.  With more than 8,200 km of optical fibre through 23 points of presence in major centres across Ontario, including Waterloo, ORION is one of the largest and most powerful optical research networks in the world.

For more information, www.orion.on.ca

The Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) brings together Ontario’s top three information and communication technology (ICT) clusters – Greater Toronto Area, Waterloo Region,  Ottawa Region, Niagara Region and London.

The Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), along with Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc (CTT Inc), and Ottawa Global Marketing/OCRI in partnership with private sector partners and the Province of Ontario (MEDT), promote this unique and important technology corridor to the world.

For more information, visit www.ontariotechnologycorridor.com

Their fundamental role is to act as a neutral convenor, facilitator, catalyst and advocate on issues and opportunities related to their R&D mission. They provide dynamic, neutral leadership to help forge a regional consensus on strategic priorities. They deliver informed analysis, prompt cross-sectoral dialogue, and lead coordinated action. Our aim is to empower the region to exploit its extraordinary strengths and compete more effectively in the international R&D marketplace.

For more information, visit www.trra.ca

WatStart supports the creation and development of startup technology companies in the Waterloo area. 

An online forum allows  prospective entrepreneurs and people who have very-early-stage companies to come together to learn from each other's experience and receive guidance and support from service providers who understand the needs of startup entrepreneurs.  

Waterloo is deep in support services for early-stage and start-up technology companies and we have an unbeatable pool of high-tech talent to help you build a world-class team. Over $100 million in venture capital is managed within Waterloo Region and investors from Toronto and beyond are eager to find high-potential companies in this area.
 
WatStart creates opportunities for early-stage entrepreneurs to get together—online and in person—with each other and with local service providers to learn from each other and to receive ongoing guidance, support and encouragement.

For more information, www.watstart.ca  or contact gary@garywill.com

Waterlootechjobs.com is a member-supported site managed by Communitech Technology Association.

Focused on the technology industry in Waterloo Region, the site:

• lists locally available jobs
• allows member companies to post jobs
• provides useful information on the people, companies and places in the region
  

WRIEN is a local strategy to help ensure that the skills of immigrants are more optimally used to the benefit of immigrants and their families, our economy and the community as a whole.  This initiative will help employers better find talented individuals to fuel our economy's success, while at the same time providing meaningful employment for new Canadians.

WRIEN is a dynamic community collaboration hosted by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce and led by a Steering Committee and five work groups made up of committed individuals from community organizations and service providers, educational institutions, private sector employers, public sector employers and federal and provincial governments.  WRIEN’s mandate includes five action areas of focus, which aims to:

• Provide immigrants with quality Waterloo employer networking and experience opportunities.
• Promote a fair, consistent, and accessible credential recognition and assessment process that is user-friendly for Waterloo immigrants and employers.
• Ensure employers can attract immigrants with the skill sets that compliment local labour market needs and opportunities.  
• Evolve the Waterloo service delivery process to be less confusing, effective and timely from the immigrant and employer perspectives.
• Enhance stakeholder collaboration and effectiveness through the collection, interpretation and dissemination of timely and relevant information.

For more information, contact petermcfadden@greaterkwchamber.com or visit www.wrien.com

For more information for newcomers, visit www.newwr.com

The Canadian Innovation Centre was founded in 1981 as an independent, not-for-profit corporation.  Located in the University of Waterloo’ s Research and Technology Park, the Centre originally focused on helping individual inventors and entrepreneurs crystallize their ideas and then help commercialize the resulting products. Today the Canadian Innovation Centre is also working with innovations coming out of existing enterprises. The Centre plans to help Canadian companies exploit new technologies to generate wealth and sustain Canada's competitiveness.

Over 70,000 Canadian inventors and innovating companies have worked with the Centre; over 13,000 new product ideas have been assessed; and thousands of products have been successfully guided to the market.

For more information, contact info@innovationcentre.ca or visit www.innovationcentre.ca