City of Brampton and Ryerson University sign milestone agreement on Innovation Zone

January 07, 2020

BRAMPTON, ON (January 7, 2020) – The City of Brampton and Ryerson University have signed an agreement to establish the Ryerson Innovation Zone in Downtown Brampton, an exciting milestone for postsecondary education in the city.

The Ryerson-led Brampton Innovation Zone is modelled after and connected to Ryerson University’s world-recognized Zone network. These spaces are designed to bring people together to brainstorm, kickstart projects, and help take startups from early-stage incubated companies to established thriving businesses. The new Innovation Zone will focus on the development of scalable businesses in Brampton, building and supporting high potential entrepreneurial teams.

The Innovation Zone will:

Provide thought leadership, access to national and international markets, and build a reputation of excellence
Extend business infrastructure by supporting the growth of new businesses and fostering innovation in existing industries,; such as creative industries, digital hospitality, intelligent transportation, and technology-enabled health services
Support the Brampton 2040 Vision through building a City of Opportunities
Develop, attract and retain local talent
Create and nurture a network of influencers from all sectors in business, academia, and government through participating partners

Brampton is putting all the necessary pieces in place to support a robust innovation ecosystem.The Innovation Zone will open in early 2020 and will be a new addition to Brampton’s Innovation District, which includes:

Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst
Brampton Entrepreneur Centre (Ideation and Co-working space)
Ryerson-Brampton Innovation Zone (Start-Up Incubator)
The site for the City’s future Centre for Innovation
A scale-up incubator

Quotes

“This is an exciting moment for Brampton and our continuing partnership with Ryerson University. This Innovation Zone takes us one step closer to a fully developed Innovation Ecosystem, which supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. We are committed to working on all possible options and partnerships to address the needs of Brampton students, entrepreneurs and the future workforce. We have a great partner in Ryerson University and are thankful for their collaborative spirit. We look forward to many more years of the same.”

- Mayor Patrick Brown

"We are looking forward to bringing our experience and expertise with start-ups and incubation to Brampton’s innovation district and I’d like to thank the City of Brampton for their commitment to this

vision. The Ryerson Innovation Zone in Brampton will help foster ideas and connect entrepreneurs with various organizations in the region, while equipping them with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to succeed and thrive in the modern economy."

- Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ryerson University

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As one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Brampton is home to 650,000 people and 70,000 businesses. People are at the heart of everything we do. We are energized by our diverse communities, we attract investment, and we are embarking on a journey to lead technological and environmental innovation. We partner for progress to build a healthy city that is safe, sustainable and successful. Connect with us on Twitter (external link) , Facebook (external link) , and Instagram (external link) . Learn more at www.brampton.ca (external link) .

Ryerson University is Canada’s leader in innovative, career-oriented education. Urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 45,300 students, including 2,600 Master’s and PhD students, 3,800 faculty and staff, and nearly 198,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit ryerson.ca.

MEDIA CONTACT

Natalie Stogdill
Senior Advisor, Public Relations, City of Brampton
905.874.3654 | natalie.stogdill@brampton.ca