Mayor’s Innovation Roundtable highlights opportunities and challenges

September 29, 2015

​Some of Brampton’s most forward-thinking professionals and entrepreneurs met in City Hall recently for the Innovation Roundtable hosted by Mayor Jeffrey and the RIC Centre.
The group discussed the challenges and opportunities in Brampton with respect to fostering investment in innovation, building partnerships, and creating the right conditions for sustained economic growth. The public sector, private sector and educational institutions all have roles to play and specific strengths to bring in creating an environment that supports innovation. Communities like Brampton that have the vision to support innovation across sectors are attractive to investors, employers and creative minds alike.

Participants closed by discussing next steps, highlighting further collaboration, the potential development of an innovation task force to research best practices in successfully supporting innovation start-ups, and to investigate the establishment of a centre for innovation.

Following the roundtable, local high-potential tech entrepreneurs, and advanced manufacturing and design experts from Sheridan College displayed their innovative products and services. Roundtable participants and the public got a chance to get hands on with some of this technology, including 3D printers, drones, and an Occulus Rift.

“The Innovation Roundtable was a great step towards collaborating on creating an environment to bring new technology to the market and new jobs in Brampton. It was good to hear Mayor Jeffrey’s vision and commitment to helping establish some of the key foundational pieces in this process.”

Magnum Integrated Technologies President and CEO Andre Nazarian

Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design technologies (CAMDT) works closely with its industrial clients for their commercial drone needs such as surveying, aerial photography, or inspection.

A group of recent graduate and student artists from Sheridan College captured a visual recording of the Mayor’s Innovation Roundtable discussion.