The Government of Ontario and Newly Named Ontario Centre of Innovation Strengthen Partnership to Accelerate Innovation and Commercialization

November 20, 2020

The Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) will become the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and is strengthening its partnership with the Government of Ontario to further the organization’s central role in Ontario’s innovation ecosystem.

TORONTO, November 20, 2020 – Today, the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) held its Annual General Meeting where members approved a resolution to change the organization’s name to the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI). OCI and the Government of Ontario are pleased to announce the organization’s rebranding as they work together to further increase and strengthen the role of OCI in Ontario’s innovation strategy.

This positive step will better position OCI to support the Province’s economic recovery priorities and address the findings of various reviews that identified the key role OCI can play in improving coordination and program delivery of Ontario’s investments in innovation and commercialization.

“Ontario is proudly home to one of the most dynamic and collaborative innovation ecosystems in the world,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “As OCI and our government work closely together to drive prosperity from innovation, we are excited about the organization’s new name and governance to better reflect its work and further strengthen its role in Ontario’s innovation strategy. By fostering the conditions for a strong innovation economy in Ontario, we will ensure that our province is well-positioned for recovery, new jobs and growth.”

As OCI and the Government of Ontario work closely together to drive prosperity from innovation and accelerate the commercialization of Made-in-Ontario technologies, this created an exciting opportunity to refresh the organization’s name to better reflect this work. On November 5th, the Government of Ontario introduced legislation to enhance governance by appointing up to six (6) Directors to OCI’s board.

“Maintaining our leadership in emerging technology development and deployment is crucial to Ontario’s success,” said Dr. Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO of OCI. “By strengthening our long-standing partnership with the Province of Ontario, we are delivering on the government’s priorities to accelerate the commercialization of Made-in-Ontario technologies and help Ontario companies scale and succeed in the global marketplace. Together, we are inspiring innovators to respond to today’s challenges with tomorrow’s solutions.”

For over 33 years, the Ontario Centre of Innovation has fostered industry-academic R&D collaboration and accelerated the development, commercialization and adoption of emerging technologies in Ontario.
OCI’s tagline, “Where Next Happens”, highlights this focus on leveraging partnership to equip Ontario-based companies with the transformative next-generation technologies of tomorrow to drive job creation, business growth and global competitiveness today.

“This strengthened partnership enables OCI to work more closely with our provincial partners and deliver more effectively on the province’s priorities and innovation strategy,” says Dr. Dan Patterson, Chair of OCI’s Board of Directors. “We’re delighted to be launching this new chapter in our long history with the Government of Ontario and deliver even greater value for Ontario innovators, entrepreneurs, and taxpayers.”

The Ontario Centre of Innovation will continue to operate as Ontario Centres of Excellence as the name change and brand transition is completed over the coming months.

About the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI):

The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), formerly the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), maximizes thecommercial impact of research developed in Ontario’s colleges, universities, and research hospitals, andaccelerates the commercialization of Made-in-Ontario technologies. A pan-provincial collaboration platform, with a broad and deep network across industry, academia and government, OCI initiates unparalleled partnership opportunities, develops and manages successful industry-academic collaborations, supports high-potential SMEs in commercializing ground-breaking research, and provides hands-on training and skills development opportunities for the next generation of highly-skilled talent.

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Media Contact:
Braden Root-McCaig
Director of Communication & Strategy, OCI
Braden.root-mccaig@oce-ontario.org
647-523-4300