Mars Report Urban Innovation.Pdf
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Cutting Edge Drug Discoveries Changing the World Supply and Demand Blending science and business expertise JLABS using new no-strings-attached How firms like Lucky Iron Fish Innovative startups look to public is key to medtech breakthroughs model to turn science into products lead the way in social enterprise policy as critical to future growth PAGE 5 PAGE 9 PAGE 16 PAGE 29 Ambitious entrepreneurs and scientists at MaRS are working collaboratively to turn ideas Urban into successful businesses. Innovation MaRS Discovery District MaRS_Magazine_FINAL.indd 1 2016-10-05 4:40 PM DM172089_PgOFC_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 1 16-10-06 10:08 AM INNOVATION But we also face challenges. Our long reliance on resource extraction and imported technology has resulted in an economy with low IS THE business research-and-development spending and poor performance in commercializing intellectual capital. On the positive side, Toronto, FUNDAMENTAL Montreal and Vancouver have all been drawing international notice as innovation regions. They also deserve domestic attention for two reasons. QUEST FOR First, Canada is one of the most urbanized nations of the world, with a massively disproportionate share of national income generated in and HUMAN around those three major cities. Second, international data shows that innovation is a process that runs best with an urban engine. PROGRESS In particular, urban regions have a huge scale advantage BY ILSE TREURNICHT, CEO, MaRS DISCOVERY DISTRICT in convergent innovation, exemplified by various fields, such as precision medicine, nnovation is a word “Our greatest advantage advanced materials, financial one hears often these technology, artificial intelligence days — perhaps too lies in our cities. We live in and green technology. often. It has been so Above all, urban regions are widely applied that one of the most urbanized magnets for ambitious, well- it no longer drives excitement. But nations in the world.” educated young people from it should not be discounted. What diverse backgrounds. For all the 21st century has taught us so far of Canada’s bountiful natural is that there is no more powerful resources and unspoiled natural driver of positive economic and that reorder entire sectors, but in spaces, its future depends on social change than innovation. every instance, innovation is the our human resources. That At MaRS, we view innovation key to success. More than ever means our single biggest social as a fundamentally human quest before, innovation is pervasive advantage, arguably, is our for progress — a quest to find — touching and changing every vaunted pluralism. And Canada’s new and better ways to create aspect of our lives. biggest structural advantage things of value. These could be With its highly educated may well be our widely admired, modest improvements to daily population, Canada is well placed ethnically diverse and highly life or massive breakthroughs to thrive in this innovation age. livable cities. www.marsdd.com Urban Innovation | MaRS 3 MaRS_Magazine_FINAL.indd 3 2016-10-05 2:59 PM DM172089_PgIFC_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 1 16-10-06 10:10 AMDM172089_Pg03_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 3 16-10-06 10:24 AM INNOVATION But we also face challenges. Our long reliance on resource extraction and imported technology has resulted in an economy with low IS THE business research-and-development spending and poor performance in commercializing intellectual capital. On the positive side, Toronto, FUNDAMENTAL Montreal and Vancouver have all been drawing international notice as innovation regions. They also deserve domestic attention for two reasons. QUEST FOR First, Canada is one of the most urbanized nations of the world, with a massively disproportionate share of national income generated in and HUMAN around those three major cities. Second, international data shows that innovation is a process that runs best with an urban engine. PROGRESS In particular, urban regions have a huge scale advantage BY ILSE TREURNICHT, CEO, MaRS DISCOVERY DISTRICT in convergent innovation, exemplified by various fields, such as precision medicine, nnovation is a word “Our greatest advantage advanced materials, financial one hears often these technology, artificial intelligence days — perhaps too lies in our cities. We live in and green technology. often. It has been so Above all, urban regions are widely applied that one of the most urbanized magnets for ambitious, well- it no longer drives excitement. But nations in the world.” educated young people from it should not be discounted. What diverse backgrounds. For all the 21st century has taught us so far of Canada’s bountiful natural is that there is no more powerful resources and unspoiled natural driver of positive economic and that reorder entire sectors, but in spaces, its future depends on social change than innovation. every instance, innovation is the our human resources. That At MaRS, we view innovation key to success. More than ever means our single biggest social as a fundamentally human quest before, innovation is pervasive advantage, arguably, is our for progress — a quest to find — touching and changing every vaunted pluralism. And Canada’s new and better ways to create aspect of our lives. biggest structural advantage things of value. These could be With its highly educated may well be our widely admired, modest improvements to daily population, Canada is well placed ethnically diverse and highly life or massive breakthroughs to thrive in this innovation age. livable cities. www.marsdd.com Urban Innovation | MaRS 3 MaRS_Magazine_FINAL.indd 3 2016-10-05 2:59 PM DM172089_PgIFC_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 1 16-10-06 10:10 AMDM172089_Pg03_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 3 16-10-06 10:24 AM Contents PAGE 5 PAGE 19 HELPING BIG FINANCE Urban MaRS: DRIVING THE NEW ECONOMY LOVE FINTECH MaRS Discovery District — a 5 Connecting the best startups with the right Innovation near-perfect blend of the academic, corporate and financial giant bridges the entrepreneurial gap between innovators and corporations at Work PAGE 9 DRUG DISCOVERY PAGE 22 BREAKTHOUGHS LEADING THE FIELD IN A near-perfect blend of STEM CELL THERAPIES JLABS concept empowers scientific know-how and dynamic startups in the Multitiered approach business acumen leads to quest for and production of and collaboration result cutting-edge medical he geography life-saving health products in new discoveries breakthroughs and of innovation is and global leadership technological advances changing. Cities PAGE 13 in research T are becoming PLAYING IN UNIQUE BY SHELLEY WHITE the leading engines of entrepre- HYBRID SPACES PAGE 25 CLEANTECH FOR THE neurship and commercializa- Convergence, aided by PLANET…AND ECONOMY tion, surpassing the suburban cutting-edge tech, creates an office parks that were once the exciting blurring of sectors Advisers at MaRS are gold standard. among startups 16 25 catalysts for new solutions to our world’s energy and Smart governments everywhere are rethinking the PAGE 16 environmental challenges 22 innovation model exemplified MILLENNIALS DRIVING by Silicon Valley. The new SOCIAL ENTERPRISE TREND PAGE 28 OPENING DOORS TO THE paradigm borrows from Jane Lucky Iron Fish is part of the INNOVATION ECONOMY Jacobs’ vision of the importance global growth of companies Entrepreneurs, firms of urban community, only in tackling societal issues this case, an entire innova- head on — for profit ready to double down on science and tech- tion ecosystem — scientists, driven change need entrepreneurs, investors, and more help and direction corporate partners — shows from policy-makers up for work every day, under 28 and bureaucrats one roof, to collaborate in unexpected ways. Downtown density is the driving force of the new economy. ON THE COVER PUBLISHERS GLOBE EDGE Shot on the MaRS Centre Karen Mazurkewich No city has exploited that rooftop: (left to right) Urban Sean Stanleigh & Kara Collins Curtis VanWalleghem, Managing Editor potential more successfully EDITOR CEO of Hydrostor; Innovation Liz Massicotte Steve Tustin than Toronto, which is home to Lindsey Goodchild, MaRS Discovery District Program Manager, Globe Edge Co-founder and ART DIRECTOR MaRS Discovery District, the Isabelle Cabral CEO, Nudge; Erik Mohr Marie Chevrier, Founder Urban Innovation is designed and Production Co-ordinator, largest urban innovation hub in and CEO, Sampler; produced by The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail Custom Content Group on behalf the world. In this 1.5-million- Jinzi Zheng, Printing and pre-press by dm digital+1 of MaRS Discovery District. CONTRIBUTORS co-founder, Nanovista; MaRS embraces square-foot property — which Mike Andrade, Mary Gooderham, CEO, Morgan Solar; This magazine was generously David Israelson, the entire lifecycle houses more than 200 organi- Tom Rodinger, co-founder supported by the MaRS Board Marjo Johne, of entrepreneurs, of Directors. All Correspondence: zations — scientific know-how and CTO, Nanoleaf; Jeff Kirk, MaRS Discovery District from education to Margaret Mulligan, and business acumen meet to Kelly Shaw, President 101 College St, Suite 401 incubation to and CEO, OOKA Island. Shelley White Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 validation in the create the cutting-edge medical www.marsdd.com marketplace. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 4 Urban Innovation | MaRS www.marsdd.com www.marsdd.com Urban Innovation | MaRS 5 MaRS_Magazine_FINAL(TO PRESS).indd 4 2016-10-12 4:01 PMMaRS_Magazine_FINAL(TO PRESS).indd 5 2016-10-12 4:01 PM DM172089_Pg04_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 4 16-10-13 8:59 AMDM172089_Pg05_MaRS_NOV_2016.indd 5 16-10-13 8:58 AM Contents PAGE 5 PAGE 19 HELPING