For Immediate Release
November 15th, 2016
Strengthening Our Information & Communications Technology Sector: Mayor Crombie
Mississauga – The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector remains an important contributor to our local economy and one of Mississauga’s top four key industry sectors, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Crombie made the comments during the Mayor’s Roundtable Information & Communications (ICT) Sector Roundtable, which was first announced during the Mayor’s 2016 State of the City Address in September. The roundtable brought together participants from business, academia, industry associations and government to discuss ideas and solutions to strengthen this already competitive sector.
Mayor Crombie added that “technological innovations have and will continue to change the global economy and it’s important that local government does its part to help ensure we create the right environment for ICT companies to invest, expand and compete.”
Mississauga is centrally located in the Kitchener/Waterloo-Toronto Innovation Corridor: North America’s 2nd largest ICT cluster accounting for 50-60% of innovative activity in Canada. Mississauga has a larger ICT base as compared to other area municipalities – both in terms of total employment and number of businesses.
“Mississauga’s ICT companies are vibrant and diverse. They range from large multinational corporations to small innovative firms leading the way in an increasingly digitized and interconnected global market,” Mayor Crombie said.
Mayor Crombie pointed to Mississauga’s talented, educated and hardworking population as one of the many reasons the City’s ICT sector continues to lead nationwide.
“We have a highly skilled talent base,” Mayor Crombie added. “Over two-thirds of Mississauga adult residents have post-secondary education, and a number of people have undertaken studies and graduated in the demanding fields of sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).”
Mayor Crombie singled out the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and Sheridan College as important post-secondary institutions the ICT sector draws on. Mississauga Council has committed to invest $10 million dollars toward developing UTM’s new Innovation Complex, home to the Institute for Management & Innovation, which prepares students to embark on successful careers in important fields like the ICT sector.
The ICT roundtable follows the City of Mississauga’s Economic Development Office’s successful Life Sciences Strategy Roundtable, which took place over the summer.
“I am encouraged by your engagement in the process and I am excited and confident about the promising future of the businesses, entrepreneurs and thought leaders who are driving the continued success of our ICT sector,” Mayor Crombie concluded.
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