Toronto Region Research Alliance

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Toronto Region Research Alliance
Type Economic Development
Founded 2005
Headquarters MaRS Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Origins Toronto City Summit Alliance
Key people Courtney Pratt, CEO
Area served Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington, York
Focus Investment Attraction, Research Capacity Building, Public Awareness
Slogan Engaging Innovation
Website http://www.trra.ca

The Toronto Region Research Alliance (TRRA) is a non-profit organization committed to transforming the Toronto Region into a world-leading centre for research and research-intensive industry. [1]

Founded in 2005, its board of directors is composed of senior leaders from business, universities, colleges, and hospitals in the region. TRRA is a results-oriented, non-profit organization supported and funded by a wide range of regional stakeholders and the governments of Ontario and Canada. [2]

Contents

[edit] About TRRA

[edit] History

TRRA was conceived in June 2003 as a result of the civic consensus achieved through the Toronto City Summit Alliance (TCSA)[3]. TCSA represents over 40 civic leaders from the private, labour, voluntary and public sectors in the Toronto region[4]. This unique group came together in 2002 to assess our urban region's strengths and challenges and shape a framework for action that could move the region forward over the next five to 10 years. TCSA released its report, Enough Talk: An Action Plan for the Toronto Region, in April 2003[5]. This report included a recommendation to form TRRA.


[edit] Mission

The organization's goal is to help mobilize the Toronto Region and to promote its strengths, in order to help the region compete more effectively at the international R&D level. TRRA works partners throughout the region to:

  • Attract new innovative and research-intensive companies and to expand those already in the Toronto Region
  • Strengthen the Toronto Region’s public and private capacity for research, development, and innovation.[1]

TRRA aims to be a neutral convener, catalyst and advocate on issues and opportunities related to its R&D mission. The organization works to forge regional agreement on strategic priorities. In addition to its significant sales activities, the organization delivers informed analysis, promote cross-sectoral dialogue, increases awareness, and facilitates coordinated action.

The organization focuses on the following three broad research-intensive sectors:

[edit] Funders

Government of Canada (NRC) Government of Ontario (MRI) AstraZeneca Canada Inc.
Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care Bell Canada Bloorview Kids Rehab
Canada's Technology Triangle Centennial College Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
City of Toronto Communitech Dofasco
Durham College George Brown College GlaxoSmithKline Canada
Hamilton Health Sciences Hospital for Sick Children Humber College
IBM Canada McMaster University MDS Inc.
Mohawk College Mount Sinai Hospital Ogilvy Renault
RBC Financial Group Ryerson University Scotiabank
Seneca College Sheridan College St. Joseph's Health Centre
St. Michael's Hospital Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre TD Bank Financial Group
Toronto Economic Development Corporation Boston Consulting Group The Thomson Corporation
Toronto City Summit Alliance Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Town of Markham
University Health Network University of Guelph UOIT
University of Toronto University of Waterloo York University
Women's College Hospital

[edit] Toronto Region

One aspect that sets the organization apart is that it encompasses a large geographical region. TRRA defines its geography as the regions, or census subdivisions, of Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington and York. The region is sometimes defined as the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo.[1]

The Toronto Region has a population of about 7.2 million[6] (including over 200 ethnic groups and 180 languages)[7] and a GDP over $300 billion[8]. It has 9 universities, 8 colleges and 12 research hospitals. It also houses a skilled labor force, with 57% of workers holding a post-secondary degree.[9]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Mission. URL: http://www.igloo.org/community.igloo?r0=community&r0_script=/scripts/folder/view.script&r0_pathinfo=%2F%7Bd467c1bb-e8ea-4579-b6b1-94652a4f4538%7D%2FAbout%20TRRA%2Fmission&r0_output=xml&s=cc. Accessed on: November 29, 2007.
  2. ^ About TRRA. URL: http://www.trra.ca/community.igloo?r0=community&r0_script=/scripts/folder/view.script&r0_pathinfo=%2F%7Bd467c1bb-e8ea-4579-b6b1-94652a4f4538%7D%2FAbout%20TRRA&r0_output=xml. Accessed on: November 29, 2007.
  3. ^ Toronto Region Research Alliance launched by TCSA. URL:http://www.torontoalliance.ca/tcsa_initiatives/research_alliance/ Accessed on: November 29, 2007.
  4. ^ Toronto City Summit Alliance - Backgrounder. URLhttp://www.torontoalliance.ca/about_tcsa/backgrounder/ Accessed on: November 29, 2007.
  5. ^ Enough Talk: An Action Plan for the Toronto Region. URL:http://www.torontoalliance.ca/docs/TCSA_report.pdf Accessed on: November 29, 2007.
  6. ^ Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey. 2007
  7. ^ City of Toronto - Labour Force Survey, 2007
  8. ^ The Conference Board of Canada, 2007
  9. ^ Statistics Canada - Census, 2001