Outstanding R&D conducted in world-class research and innovation institutions

The Toronto Region's unparalleled research infrastructure places it among the world's top research and development (R&D) hubs. The region's universities, colleges, institutes of technology and collaborative research centres - along with the researchers who supply the intellect and ideas - are respected the world over.

Deep connections between the research community and R&D-based industries make for a vibrant innovation economy. The sheer diversity of Ontario's research base is an asset in itself, while the Toronto Region's strongest R&D sectors represent disciplines at the leading edge of science and technology. Reseach and innovation in emerging areas of scientific convergence provides a strategic advantage for research companies.

R&D investment in the Toronto Region is substantial. The region has Canada's highest concentration of post-secondary institutions, many of which are top-ranked in their respective fields. For example, the University of Toronto isranked #13 of the world's most-cited institutions -- and only Canadian university in the top 20.

The region's nine universities and eight colleges/institutes of technology perform two vital functions: they educate highly-skilled personnel, and they generate fundamental discoveries that can be transformed into marketable products and services. Ontario university R&D has outperformed its Canadian peers for the last two decades. $6.2 billion in new funding for post-secondary institutions over the next five years from the provincial government will ensure that Ontario continues to be an innovation leader.

More and more research centres that bring together public and private partners are springing up in the region, especially those aimed at adding value to fundamental scientific discoveries. The following are just a few recent examples:

MaRS: A state-of-the-art commercialization convergence facility, home to the TRRA, that brings together capital, science and business under one roof in Toronto's downtown Discovery District.
McMaster University Innovation Park: An R&D centre similar to MaRS that will support key industrial initiatives in areas such as advanced manufacturing and nanotechnology.
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and The Institute for Quantum Computing: Leading-edge research organizations based at the University of Waterloo that are positioned to make the region a world-leading centre for quantum information processing.
Terence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomedical Research: An open
research environment that encourages R&D innovation, novel interactions and problem-solving among researchers from medicine, pharmacy and engineering at the University of Toronto.

Leading academic health sciences

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto is Canada's largest medical school and an international leader in health research and education. It is the also the hub of one of North America's largest and most productive health sciences complexes, based on measures such as its research output, breadth of sub-specialty programs and contribution to health-care innovation. The Faculty is fully affiliated with 12 teaching hospitals, which all have national and/or international standing in their respective fields.

McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is internationally renowned for both the breadth of its health sciences research and its innovative approach to medical education. It is affiliated with two major academic hospital systems, including eight hospital sites across Hamilton.

World-class researchers

The exceptional scholarly community drive research and technology development.. The international impact of our scientists' groundbreaking research is evident in how frequently other researchers cite their work.

The Toronto Region ranks above many industrialized countries when it comes to the number of highly-cited scientists per million residents.

The University of Toronto medical school alone is third in the world for the number of publications cited.

The Toronto Region has an especially strong representation of researchers in today's most strategic fields. .

What's New

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research announces $12.6 million to support high impact clinical trials Toronto Region researchers receive $61M in fundinding from Ontario Research Fund and Early Researcher Awards Ontario to invest $420M in cancer research over next 5 years Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children #7 Top 10 International Academic Institutions to work University of Waterloo opens new world-class Energy Research Centre Ryerson University launches Centre for Urban Energy (CUE)Canada Research Chairs: 38 scientists at 6 Toronto Region universities named new or renewed Canada Research Chairs and receive $34.3 million in funding