Toronto Global

The Toronto Global Forum 2024 was full of insights, covering sustainability, AI, and infrastructure. Many thanks to our partners for making this year's conference a success! Our CEO, Stephen Lund ICD.D, moderated an engaging panel on the economic potential of AI featuring CTO Aaron Harris, VP of Industry Strategies Ann Marie Jonkman, PMP, Head of AI Parinaz Sobhani, and CTO Alpesh Sethia. The discussion covered AI's opportunities and challenges, from driving innovation to addressing ethical concerns, and how Toronto can leverage this technology to strengthen its position on the global tech scene. The conversation continued with our VP, Daniel Hengeveld, who joined Councillor Shelley Carroll, ICD.D and CEO of Nieuport Aviation, Neil Pakey to discuss how critical infrastructure supports urban growth. These panels sparked valuable ideas, shaping a vision for Toronto's future development. Looking forward to next year! City of Toronto | Sage | Blue Yonder | Sagard | HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) | Destination Toronto | Toronto Region Board of Trade | Clare Barnett | Susana Vaz | Diana S. | Thomas McGinty Ec.D. CEcD | Tyson Ma | IEFA | John Alderdice | Connie Fusillo | Julia Rigato | Matthew Premru | Vanna P.

That’s a wrap on MedTech 2024 – the largest one to-date! We were pleased to be joined by our partners throughout the region, coming together to deliver some outstanding panel discussions at the Toronto Inc and Invest Ontario booth. Featuring innovative companies, world-class academic institutions and cutting-edge research, the Toronto Region truly showcased its thriving life sciences ecosystem. Thank you to the following partners for making this week a huge success. Same time next year in San Diego? The MedTech Conference

Skytree, a pioneering Dutch climate tech company specializing in carbon capture, is opening its North American HQ in Toronto. Toronto was selected for its large-scale sustainability practices and unmatched academic ecosystem. We were honoured to celebrate Skytree's announcement yesterday alongside the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Canada, Margriet Vonno, the Consul General for the Netherlands to Toronto, Harman Idema, and Deputy Consul General for the Netherlands to Toronto, Laurenske van den Heuvel-Gerestein. We are so proud to welcome forward-thinking companies like Skytree to our region, congratulations! Check out the full news release, link in the comments ⏬

BHC, Korea's most popular fried chicken chain, is opening their first international flagship at the Well in the heart of Downtown Toronto on October 17th. The sit-down restaurant will feature all their best-known Korean favourites along with new dishes like kimchi poutine. This highly anticipated opening marks a major milestone for BHC's global expansion, and we are excited to have been part of their journey. Welcome to Toronto! Check out the news release link in the comments ⬇️ Catherine C. Lee, MSc | Stephen Lund ICD.D | John McKinnon

Recently, Paris Baguette celebrated the grand opening of its flagship store in the Toronto Region, marking its first-ever flagship location in Canada! We're thrilled to be part of this unforgettable journey. It all began in 2018 when our Catherine C. Lee, MSc cold-called their U.S. headquarters and told the then-CEO that as a Korean-Canadian, she wanted the brand in Canada. Even during the pandemic, Catherine was tireless in her efforts to bring the chain here, helping to scout locations when travel from the Paris Baguette team was not possible. Fast forward to today, and now Canadians get to enjoy the global bakery-café chain's delicious assortment of freshly baked goods, pastries, cakes, sandwiches, and coffee. With locations spanning the U.S., Europe, and Asia, they’ve officially made Canada part of their international family. Welcome! Stephen Lund ICD.D | Paris Baguette North America

The MedTech Conference is taking place in Toronto this week, featuring insightful panels on topics such as innovation in public health systems, entering Canadian and global markets, and developing MedTech and start-up ecosystems. Join us at booth #700! City of Toronto | Olivia Chow | Shelley Carroll, ICD.D | Stephen Lund ICD.D | City of Vaughan | City of Brampton | Destination Toronto | Toronto Region Board of Trade | York Link | York Region Economic Development | Town of Georgina | Victor Fedeli | Invest Ontario | Andrew Weir

Next week is a good time to be in Toronto! Two major conferences are taking place right downtown, The MedTech Conference and the Toronto Global Forum.   These conferences bring business leaders from all over the world to network and discuss our shared future. And what better opportunity to do some sightseeing at the end of the day!   Come meet us alongside Toronto Inc. and representatives from across the region! Check out the links in the comments for the conference programs. Destination Toronto | Toronto Region Board of Trade | Halton Business | Invest Durham | Invest Brampton - Economic Development Office | Invest Mississauga | York Link | York Region Economic Development | Invest Ontario | City of Toronto | Stephen Lund ICD.D | International Economic Forum of the Americas | Victor Fedeli | York University | CBRE | ventureLAB

Alan is revolutionizing healthcare and health insurance in Europe, and now Canada! Last night, we had the pleasure of celebrating this milestone with the incredible team at Alan, Councillor Shelley Carroll, ICD.D and David MacNaughton, supported by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Check out that view! Our team worked closely with Alan to ensure a smooth launch in Toronto, we can't wait to see the impact their presence will have on the lives of Canadians.

Nothing says ‘world-class AI ecosystem’ like a Nobel Prize in Physics. Congratulations to University of Toronto’s, ‘Godfather of AI,’ Geoffrey Hinton, on this prestigious achievement. Hinton’s groundbreaking work has helped transform the Toronto Region into a globally recognized AI hub. That's why you'll find big names like Unilever and the Vector Institute right here. With over 40% of Canada’s artificial intelligence firms, and the most AI-specialty talent in the country, the spotlight on Toronto is well-earned. Photo credit: Johnny Guatto/University of Toronto

The proof is in the statistics, Toronto has secured its position as Canada's top AI Hub. According to CBRE's 2024 Scoring Tech Talent report, Toronto has the most AI-specialty talent in the country, surpassing Vancouver and Montreal. We're also the third-largest tech talent market in North America, only behind New York and San Francisco. Learn more in our blog by Julia N., link in the comments!