The strong entrepreneurial character of Waterloo has been driven by the University of Waterloo's innovative policy on the commercialization of intellectual property, which allows students and faculty to retain property rights to their innovations.  Many of the initiatives below have evolved as a direct result of that policy, and spring from the transfer of ideas and knowledge from the academic world to the private sector and into the community, continually contributing to the growth of the community and to its quality of life.

• Educational Initiatives
• Business Initiatives
• Community Initiatives
• New Initiatives
• Wireless City Initiative