University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University
and Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

The foundations for the new knowledge economy were laid in Waterloo early on through the influence of the two universities and a community college.

The University of Waterloo features 53 research institutes, including 15 in information and communications technology and an Innovation Accelerator. The university also hosts 12 federal and provincial Centres of Excellence, 6 of which are dedicated to information and communications technology.

Known worldwide for its leading computer science, mathematics and engineering programs the university generates 15% of all the mathematics and computer science Ph.D.s in Canada; moreover it has one of Canada's largest and foremost engineering faculties and has spun off many intelligent technology companies such as Research in Motion and DALSA. The university also boasts the largest co-operative education program in the world.

Many other UW spin-off companies have made the university a leader in technology transfer from the academic world to the private sector and have achieved an international reputation for innovation, such as Open Text, MKS, Desire2Learn and WatCom (acquired by Sybase).

In October 2004, a partnership between the University of Waterloo and one of its spin-off companies, Maplesoft - the most successful math software company in Canada - was recognized with a national Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Synergy Award for Innovation.

Wilfrid Laurier University is known for its excellence in business and economics programs. Although Wilfrid Laurier is a relatively small university, the School of Business and Economics is one of the larger business schools in Canada. Since 1984 the Laurier Institute has designed and delivered management programs to organizations in and around Canada's Technology Triangle.

Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning has been rated as Ontario's #1 Community College for 7 straight years. Over the next five years Conestoga College will develop 75 new academic programs to meet needs of local employers. The College provides access to a network of thousands of on-line courses through Ontario Learn College Educational Network.

Research in Motion and the Institute for Quantum Computing

Mike Lazaridis and his co-CEO Jim Balsillie are co-founders of Research in Motion (RIM). Balsillie is also the Honourary Chairperson of Waterloo's 2006 Intelligent Community submission.

Based in Waterloo, RIM is the pioneer of the popular BlackBerry handheld wireless communications device. There are over 3.95M users of the Blackberry worldwide, with the market continuing to grow steadily. RIM now operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Lazaridis is also the driving force behind the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing. The U of W, backed by private donations and government funding, aims to make Waterloo the leading centre in the world for quantum and nanotech research

Centre for International Governance Innovation

In the core of the city, the former Seagram's Museum has been transformed into a research centre through a mix of public and private funding, led in large part by RIM Chairman and Co-CEO Jim Balsillie.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) performs research and policy development functions relating to multilateral government. It provides training to junior and mid-level academics and practitioners - including many from developing countries - through a blend of workshops, seminars and information sessions.

In 2005, CIGI began an innovative on-line initiative called IGLOO (International Governance Leadership Organizations Online), a web-based platform for issues of global importance. IGLOO is leveraging the technology developed by Open Text of Waterloo to uniquely position researchers to collaborate with the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and other research institutes world-wide.

This same technology, developed in Waterloo, was used to help CARE International coordinate the tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia in January 2005.

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

One of the leading Waterloo organizations demonstrating the intellectual strength of Waterloo's Top 7 mindset is The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, an independent institute that was founded in the fall of 1999 and is now fully operational in its field of research.

The Institute is dedicated to addressing foundational issues in current theoretical physics research. It provides a collaborative environment of intense scientific interaction, where Canadian and international researchers can work together on issues in overlapping sub-disciplines of fundamental research.

The impetus for the Institute came largely from Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO of Research in Motion, whose vision and substantial financial donation led to its creation. The Institute is also a significant contributor to the cultural life of Waterloo. It is the site for concerts and public events, and has an active educational outreach program into local schools and classrooms.

WREPNET (Waterloo Regional Education and Public Network)

In 1998 the Public and Catholic School Boards of Waterloo Region, with the City of Waterloo, joined together to propose a high-speed data network to the Ontario Ministry of Education. In September 1998 the Ministry agreed to provide one-time funding with the condition that the network be made available to other public institutions. The tender to build the fibre-optic backbone required was won by FibreTech Telecommunications Inc., a company owned equally by the three municipally-owned electrical distributors who serve the region. (FibreTech merged on September 1, 2005 with FibreWired to form Atria Networks)

The initiative, which is now known as WREPNET (Waterloo Region Education and Public Network) started with a prototype network of fifteen sites in January 2000, and has grown to support 247 sites - which includes every elementary and secondary school in the region. In addition to the original schools, libraries and municipalities, WREPNET now also connects the local community college, Grand River Hospital and Family and Children's Services.

Community Access Program (CAP)

Started in 1999 with financial support from the federal government's Community Access Program (CAP), connectivity for Internet-enabled workstations in public access locations became available in Waterloo. The CAP program provides citizens with affordable public access to the Internet, and the skills to use it effectively, allowing anyone locally to participate in emerging opportunities in a new globally wired economy. In Waterloo, under the umbrella of a Connect KW (Kitchener-Waterloo) initiative, public access computers are provided at KW Accessibility, a non-profit information and resource centre for those with physical challenges, as well as at other locations throughout the community.

Computers in Schools

Both the municipal government and its public library participate in the federal Computers in Schools program. This is a national, federal-government led program in cooperation with all the Canadian provinces and territories, as well as the private and volunteer sectors. Through this program, the City of Waterloo and the library have donated surplus computers and related hardware, to be repaired and refurbished and distributed free to schools in need throughout Ontario. To date in Ontario, over 220,000 computers have been donated through this program from Waterloo and other participating cities across Ontario. This program has diverted 4,953 tonnes of material from the Region of Waterloo landfill.

Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research (WIHIR)

The Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research is a trans-disciplinary institute delivering value to the health system through health informatics, the discipline that investigates how information, information management, and information and communications technologies can deliver value in the area of health. The Institute acts as a forum for industry and academic leaders to explore, examine, critique and analyze information-related problems and solutions in health informatics.

The goals of WIHIR are to understand health system challenges, discover realistic and comprehensive solutions and connect interested organizations to the research and development capabilities of the Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research and its industry partners.