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[ Music ]
[ Background Conversations ]
>> On February 3, 2011, VentureLab,
York Region's Regional Innovation Centre, officially
opened its doors.
Leaders from industry, municipal government,
academic institutions and regional hospitals gathered
at the Markham Convergence Centre
to celebrate VentureLab's addition
to the Ontario Network of Excellence.
>> The need for an innovative economy
with globally competitive companies is even more
urgent today.
That is why Minister Murray is launching the RIC here
in York Region and the regional innovation centres
in other locations in the province.
>> York Regional Innovation Centre, newly named VentureLab, is
a key ingredient in creating a true innovation culture
in this region.
VentureLab will support entrepreneurs
by providing an entry point to a broad range of experts
who can help promote ideas and grow businesses regionally,
nationally and globally.
The research that is created
through York University will now be more accessible
to the region.
[ applause ]
>> How many of you actually make something for a living?
Put up your hand.
One or two, three or maybe 10 per cent.
They said in 1957, it was 67 per cent.
1957 it was. How many of you think, imagine, design, finance,
engineer for a living?
Exactly. Almost all of you.
We are in an economy where wealth which used
to be generated by production is now generated
by knowledge and human creativity.
A fundamental shift in how money is created
and wealth is created.
80 per cent of our jobs.
And every single manufacturing job,
every single one almost that's left in this province
and the ones that are returning and growing as we come
out of the recession is in advanced manufacturing,
and their success are exactly what you see around this room,
companies that are learning how to make things better,
and hard-wiring innovation to improve productivity
onto the floor of our production plants.
As you get older you can't drive your car, but you look
at Argonaut -- wouldn't you like to have one of those
if you have mobility issues?
You could live in any suburb and build accessibility.
Fitness, there's a wonderful little machine there,
I'm gonna get one for my 83-year- old mother 'cause she's always,
'cause she can't ride her bicycle anymore.
But what's happening here is that we're preparing
for an aging population so that we don't lose our quality
of life.
So those are values that aren't just commercial
and entrepreneurial but what you're doing in Markham,
while you're creating great jobs and new businesses,
you're also solving some of our greatest challenges as we deal
with an aging population.
>> You know we've been dreaming for a long time
to establish a national centre for medical devices here
in the Town of Markham,
and today while we're not opening that,
we're opening a big part of our dream,
our dream to actually bring together industry, healthcare,
government, people that will come
to this particular facility, not only to create new ideas
but to create new jobs and new opportunities.
We recognize that potential.
As a council, we said we want to put together a structure,
a building, and that's the Markham Convergence Centre.
So that's the body.
The York Regional Innovation Centre is the heart and soul
of what's gonna make success in this community
across the Region of York and beyond.
[applause]
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