The Vaughan Economic Monitor is a resource from the City of Vaughan Economic and Cultural Development department that shares hard-hitting facts, figures and news related to economic, market and business activities here in Vaughan. New issues are delivered bi-monthly.
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- 18th Annual Vaughan Business Expo presented by BMO
- Belplas Inc. moves to Vaughan
- SmartCentres and Penguin Group, new joint venture in a major expansion at the VMC
- Three Vaughan innovators to watch
- Activate!Vaughan Innovation Café
- Blue Link makes Food Logistics' 2019 FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list
- Five sustainability ventures selected as winners of Activate!Vaughan Innovation Challenge
- Rubicon Research acquires Impopharma Canada
- Vaughan Smart City update
- Vaughan trade mission to Israel, building an innovative future
- PwC Canada donates $250,000 to support Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital
- ClimateWise: Mayors' Energy Challenge across York Region
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18th Annual Vaughan Business Expo presented by BMO
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Your Story. Your Brand. Your Vaughan.
Join us on February 11, 2020 for the
18th Annual Vaughan Business Expo presented by BMO
. The Vaughan Business Expo is the Economic and Cultural Development department's premier business event - exhibit and network with Vaughan businesses and discover opportunities for 2020 and beyond. At the Expo, get access to industry experts to help your business grow by participating in Office Hours throughout the day.
This year, the Expo will feature four zones:
- INNOVATORS ZONE presented by My Blue Umbrella
- YORK REGION FOOD MOVERS, MAKERS, AND SHAKERS ZONE presented by Mentor Works Ltd.
- CULTURE CREATORS ZONE presented by Arcadia Live! Productions
- BUSINESS BUILDERS ZONE presented by Ablii by nanopay
Plus - don't miss
ZONE2041
presented by Millennial's Choice! This feature zone in the Expo's lobby will highlight Vaughan's future with an opportunity for interactive engagement.
Economic and Cultural Development, in partnership with FedDev Ontario Small Business Services, invites you to participate in Vaughan Business Expo!
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Belplas Inc. moves to Vaughan
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Machinery sales firm, Belplas Inc., has announced a move to a new, larger location in Concord, Vaughan. The company is a Canadian supplier of new and used plastics machinery and equipment.
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SmartCentres and Penguin Group, new joint venture in a major expansion at the VMC
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Transit City Condos at the VMC. Rendering: SmartCentres.
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With SmartCentres REIT purchasing a 50 per cent interest (for $109.2 million) in a near 16-acre parcel of land owned by Penguin Group, the joint venture facilitates the relocation of a Walmart store to a nearby site. The land will be redeveloped to create at least six new towers over the next several years.
The total mixed-use density available from the lands is expected to exceed 4.5 million square feet.
To learn more about the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC), visit
myvmc.ca
.
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Three Vaughan innovators to watch
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Across York Region, innovators are redefining business systems and practices to benefit people and the planet. Economic and Cultural Development provides dedicated support to emerging social innovators to help accelerate their success.
Check out these three Vaughan entrepreneurship program alumni who are making waves and innovating across the continent:
- EarthSuds, a previous Vaughan Social Innovation Challenge winner, has developed dissolvable, zero-waste alternatives to replace all single-use bathroom products.
- Able Innovations, another previous Vaughan Social Innovation Challenge winner, is designing innovative medical technology to improve patient transfer processes and outcomes.
- LinkMental Health, developed an online platform to ensure mental health services are accessible to anyone, regardless of affordability.
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Activate!Vaughan Innovation Café
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Are you passionate about technology and innovation? Join us at the
Activate!Vaughan
Innovation Café to meet other innovators, share big ideas and connect with Vaughan's innovation community. Entrepreneurs and mentors are invited to connect over a cup of coffee on the third Friday of every month.
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Blue Link makes Food Logistics' 2019 FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list
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Blue Link Associates Limited, a Vaughan-based software development company that provides integrated inventory and accounting ERP software for small-medium size businesses, was recognized for a 7th year by Food Logistics.
The annual FL100+ list honours the top software and technology providers in the food and beverage industry, highlighting software companies that address challenges in the industry and ensure an efficient and reliable global food supply chain.
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Five sustainability ventures selected as winners of Activate!Vaughan Innovation Challenge
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From left to right: Lucas Barnes (Last20), Elizabeth Gallagher and Tim Donnelly (Culcherd), Kristin Newbigging (IKEA Group), Joe D'Addario (Nature's Emporium), Anastasia Boutziouvis (Alectra Utilities), Matt Skynner (ventureLAB), Alisha McFetridge (Rainstick), Daniel Bida (ReGenerate Biogas) and Christian Delos Santos (Biofect Innovations).
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Hosted at KPMG in the VMC, more than 80 innovators and mentors attended the City's first
Activate!Vaughan
Innovation Challenge to collaborate, share ideas and contribute to Vaughan's growing innovation economy. A total of 26 ventures pitched their solutions to advance environmental sustainability in key economic sectors.
The judging panel selected these five ventures to each receive a $5,000 provincial grant:
- Biofect Innovations, uses synthetic biology and genetic engineering to produce medicinal cannabinoids from yeast;
- Culcherd, manufactures products, such as cheese and butter, from plant-based dairy alternatives;
- Last20, produces recycled plastic pellets designed to replace carbon-intensive bitumen in pavement;
- Rainstick, designed a recirculating, high-pressure shower system that saves 80% of the water and energy used by traditional showers; and
- ReGenerate Biogas, designs and installs containerized anaerobic digestion systems to convert organic waste to biogas and fertilizer.
The next
Activate!Vaughan
Innovation Challenge, focused on health technology solutions, will be delivered in partnership with the
Mackenzie Innovation Institute
(Mi2) in March 2020.
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Rubicon Research acquires Impopharma Canada
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Rubicon Research Private Limited, a leading specialty pharmaceutical company based in Mumbai, India, announced in early January its acquisition of Vaughan-based Impopharma Canada Limited. Building upon Impopharma's specialty in nasal and pulmonary drug products, its 13,000 square foot facility in Concord, Vaughan will become Rubicon's nasal and pulmonary development Center of Excellence.
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Vaughan Smart City update
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Mayor Bevilacqua speaking at the smARTcities SALON event. Background artwork: enlarged detail,
SmartHospital Map
, digital print by Ron Wild.
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Over the past decade, the City of Vaughan has gone through an unprecedented transformation becoming one of Canada's largest and fastest-growing municipalities. To address this ongoing growth, Smart City initiatives have become a strategic priority for this term of Council.
Smart City initiatives are creating enhanced, city-building opportunities by improving the way data is collected, understood and utilized. The goal is to use data to elevate the quality of life for all citizens and stakeholders, strengthening how the City delivers efficient public services.
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The City's 2019 budget approved a new Smart City study which will lead to planning for a new business unit and a Strategic Business Plan. These activities will continue to support the City's Smart City Task Force.
Smart City Fast Facts:
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Vaughan trade mission to Israel, building an innovative future
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The City of Vaughan recently completed a successful Business Mission to Israel (November 22 to 30), led by Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and in collaboration with the President and CEO of the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, Brian Shifman. Mayor Bevilacqua, Members of Council and members of the delegation took part in a series of meetings with leading Israeli government, business and academic officials. Also taking part in the mission, including a study tour of the world-leading Rambam Hospital, were thought leaders from the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct project representing York University, Mackenzie Health and ventureLAB.
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Mayor Bevilacqua, Members of Council and representatives from the Healthcare Centre Precinct project with Dr. Rafael Beyar at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
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On October 2, Mayor Bevilacqua signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with these organizations to identify opportunities to maximize the best use of lands surrounding the site of the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital through a feasibility study. The goal of this collaboration is for the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct to leverage resources to bring healthcare, innovation and jobs to the community. The tour of Rambam Hospital provided an important opportunity for these partners to learn of proven best practices.
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PwC Canada donates $250,000 to support Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital
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From left to right: Frank Magliocco (PwC), Mark Falbo (Mackenzie Health), Diane Kazarian (PwC), Nicolas Marcoux (PwC), Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua (Vaughan), Mary-Agnes Wilson (Mackenzie Health), Krista Finlay (Mackenzie Health Foundation), Rini Pillitteri (Mackenzie Health Foundation Board). Photo: CNW Group/PwC.
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In early December 2019, PwC Canada contributed a quarter-million dollars to Mackenzie Health Foundation during PwC's new GTA North office grand opening, located in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. PwC Canada's contribution will help build and equip the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, which will be Canada's first smart hospital.
Mackenzie Health Foundation's fundraising goal is $250 million - the largest ever for a community hospital in Canada. With contributions from PwC and other community stakeholders, the Foundation's fundraising campaign has reached $174 million in donations.
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ClimateWise: Mayors' Energy Challenge across York Region
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The Mayors' Energy Challenge aims to promote Ontario's Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) program across York Region. The program is designed to help business owners and managers make better, more informed, decisions on improving their building's operating efficiency - enabling the opportunity to benchmark with similar buildings across Ontario. To date, more than a quarter of qualifying, Vaughan-based buildings are already reporting.
To all qualifying commercial, industrial or multi-unit residential building owners and managers, with a square footage of over 50,000, the deadline is July 1 of each year.
For information on other government programs and incentives, visit
saveonenergy.ca
.
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The City of Vaughan's Economic and Cultural Development department focuses on facilitating entrepreneurship, employment and investment opportunities, developing and promoting art and cultural experiences, as well as engaging thought leaders to generate insightful ideas, strategies and actions that drive economic, cultural and partnership investment. We work to make Vaughan a place where entrepreneurship, business, art and culture prosper and grow.
For more information, contact the City of Vaughan's Economic and Cultural Development team at
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