Tag: R&T Park

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AC proud to support green initiatives recognized by Sustainable Waterloo

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Waterloo, Ontario, April 14th, 2016 – The David Johnston Research + Technology Park (R+T Park) University of Waterloo and tenants have come together and committed to a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction target through Sustainable Waterloo Region’s (SWR) Regional Carbon Initiative Program (RCI). Using 2014 numbers as our baseline, a 10 year and 40% reduction goal was set by the R+T Park building owners and tenants. Through all the hard work and commitment towards this initiative, the R+T Park and its tenants have been nominated for the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award.

The Accelerator Centre is proud to have had staff members Laura Mason and Emily Jackson involved in making this happen.

The Rookie of the Year award is designed to recognize the most active, committed and ambitious member of the Regional Carbon Initiative. Some criteria for this award included: attending events run by Sustainable Waterloo, sharing information with other members and measuring your progress and reducing GHG emissions.  The R+T Park’s Green Team has exceeded all of these criteria, making them an excellent recipient for the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award.

The park is leading by example. Striving to be both a leader in the community and impactful in future building practices, the R+T Park Green team sets examples by not only raising awareness on the emission of greenhouse gasses but implementing strategic practices that can be implemented in day to day operations.

The R+T Park Green Team is comprised of representatives from the companies, building owners and building management. Companies such as Cora Group, Marsland Centre, DREAM Office REIT, University of Waterloo, AGFA, SAP, Open Text, Stantec, TextNow, Navtech, Accelerator Centre, and more… today 70+ companies and approx. 3,100 knowledge workers call the park home. “As a new tenant of the R+T Park, being a part of a broader Green Team has helped us clarify our own sustainability objectives and aligns with our core values at Stantec.” Explains Gizem Gunal-Akgol, Atmospheric Engineer at Stantec. “We are grateful to be recognized for doing what’s right for the environment.”

The R+T Park is extremely proud to receive this recognition for our efforts and each Green Team member will be sharing this with their colleagues and internal sustainability groups.

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Waterloo's R&T Park featured in the Financial Post

University research and technology parks — the product of a successful partnership between government, academia and industry — are a critical engine for innovation and entrepreneurship in Canada. However, the tremendous economic momentum built through research parks is at risk of slowing, even stalling, if we don’t come together to make the necessary investments in the future.

Canada’s 26 R&T parks, which employ more than 65,000 people, generate $4.3-billion in gross domestic product. In the next five years, those numbers are expected to rise to $6.4-billion in GDP, nearly 100,000 employed, with an average of 33% of them holding an advanced Masters of PhD degree.

R&T parks provide a powerful attraction for offshore corporations looking to establish a Canadian presence, providing essential services, critical mass, and ready access to university research and a highly trained workforce. At the other end of the spectrum, 75% of the parks also offer accelerators and services for startups, helping to foster Canada’s next wave of innovation and business growth.

The economic ripples created by an R&T park impact all parts of a local economy. In Waterloo region, the David Johnston R+T Park has attracted global technology brands such as Agfa, Google, OpenText, and SAP. It is also home to the world renowned Waterloo Accelerator Centre, which houses upward of 40 young technology startups at any point in time. It is truly a success story that showcases what is possible when government, a university and the business community are united through a common vision for economic prosperity.

The brainchild of the current Governor General, the honourable David Johnston, the R+T Park broke ground in 2004 and welcomed its first corporate tenant later that year, with a mandate to foster radical innovation; providing Waterloo region with a compelling source of commercial advantage derived from technological leadership.

In the past decade, it has facilitated more than 6,400 jobs; generated $602-million in spending; and contributed $428-million to Waterloo region’s GDP. More than 50% of its tenants plan to launch a spin off in the next five years, and 87% of business ventures incubated at the Accelerator Centre, plan to remain in Waterloo region. Perhaps most astounding, 70% of the world’s GDP runs on software created by companies that are located within the park.

To view the article, click here.