With 2020 vision, Markham eyes title as Silicon Valley north
Yorkregion.com
April 12, 2016
By Amanda Persico
The future is all about innovation.
Markham's goal beyond 2020 is to hold the title as Canada's innovation hub, and Canada's high-tech capital.
Beyond that, the hope is for Markham to become Canada's Silicon Valley, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti told the Markham 2020 What’s NXT talk at the Flato Markham Theatre Wednesday night.
"We want to create Silicon Valley in Markham," he said. "We're doing it. And we're not going to stop."
Business executives, education leaders and up-and-coming entrepreneurs filled the theatre, anxious to know where Markham will go in the future.
The blueprint for Markham's 2020 vision was created in 2008.
Markham is home to more than 1,000 technology and life sciences companies, along with more than 400 Canadian head offices, including IBM, Aviva Insurance, GE Digital Energy, Honeywell, Huawei Technologies, Honda and Hyundai.
Close to 900 high-tech firms and about half of Markham’s workforce are employed in the finance, insurance, professional, scientific and technical services sectors.
“What we have is recognized around the world,” Scarpitti said.
The event also heard from York University president Mumdouh Shoukri, TD Bank deputy chief economist Derek Burleton, Seneca College president David Agnew and retired Scotia Bank chief economist and current Central LHIN board of directors chairperson Warren Jestin.
Each was pressed to look beyond 2020, what that means and how Markham would fare.
Graphic artists from ThinkLink Graphics started with a blank page and created doodles, illustrations and graphics as each presenter took the stage.
Having a pool of talented and knowledgeable people is part of the innovation cog and having that front and centre is expected to give Markham an edge.
“To succeed in business back in the day, you needed long productivity,” said Jestin, a Markham resident. “Now, you need innovation infrastructure to power growth. That intellectual infrastructure is the base of prosperity and growth.”
The road to innovation starts in the classroom.
“Our job is to prepare students for the ever changing world,” Agnew said. “Prepare them for jobs that have yet to be created, train them to use technology that hasn’t been invented and teach them how to solve problems we don’t know will exist.”
Seneca College is an academic partner, with classes and programs that will run out of the Markham campus.
“These students are working on their ‘Next’?” Agnew said. “The 'Next' is happening now.”
Together, York University and Seneca are a dynamic building block for innovation in the city.
“We are training the next generation of citizens,” Shoukri said. “We are a 21st century university. And Markham’s campus will not be the old, ivory tower type of campus.”
To start, the Markham York U. campus will offer 25 degrees in eight fields, including arts and media, environmental and life sciences, education and information and technology in graduate and undergraduate programs.
“But we’re not going to wait until the building is built,” Shoukri said. “We are going to start very quickly. We want to engage the community right away.”
Announced earlier this year, York U. is set to open an office in the Downtown Markham area. The new campus, which is set to open for the 2020-21 school year, will be a neighbour to the Markham Pan Am Centre.
York U.’s innovation centre in Markham will house Markham Campus administrative staff and will host a series of community engagement talks.
There will also be a number of idea incubators at the Markham location.
York U. is working on a fundraising campaign in which members of the community and alumni can help support the new campus.
“In the short-term, our aspirations far exceed our resources,” Shoukri said.
