Canada Market

Ontario: Central Canada—Centre of Canadian Business

With the greatest population concentration, close proximity to the massive US market and diverse industrial strengths, Ontario has quickly become the engine of the Canadian economy.

While established industries such as agri-food, forestry and mining remain central to the province's success, Ontario in the 21 st Century is globally recognized for its leading edge technology industries and fast growing business services, finance, tourism and cultural sectors.

Key Advantages
Most populous province, with 1/3 of Canada 's population-nearly 12.7 million
Home to people with 170 different ethnic backgrounds who speak over 100 languages
1,500 multinational companies operate in Ontario
Provides 40% of Canada 's total employment
Produces 52% of total national manufacturing shipments-88.9% exported to the US
Ontario economy projected to grow faster than any of the other G7 countries
57% of all Ontarians aged 25-64 have completed post-secondary education, the highest percentage in the OECD
20 universities and 24 colleges of applied arts and technology generate a steady supply of new graduates
Payroll taxes are lower than those in any G7 country
Telecommunications and transportation infrastructure provides seamless international links
Home to half of Canada 's Top 100 corporate R&D spenders
Province enhances Canada 's 10.9% R&D cost advantage with a wide range of additional tax incentives and R&D support programs, internationally recognized researchers and research institutions, and an excellent telecommunications and industrial infrastructure
Nearly 40% of North America 's population is within a day's drive of southern Ontario
Ranked among the world's top conference destinations
Low cost of living relative to major international centres-projected inflation rate of 1.8% in 2007
Safe, tolerant communities and an enviable quality of life

Top 5 Manufacturing Sectors
Transportation equipment
Metal products
Food processing
Chemical & products
Electrical & electronic products

Top 5 Exports
Motor vehicles, parts and accessories
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Electrical machinery and equipment
Non-ferrous metals and allied products
Plastics

Regional Clusters
Ontario is internationally recognized for its expertise in a number of key technology clusters including:

Aerospace
A network of more than 350 Ontario aerospace firms, primarily focused on systems and equipment, provides a wide range of aerospace/aviation design, manufacturing, and product support for the global industry

Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals
Ontario 's biotech industry is Canada 's largest and North America 's 3 rd largest regional concentration of bio-based firms

Chemicals
Ontario's Chemical Industry
Centred in Sarnia , Toronto and Eastern Ontario , eight of the 10 largest chemical operations in the world are located in Ontario - Canada 's 3 rd largest manufacturing sector.

Information and Communication Technology
Ontario's ICT industry-clustered in Waterloo, Toronto and Ottawa-has leaders in every sector, including telecom equipment, software development and services, digital media and web, and microelectronics, as well as cutting-edge technologies like VoIP, and wireless broadband

Photonics
Photonics in Ontario
More than 60% of Canada 's photonics industry is clustered in Ottawa and Toronto

Medical devices
Life Sciences in Ontario: A Breeding Ground for Breakthroughs
Ontario has major strengths in areas ranging from cardiology to medical imaging to robotics.

Advanced materials
In advanced materials, Ontario is a key player in the plastics, ceramics, composites and nanotechnology sectors.

Ontario's R&D Edge
More than 150 university and college research centres are spread out around the province. Seventeen of Canada 's top 50 research universities are located in Ontario , seven of which attract more than $100 million in sponsored research funding annually.

But there's more. Publicly funded research centres based in Ontario include:
Canadian Institutes for Health Research
C-STAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics)
Cancer Care Ontario
Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
Institute for Quantum Computing
MaRS Discovery District
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Networks of Centres of Excellence
Ontario Agri-Food Technologies
Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
Ottawa Heart Institute
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children
Robarts Research Institute
Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
University of Western Ontario Research and Development Park

Look Who's Investing - Global Industry Leaders Choose Ontario
Alcan
Apotex
AstraZeneca Canada
Atomic Energy of Canada
Bayer
Bell Canada
Bombardier
CAE
Celestica
Cognos
CVRD Inco
DailmerChrysler Canada
DuPont Canada
Eli Lilly Canada
Ford Motor Company of Canada
GEAC Computer
General Motors of Canada
Gennum Corporation
GlaxoSmithKline
GSI Lumonic
Janssen-Ortho
Honeywell Canada
Lucent
MacDonald Dettweiler
Magna International
MDS
Merck Frosst Canada
Mitel Networks
Nortel Networks
NOVA Chemicals
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Ontario Power Generation
OpenText
Pfizer Canada
Pratt & Whitney
QLT
Research in Motion
Rogers Wireless
Sanofi Pasteur
Siemens
Toyota Canada
Tundra Semiconductor