Brock University Professor Charles Conteh recently shared how mid-sized regions of Ontario—Greater Sudbury, Hamilton, London, Niagara, and Windsor-Essex—are forming the frontlines of technological and socio-economic change. Conteh explains that these mid-sized regions have three commonalities that have helped them become effective leaders in change. They identified and focused on a set of composite industries; built robust platforms to bring together public, private, and non-profit actors to create regional innovation systems, and were strategic about tapping into provincial and federal resources that aligned with their priorities. As an example, Conteh references the growth in the Niagara region and the involvement of postsecondary institutions like Brock and Niagara College in the region’s success.
