Factory Conversion to Medical Tech Hub

Located in the City of Kitchener’s innovation district, the Innovation Arena will amplify Canada’s health tech sector. Built-in partnership with the City of Kitchener, the University of Waterloo and Velocity – Waterloo’s renowned startup incubator – this project will streamline commercialization pathways for businesses, fast-track delivery of health technologies and contribute to being the haven for startups that the region is known for.

The conversion of this historic factory space will be a feat of engineering, with the entire dismantlement of the existing factory interior and a complete teardown to the studs leaving a blank canvas for us to execute the fit-outs for a new high-tech collaboration space. Meeting rooms, tenant offices, specialized areas for chemistry and custom-fit workspaces curated for individual companies will be a part of the mix.

Through this project, the University of Waterloo expects to create 730 skilled jobs, support the development and growth of 135 businesses and commercialize 150 new health-related products, services or processes. It will also help anchor a growing number of health-tech firms in southwestern Ontario, contributing to regional growth while attracting international startups to Waterloo.