OCE partnership strengthens Canada’s ties with China, India and Israel

Mark Romoff, President and CEO of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and Henri Rothschild, President of International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTPCanada) and President and CEO of Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF) sign an agreement to pursue joint international research and commercialization programs at OCE’s head office in Toronto.

Toronto, Ontario - March 13, 2008 – Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTPCanada) and The Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF) have formed a strategic partnership to grow international research and commercialization programs in Ontario and across Canada.

OCE, ISTPCanada and CIIRDF will collectively pursue international science and technology initiatives, leveraging OCE’s domestic networks, and ISTPCanada’s and CIIRDF’s international relationships to accelerate the commercialization of research, driving both Ontario’s and Canada’s economy.

“This partnership harnesses the strengths of each organization – OCE’s proven track record in building strong Ontario-based research alliances, matched with ISTPCanada’s and CIIRDF’s experience and success with international involvement in China, India and Israel, with Brazil and California as future potential priorities,” said Mark Romoff, OCE’s President and CEO.

Ontario already benefits from a successful international partnership between OCE and CIIRDF, which has led to the Convergent Medical Technologies Program. It currently directs investment to the growth of Ontario and Israeli companies interested in pursuing collaborative research and development projects.

Working together, ISTPCanada, CIIRDF and OCE will take this successful model further, actively pursuing commercialization opportunities that arise from jointly funded research. The three organizations are already reviewing a successful call for proposals for collaborative research and development projects with China and India. These and other activities will be leveraged through OCE’s commercialization programs in connection with ISTPCanada’s and CIIRDF’s international programs.

The three partners will also coordinate their efforts to develop programs to foster the next generation of entrepreneurs by providing students with international employment opportunities that position them well to overcome the business challenges associated with a global economy. “Through the combined efforts of our respective organizations, Ontario will establish a benchmark for international cooperation that can be applied across the county,” said Henri Rothschild, President of ISTPCanada and President and CEO of CIIRDF.

Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Inc. – www.oce-ontario.org – Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Inc. drives the commercialization of cutting-edge research across key market sectors to build the economy of tomorrow and secure Ontario’s global competitiveness. In doing this, OCE also fosters the training and development of the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, and is a key partner with Ontario’s industry, universities, colleges, research hospitals, investors and governments. OCE’s five Centres work in communications and information, technology, earth and environmental technologies, energy, materials and manufacturing and photonics.

International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTPCanada) Inc – www.istpcanada.ca –ISTPCanada fosters and supports the development of research partnerships for Canadian companies and research organizations with international counterparts, with an emphasis on research and development projects with commercial relevance and potential.ISTPCanada was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization with the primary objective of strengthening Canada’s science and technology (S&T), business to business relations and ultimately overall economic, trade and political relations. ISTPCanada was selected by the Government of Canada, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, to deliver the India, China and Brazil elements of its International Science and Technology Partnerships Program.

Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF) – www.ciirdf.ca –The Canada Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF) invites Canadian and Israeli companies to submit new joint R&D project proposals for funding approval in 2007. CIIRDF was established in 1994 to promote collaborative R&D between firms in both countries. With a sophisticated research base to draw on in each country, Canadian and Israeli companies are well suited to form productive partnerships.

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OCE partnership strengthens Canada’s ties with China, India and Israel