MARS DISCOVERY DISTRICT
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: ''"MaRS" redirects here. For the planet, see Mars
'MaRS Discovery District' is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 2000 by a private-public sector partnership. Its stated goal is to maximize the economic and social impact of Canadian innovation. [1] It is located on the corner of College Street and University Avenue in the city of Toronto’s Discovery Distinct, adjacent to the University of Toronto and its affiliated research hospitals at the University Health Network.
The name MaRS was originally drawn from a file name, and later attributed with the title “Medical and Related Sciences.†As MaRS also works in other fields such as Information and Communications Technology, Engineering, and Social Innovation, it has since abandoned this association.
MaRS provides lab facilities for approximately 65 tenants, but does not perform any research itself. It was founded by thirteen individuals who shared the concern that while Canadian research institutions were producing excellent innovations, these were failing to effectively transfer into tangible commercial products. [2] MaRS’ stated vision is to see more research translate into products with ‘real-world’ utility, and to increase Canada’s competitiveness in the innovation economy. [3]
MaRS states that its focus is on improving the means by which Canadian innovation is commercialized . Chiefly, its approach is to co-locate researchers, investors and businesspeople in the MaRS centre, and to encourage collaboration between them via a range of services and resources. MaRS calls this model ‘Convergence Innovation.’ [4] MaRS asserts that this approach addresses the obstacles that innovation upstarts often face in accessing capital, developing business resources and skills, and provides a catalytic environment for innovation by encouraging a free flow of ideas and collaboration between its tenants. [5]
The MaRS development is comprised of two phases.
Phase I includes the ‘Heritage Building’ (formerly a wing of the Toronto General Hospital from 1913 to 2002), the eight-storey ‘South Tower’ and the fifteen-story ‘Toronto Medical Discovery Tower.’ Approximately 700,000 square feet in size, it contains research facilities, professional services firms, investment companies, technology transfer offices, research and community networking organizations and established global companies. [6] The MaRS Incubator provides lab and office resources for upstart companies, and the MaRS Collaboration Centre provides networking and conference facilities. Phase I began operations in 2005 .
Phase II, designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects, will constitute a 900,000 square foot addition to the MaRS centre in the form of a 23-story tower on the complex’s west wing. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2007, finishing in 2010. [7]
In accordance with its doctrine of ‘Convergence Innovation’, the MaRS centre is designed to maximize socialization, networking and random collisions. [8] Architectural details such as large public spaces, small offices and shared facilities (e.g. break rooms) contribute to this end, as well as events such as monthly tenant pub nights or coffee breaks.
The MaRS Venture group provides advisory services to upstart client companies on topics such as constructing business and marketing plans, finding executives and gathering market intelligence . MaRS claims that these address the tasks of acquiring capital and developing business resources that have traditionally proven difficult for hitherto research-oriented enterprises .
Through the MaRS Collaboration Centre, MaRS puts on educational seminars, workshops and lectures on topics such as entrepreneurship, best practices and emerging technologies. For example, ‘Entrepreneurship 101’ is a free, not-for-credit lecture series designed for graduate students, post-doctoral candidates, faculty, technicians or other researchers interested in learning the practicalities of developing a company to exploit their research (see link below). [9]
Additionally, MaRS offers various online resources, including the MaRS blog, analyst reports, articles and interviews, ‘MaRS picks’ in literature and other media and event listings (see link below.)
On April 4, 2006, members of the group “People Against the Militarization of Life†protested in front of the MaRS centre against a tentative deal for MaRS to rent an office to the Battelle Memorial Institute—a research company that has contracts from the U.S. military. [10] MaRS stated that Battelle would be sharing its expertise in medical—rather than military—research, and that MaRS had no interest in military research. [11] The deal later fell through.
★ The Toronto Discovery District
★ California-Canada Strategic Innovation Partnership
★ Social Innovation Generation (SiG)
★ Creative Convergence Centres Project
★ Premier’s Summit Awards
★ Canadian Stem Cell Network
★ MaRS Landing
★ Stockholm Science City
★ The MaRS website
★ The MaRS blog Updated daily by MaRS staff and guests on topics including emerging science and technology, entrepreneurship and business, and innovation policy.
★ A panoramic view of the MaRS Centre Atrium (Quicktime)
★ The MaRS Venture Group website
★ The Entrepreneurship 101 website
★ Press release from the Office of the Premier of Ontario announcing MaRS’ official opening
★ Press release announcing Phase II of development
★ The ‘’Now Magazine’’ article on the MaRS-Battelle controversy.
★ ‘’The Varsity’’ article on the MaRS-Battelle controversy.
1. About MaRS: Frequently Asked Questions. URL: http://www.marsdd.com/portals/mars/faq/. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
2. MaRS – Year One: An Interview with Dr. John Evans, Chair, Board of Directors. URL: [1]. Accessed on June 26, 2007.
3. About MaRS: Vision and Strategy. URL: [2]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
4. Convergence Innovation. URL: [3]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
5. Convergence Innovation. URL: [4]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
6. Explore MaRS: The MaRS Centre. URL: [5]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
7. MaRS Selects Alexandria Real Estate Equities to Expand the MaRS Centre in the Discovery District of Toronto. URL: [6]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
8. MaRS Perspective into Convergence Innovation. URL: [7]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
9. Entrepreneurship 101 – Lecture Series for Researchers. URL: [8]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
10. Weinberg, Paul. “U of T’s Biomed Backtrack.†In ‘’Now Magazine Toronto.’’ Vol. 25, No. 36 (May 4-10, 2006.) URL: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-05-04/news_story7.php. Accessed on: July 9, 2007.
11. Smookler, D. “Probing MaRS.†In “The Varsity.†April 6, 2006. URL: http://media.www.thevarsity.ca/media/storage/paper285/news/2006/04/06/News/Probing.Mars-1799338.shtml. Accessed on: June 1, 2007.
'MaRS Discovery District' is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 2000 by a private-public sector partnership. Its stated goal is to maximize the economic and social impact of Canadian innovation. [1] It is located on the corner of College Street and University Avenue in the city of Toronto’s Discovery Distinct, adjacent to the University of Toronto and its affiliated research hospitals at the University Health Network.
The name MaRS was originally drawn from a file name, and later attributed with the title “Medical and Related Sciences.†As MaRS also works in other fields such as Information and Communications Technology, Engineering, and Social Innovation, it has since abandoned this association.
| Contents |
| Purpose |
| Facilities |
| Phase I |
| Phase II |
| Services |
| The MaRS Centre |
| The MaRS Venture Group |
| Programs and Networks |
| Criticism |
| Initiatives and affiliations |
| External links |
| References |
Purpose
The MaRS Centre, seen from the NE corner of College Street and University Avenue.
MaRS provides lab facilities for approximately 65 tenants, but does not perform any research itself. It was founded by thirteen individuals who shared the concern that while Canadian research institutions were producing excellent innovations, these were failing to effectively transfer into tangible commercial products. [2] MaRS’ stated vision is to see more research translate into products with ‘real-world’ utility, and to increase Canada’s competitiveness in the innovation economy. [3]
MaRS states that its focus is on improving the means by which Canadian innovation is commercialized . Chiefly, its approach is to co-locate researchers, investors and businesspeople in the MaRS centre, and to encourage collaboration between them via a range of services and resources. MaRS calls this model ‘Convergence Innovation.’ [4] MaRS asserts that this approach addresses the obstacles that innovation upstarts often face in accessing capital, developing business resources and skills, and provides a catalytic environment for innovation by encouraging a free flow of ideas and collaboration between its tenants. [5]
Facilities
The MaRS development is comprised of two phases.
An artist’s rendition of the 23-storey Phase II tower, scheduled for completion in 2010.
Phase I
Phase I includes the ‘Heritage Building’ (formerly a wing of the Toronto General Hospital from 1913 to 2002), the eight-storey ‘South Tower’ and the fifteen-story ‘Toronto Medical Discovery Tower.’ Approximately 700,000 square feet in size, it contains research facilities, professional services firms, investment companies, technology transfer offices, research and community networking organizations and established global companies. [6] The MaRS Incubator provides lab and office resources for upstart companies, and the MaRS Collaboration Centre provides networking and conference facilities. Phase I began operations in 2005 .
Phase II
Phase II, designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects, will constitute a 900,000 square foot addition to the MaRS centre in the form of a 23-story tower on the complex’s west wing. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2007, finishing in 2010. [7]
Services
The MaRS Centre
Inside the MaRS Centre atrium.
In accordance with its doctrine of ‘Convergence Innovation’, the MaRS centre is designed to maximize socialization, networking and random collisions. [8] Architectural details such as large public spaces, small offices and shared facilities (e.g. break rooms) contribute to this end, as well as events such as monthly tenant pub nights or coffee breaks.
The MaRS Venture Group
The MaRS Venture group provides advisory services to upstart client companies on topics such as constructing business and marketing plans, finding executives and gathering market intelligence . MaRS claims that these address the tasks of acquiring capital and developing business resources that have traditionally proven difficult for hitherto research-oriented enterprises .
Programs and Networks
Through the MaRS Collaboration Centre, MaRS puts on educational seminars, workshops and lectures on topics such as entrepreneurship, best practices and emerging technologies. For example, ‘Entrepreneurship 101’ is a free, not-for-credit lecture series designed for graduate students, post-doctoral candidates, faculty, technicians or other researchers interested in learning the practicalities of developing a company to exploit their research (see link below). [9]
Additionally, MaRS offers various online resources, including the MaRS blog, analyst reports, articles and interviews, ‘MaRS picks’ in literature and other media and event listings (see link below.)
Criticism
On April 4, 2006, members of the group “People Against the Militarization of Life†protested in front of the MaRS centre against a tentative deal for MaRS to rent an office to the Battelle Memorial Institute—a research company that has contracts from the U.S. military. [10] MaRS stated that Battelle would be sharing its expertise in medical—rather than military—research, and that MaRS had no interest in military research. [11] The deal later fell through.
Initiatives and affiliations
★ The Toronto Discovery District
★ California-Canada Strategic Innovation Partnership
★ Social Innovation Generation (SiG)
★ Creative Convergence Centres Project
★ Premier’s Summit Awards
★ Canadian Stem Cell Network
★ MaRS Landing
★ Stockholm Science City
External links
★ The MaRS website
★ The MaRS blog Updated daily by MaRS staff and guests on topics including emerging science and technology, entrepreneurship and business, and innovation policy.
★ A panoramic view of the MaRS Centre Atrium (Quicktime)
★ The MaRS Venture Group website
★ The Entrepreneurship 101 website
★ Press release from the Office of the Premier of Ontario announcing MaRS’ official opening
★ Press release announcing Phase II of development
★ The ‘’Now Magazine’’ article on the MaRS-Battelle controversy.
★ ‘’The Varsity’’ article on the MaRS-Battelle controversy.
References
1. About MaRS: Frequently Asked Questions. URL: http://www.marsdd.com/portals/mars/faq/. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
2. MaRS – Year One: An Interview with Dr. John Evans, Chair, Board of Directors. URL: [1]. Accessed on June 26, 2007.
3. About MaRS: Vision and Strategy. URL: [2]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
4. Convergence Innovation. URL: [3]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
5. Convergence Innovation. URL: [4]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
6. Explore MaRS: The MaRS Centre. URL: [5]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
7. MaRS Selects Alexandria Real Estate Equities to Expand the MaRS Centre in the Discovery District of Toronto. URL: [6]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
8. MaRS Perspective into Convergence Innovation. URL: [7]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
9. Entrepreneurship 101 – Lecture Series for Researchers. URL: [8]. Accessed on: June 26, 2007.
10. Weinberg, Paul. “U of T’s Biomed Backtrack.†In ‘’Now Magazine Toronto.’’ Vol. 25, No. 36 (May 4-10, 2006.) URL: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-05-04/news_story7.php. Accessed on: July 9, 2007.
11. Smookler, D. “Probing MaRS.†In “The Varsity.†April 6, 2006. URL: http://media.www.thevarsity.ca/media/storage/paper285/news/2006/04/06/News/Probing.Mars-1799338.shtml. Accessed on: June 1, 2007.
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