Why Peterborough Could Emerge As One Of The Tech Cities In Canada
/Peterborough has always been known as a city of innovation. It's in our DNA. The city now has the opportunity to emerge as one of the tech cities in Canada—or anywhere. Here are 15 reasons why...
1. Peterborough has always been ahead of the curve, from being the first city in Canada with electric street lighting (1884) to constructing the highest hydraulic lock in the world (1904)—see more examples here.
2. Peterborough has tremendous talent from Trent University and Fleming College to feed from—students (aka digital natives) from all over the world who were raised with mobile devices and apps as a part of their lives, and some of whom are now starting tech-based businesses.
3. Peterborough is known for being tech-savvy, an early adopter that engages with new tech, digital media and social media platforms. Ideas get incubated and shared here in the "creative economy" by global citizens (digital natives and digital immigrants) sharing on mobile in real-time. (Our media company began as a Twitter handle.)
4. The spirit of innovation, adapting and evolving has emerged from manufacturing giants in Peterborough like Quaker Oats, the old Outboard Marine, and of course GE (whose "Electric City” moniker comes from GE's long association with the city).
5. Peterborough organizations have really begun to embrace the collaborative approach to city-, community-, business-, tech-building, allowing for start-up ideas to be incubated and get off the ground sooner—and from right here in Peterborough rather than another city. Less red tape, more Let's Just Do This.
6. High schools and elementary schools are adding to their curriculum exciting new ways of exploring and using technology in the classroom setting to teach, adapting to the real tech world children are raised in and inspired by. Some school boards are creating hashtags to share their findings. These students, and their ideas, are the future of this city.
7. The city's history is rooted in creative people who experiment and push the envelope, from Sir Sandford Fleming (who lived here as a young engineer), to Erica Cherney, to Jim Balsillie (born and raised in Peterborough)—co-founder and former co-CEO of Research in Motion ("BlackBerry").
8. The likes of Peterborough Economic Development, Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, Peterborough Angels, DBIA, City of Peterborough, Bears' Lair and Startup Peterborough are exploring (and rewarding) how technology, digital and innovation can develop our city in the modern era—and most importantly, retain young, bright, innovative minds.
9. Peterborough—long known as a hub for beta testing products and ideas, many of which eventually hit national and international markets—is emerging as one of the "start-up" communities in Canada, fostering and mentoring young entrepreneurs at a grassroots level, giving them autonomy to build, learn, make mistakes, grow.
10. Peterborough is realizing the value of experimentation and testing out ideas on social media platforms and elsewhere to explore possibilities and kickstart businesses that could change the city—and world. The "Why the hell not?" attitude has caught on.
11. Technology could be a game changer for Peterborough, and young entrepreneurs see that. In fact, the most powerful testimonials come from startups themselves: "This city is becoming a fast adapter of technology," startup Ribbet co-founder Sana Virji tells PTBOCanada. "With numerous startups growing in the region, we know Peterborough is the place to be."
12. If you look around you and see how people are consuming and sharing information, it's on mobile devices, iPads and laptops. It's not so much newspapers, magazines, phone and TV sets anymore. The world has changed. Gen Z, millennials, Gen Xers and, more and more, Baby Boomers, are staring at their iPhones screens because that's where they are reading, watching video, sharing info and fostering ideas. Leisure, play and work are there now. It's a new, exciting world.
13. From seasoned local digital companies like OutdoorSmart (the successful company behind BoatSmart!) to start-ups like Noble Purification, the future of Peterborough is emerging as much on technology and startups as manufacturing and other traditional industries (which they themselves are re-thinking approaches in the modern era).
14. Hubs, think tanks, digital networking, pods, incubators, clusters, re-thinking work spaces are all being re-imagined in Peterborough, as "traditional" work—and its office notion of "9 to 5" in a cubicle—undergoes a transformative era. Nowadays, you can build a company from your dining room table. Or the café. Or wherever.
15. Look at it this way, too: The more Peterborough becomes known as a tech city surrounded by beautiful water, restaurants, stores and people—with all the amenities of urban and rural—the more we'll see talented people drawn to study here, intern here, start up businesses here, be hired by tech companies here in need, and stay here. And raise families here.
Basically, all the ingredients and momentum are here to create an amazing tech ecosystem that becomes the talk of the town—and Canada. Hashtag that.
—Neil Morton
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