LEDC Releases London Technology Audit

(London, ON) The London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) today released a comprehensive London Technology Audit.

Completed in August 2006, the audit follows eight months of intensive research and data collection. It catalogues the city’s research strengths, the number of companies and related employment in the technology sector as well as an analysis of the sectors strengths and opportunities.

“Technology has always been part of the LEDC mandate,” says John Kime, LEDC President & CEO. “However, with the current discussions in the community on how to grow London’s knowledge based industries, we identified a real need for a community assessment of our strengths and capabilities. The audit has provided that understanding and lends critical support to our strategy to grow the technology and life sciences industries.”

Drawing from the findings of the audit, the LEDC’s 2007 strategic plan includes dedicating specific staff resources and revenue to a newly created information technology portfolio which would continue LEDC’s support of existing business in this sector as well as attract new investment.

Specific projects include marketing London as a location for IT outsourcing; raising the profile of London’s IT sector; growing and developing London’s small but emerging digital interactive games industry; and creating mechanisms that effectively respond to the needs of technology based businesses, particularly in the area of skills recruitment and training.

The audit also highlights specific opportunities in the Life Sciences sector. This includes the potential to develop the medical devices industry using London’s existing base of research and companies and develop the bioproducts and biomanufacturing industry by drawing on the expertise of the London-based Canadian Research and Development Centre for Probiotics.

“This audit demonstrates that we are on the right track in terms of the work we are doing in life sciences and provides impetus for us to enhance our work in other areas such as information technology,” says Kime. “Given the scope of the information and research, we anticipate that our partner organizations will also find the audit useful to the development of their own growth strategies.”

The London Technology Audit is available on the LEDC website at www.ledc.com

For more information, please contact:

Patricia Hoffer
Director, Marketing & Communications
London Economic Development Corporation
519-661-5009
Email: phoffer@ledc.com