I had an opportunity to meet with some business people from the rapidly growing Information Technology (IT) sector in Guelph. This sector is reaching a critical mass and maturity in our community which is starting to garner them some recognition and clout.
Interestingly, there is a high preponderance of IT businesses in and around the downtown. They are filling the second and third floors of downtown buildings. They are attracting a highly-skilled and creative workforce into the urban centre. More people working downtown also helps to support the retail and service sectors.
Perhaps an IT Accelerator Centre right in the downtown is what we need to achieve two important goals – downtown revitaliztion and job creation. It seems to me that this sector offers a great opportunity to diversify the types of jobs we have in Guelph and for the downtown to play a role in enhancing the resiliance of our local economy.
Mayor Karen Farbridge's Blog 
December 3, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I think that is an excellent proposition!
Drive knowlege based business growth while at the same time revitalizing the core.
December 7, 2009 at 1:39 pm
As a (commuting) IT professional living in Guelph, I only recently became aware of all of the technical work in Guelph. I think it’s a wonderful location for IT talent. If I were developing the town’s long term strategy I would be working to make it attractive for businesses to host their DR sites on the outskirts of Guelph. It’s easily accessible, and the infrastructure is there.
December 7, 2009 at 10:56 pm
You should join us at our next DemoCampGuelph event in Jan and meet some of these strange tech people in person, we’d love to have you out, http://www.democampguelph.com/
December 8, 2009 at 1:13 pm
There is a plethora of tech happening in Guelph. Unfortunately it seems to never attract the attention of the local media. Several key stakeholders have combined resources and are putting on a first time tech business event for January 2010.
http://www.guelphtechnologyeconomy.ca/
December 9, 2009 at 11:50 am
IT is one of the sectors that can provide high paying jobs for the future.
Provide major incentives to IT corporations (Oracle, CISCO, Microsoft, google, Adobe) to open R&D centres here. I would say make a plan and go to them directly with incentives.
The kind of revenue that these high paying jobs will geneate (pople buying homes paying property taxes see Mississauga) will more than offset the incentives given to these corporations.
IT, Biotechnology, Pharma, Environmental and in general R&D jobs will ensure that we have a good middle class in the ctiy
December 9, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Great idea, I’m biased but why don’t we start by working with the people/companies who have already setup shop in Guelph and offer them some help/incentives? Some great companies have already made commitments to tech Guelph on their own dime. As one of those people I’d be choked to see the city run off and start courting companies that have no idea what Gwelf even is. Why not work with people with proven track record of creating tech jobs in Guelph and empower them to do more?
December 9, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I run a Technology User Group called Guelph Coffee and Code. We cover a variety of Development topics including Microsoft and Open Source solutions.
We meet weekly on Thursday nights at Synn Studios “Synnema”. 121 Wyndham St. Guelph Unit 106.
For more information please check out the Community site http://www.coffeeandcode.org.
December 9, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Once again, it’s refreshing to see the City of Guelph demonstrating thought leadership on such an important issue. There’s a thriving, passionate tech community here in Guelph, and with the right support it could eventually rival that of Waterloo or Toronto. If only we could find a way to lure Google away from Waterloo…
December 9, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Did you realize that Hammond Manufacturing, in Guelph, has been manufacturing Equipment Cabinets for IT, Broadcasting and Data Centres since the 1930s?
http://www.hammondmfg.com
I guess Guelph really is a technology hub!