Innovation is hot and it’s about to get hotter in the Waterloo Region. Thomson Reuters, who dubs itself as being “the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals,” has announced it will launch a data and innovation lab in Waterloo called Thomson Reuters Labs.
The official opening will happen at Techtoberfest this year, which runs from October 13th-14th in Waterloo. Thomson Reuters Labs will have presence at Communitech and has two objectives:
1. Innovation: Innovation will come through applied research and experimentation on Thomson Reuters vast and unique data sets, helping to produce solutions for Thomson Reuters customers.
2. Partnership: Collaboration with academics, students and startups to put new technologies into practice, and meeting the business challenges faced by Thomson Reuters customers.
Jim Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Thomson Reuters, said, “Thomson Reuters Labs will be an engine of innovation for our company, bringing together our unrivalled information assets and industry expertise with experts who can help make those assets increasingly actionable for our customers. We are delighted to partner with the Waterloo community, leveraging our heritage as one of Canada’s leading companies in the preeminent hub of Canadian innovation.”
Iain Klugman, President and CEO of Communitech, stated, “Thomson Reuters Labs will give Waterloo Region startups a chance to partner with one of the leading sources of professional information in the world. It will also provide Thomson Reuters new insights into how these data sets can be used in rapidly changing markets.”
Thomson Reuters will also be partnering with the University of Waterloo to create opportunities for research, student innovation and startup projects, entrepreneurial contests and mentoring.