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INTERNATIONAL FOOD PROCESSING AND INNOVATION CENTRE (IFPIC)
Toronto's Food and Beverage cluster, which includes food processing,
food wholesaling, food retailing and food service, is the second
largest Food and Beverage cluster in North America.
However jurisdictional competitiveness, changing trends in
the demand for different types of food, lack of food-grade industrial
buildings, and a greater regulatory climate for safe and healthy
foods challenge the ability of the Toronto food sector to remain
competitive in the coming years.
(ARTIST RENDERING)
TEDCO together with the City of Toronto Economic Development
Division and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF),
are working together to develop a feasibility and concept plan
for an International Food Processing & Innovation Centre
(IFPIC).
The multi-functional centre is aimed at supporting the food
industry; a key sector that drives employment and technology
in Canada. The IFPIC will house an "Innovation Centre"
where shared programs and services are provided. The "Commercialization
Centre" will have test labs and kitchens for new ideas to
emerge. The "Small Business Development Centre" will
support the expansion of new innovative ventures, while the "Food
Production Mall" will provide high quality, world-class
food manufacturing space.
The purpose of the IFPIC is two-fold:
-- To support and encourage growth in the food industry through
education, innovation, networking, collaboration, technology
transfer and commercialization;
-- To address the lack of high quality food grade space currently
hindering the food industry.
DOWNLOAD PROJECT SYNOPSYS
IFPICbro-lowres.pdf
1.6MB
For more information contact:
Toronto Economic Development Corporation
416.214-.640
info@tedco.ca
http://www.tedco.ca/economic5.php
Additional information about the
Toronto Region Food Processing and Manufacturing Cluster:
The City of Toronto recognizes the importance of its Food and
Beverage industry. The food cluster has annual sales in excess
of $17 billion. In the Toronto CMA, there are over 2,000 food
and beverage manufacturing establishments (2004).
Within Ontario, the Toronto region dominates the provincial
food industry with more than half of all the food processing
in the province taking place within area.
www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/food.htm
For more information contact:
Food and Beverage Cluster Specialist
Michael Wolfson
416.392.3830
mwolfso@toronto.ca
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