The Council of Ontario Universities reports that Ontario universities attracted over $1 billion in private-sector investment between 2023-24 and 2025-26, supported more than 2,800 startups and spinoff companies in a single year, and established over 7,500 corporate partnerships during the same period. The report highlights the significant role of universities in fostering research and innovation, emphasizing their importance as Canada hosts an international investment summit aimed at attracting $500 billion in new investments over five years.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) released a report indicating that Ontario's public research universities attracted more than $1 billion in private-sector investment over the past three years. The report also highlights that these institutions supported over 2,800 startups and spinoff companies in just one year. Steve Orsini, president of the COU, emphasized the significance of these collaborations, noting both their breadth and depth.
Susan Tighe, president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University, stressed the importance of universities promoting their partnerships with industry to highlight contributions to the local economy. The report's release coincides with an international investment summit in Toronto, aimed at attracting significant investments despite economic challenges posed by a trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Written for “Ontario University Investments” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 8848 · logged 2026-09-14
Universities in Ontario attracted more than $1-billion in private-sector investment over the past three years and supported more than 2,800 startups and spinoff companies in just one of those years, according to a new report from the Council of Ontario Universities.
uncertain
Universities → attract → Universities
The new research, set to be published Monday, marks the first time the COU has put a dollar figure on collaborations between the province’s public research universities and private companies.
asserted
COU → publish → universities
“We knew universities were very significant players in attracting capital for research and innovation, but what was striking was the breadth and depth of it,” said Steve Orsini, president of the COU, which represents universities across Canada’s most populous province.
asserted
which → know → province
The council is releasing the report as Prime Minister Mark Carney kicks off a two-day international investment summit on Monday in Toronto, an event designed to shore up Canada’s economy as it fights a trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump.
asserted
it → release → Trump
Summit organizers hope the conference will attract $500-billion worth of new investments over five years in marquee projects ranging from mines to port expansions to pipelines.
asserted
conference → hope → pipelines
Although universities aren’t participating in the summit, the COU decided to use the moment to quantify the postsecondary education sector’s record of attracting private capital.
asserted
COU → participate → capital
Major projects on offer at the summit will need engineers, geologists, scientists, artificial-intelligence developers and other experts trained at universities, Mr. Orsini said.
asserted
Orsini → need → universities
“These big investments need to be supported by a very strong ecosystem,” he added.
asserted
he → need → ecosystem
“So a lot of our research enterprises are supporting those projects.”
asserted
lot → support → projects
The COU compiled the report by surveying member universities this month, and by drawing on reports to the provincial Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security.
asserted
COU → compile → Colleges
That effort led the council to conclude that Ontario universities attracted $1.02-billion in private-sector investment between 2023-24 and 2025-26.
asserted
universities → lead → 2023
The sector established more than 7,500 corporate partnerships in the same period, the research found.
asserted
research → establish → period
The report also said that 2,840 new startups and spinoff companies came out of universities in a single year, 2024-25.
asserted
startups → say → year
University startups and spinoffs secured more than $15-billion in investments from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
asserted
startups → secure → 2025
Susan Tighe, the president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University, said it is “extremely important” that universities tout their partnerships with industry.
“I think universities, generally speaking, have not done a good job in stating what kinds of contributions we’re having to the local economy,” she said.
asserted
she → say → economy
More than 400 companies have been spun out from her Hamilton institution alone, Prof. Tighe said.
asserted
Tighe → spin → institution
The nearby University of Waterloo just cracked the top 10 in Pitchbook’s international rankings of the best schools for entrepreneurs.
asserted
University → crack → entrepreneurs
Pitchbook, a market tracking company, counts the number of alumni entrepreneurs whose businesses have raised venture capital money in the past 10 years to produce its list.
asserted
businesses → track → list
Waterloo placed seventh globally in the 2026 rankings, released last week – the first time a Canadian school made the top 10.
asserted
school → place → top
Eight Canadian schools made the top 100, including the University of Toronto at number 17 and McGill at 23.
asserted
schools → make → 23
