Ildar Khalikov visits research organisation MaRS Discovery District in Toronto

On March 14 during his working trip to Canada (March 11-13), Tatarstan Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov visited MaRS Discovery District in Toronto.

MaRS Discovery District is a non-profit research corporation located in Discovery district in Toronto, adjacent to the University of Toronto, Queen’s park and Front Campus. Founded in 2000, the organisation is successfully working due to public and private funding. MaRS Discovery District conducts medical and IT researches. The centre consists of several modern buildings. Its laboratories are fitted with state-of-the-art equipment.

Welcoming the audience, Company’s Director for International Relations Earl Miller said that it was the honour for him to receive Tatarstan delegation, and noted high achievements of the republic in educational sphere.

Telling about the history of MaRS Discovery District, Earl Miller said that the company is located in a historic building built in 1910-1913. Here Frederick Banting and John Macleod discovered insulin and they were awarded the Noble Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1923.

Canadian Government and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovations and Export are partners of MaRS Discovery District. Total amount of investments made 750 million Canadian dollars, and 3,700 jobs were provided in 2013.

Earl Miller also told that the greater part of investments is private.

Members of Tatarstan delegation looked around laboratories, where medical research is carried out, and MaRS Commons, a part of MaRS Discovery District, dealing with information technologies.

Summing up, Ildar Khalikov called MaRS Discovery District a unique project, facilitating implementation of venture ideas.