Many of the technology companies in Guelph were founded by graduates of the University of Guelph. These individuals worked for companies such as Geosign, RIM, and MKS prior to opening their own businesses. Many of these individuals came from other communities to attend the university. They enjoyed their university years and came to learn about the lifestyle and uniqueness that Guelph has to offer. They may have attended the University of Guelph or other universities outside of Guelph. They returned to Guelph after graduation or never left. They decided to launch their new ventures in Guelph.

The Guelph Technology and Design Cluster is an informal framework for bringing together technology companies in Guelph and is facilitated through a LinkedIn group. The short term goal of the group is to introduce companies to each other to initiate the collaboration process. The long term goal is to develop a physical infrastructure that provides support for both start-up and existing technology companies. The physical infrastructure will include an anchor building were several technology companies will reside. Shared resources and common areas will facilitate collaboration between tenants of the building. Companies located in the building will be referred to as 1st tier companies. The cluster will also include 2nd tier companies that would not reside in the IT building but would participate in shared services. In addition, there will be 3rd tier companies that are interested in collaboration and networking.

What are Shared Services?

These are services required by all businesses in order to support their core business activities. Examples are sales, marketing, accounting, human resources, legal, payroll, reception, administrative, maintenance, network, security, etc. Along with shared services there will be common areas and food services. Common areas will include boardrooms, meeting rooms, kitchen area, games room, bicycle lockup, parking, etc. Food services will include a restaurant, cafe, and lounge area.

The purpose of the cluster is to bring together small and medium sized technology companies in order to accomplish more than what could be accomplished independently. Most of these companies focus on specific development technologies and have different core competencies. This can limit opportunities when a company is lacking a particular skill or does not have enough resources to take on a new opportunity. Many new technologies companies have little or no business experience or training. They have excellent technical ability, passion, and brilliant ideas but tend to struggle due to lack of support. The cluster is comprised of companies in different stages of maturity from early start up, late start up, and successful established companies. Mature companies provide mentoring and support for start up companies.

The cluster is geographically dispersed throughout the Guelph area although there is a heavy concentration of existing companies in the downtown core. These companies are naturally drawn to the downtown due to the availability of economical rental space and the many positive amenities that the downtown has to offer. The employees of these companies conduct their business in the many cafes and restaurants available in downtown Guelph. They hold their various events in local establishments. Ironically, many of these companies exist hidden on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors of downtown buildings and are unknown to each other. They may export their products and services primarily to the United States and the world via the Internet but may conduct little business in Guelph. This underground technology community contributes to Guelph by supporting local businesses, creating jobs, paying taxes, and developing recent graduates. Many of these people live in the downtown area and walk or ride their bikes to work. Many commute from Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Oakville, and Hamilton, to work in downtown Guelph. The development of the Guelph Technology and Design Cluster and associated IT building will attract technology companies and skilled employees to the Guelph area. It will decrease the exodus of technology companies from Guelph to the Kitchener-Waterloo area. New graduates from the University of Guelph will be able to find local employment and will have opportunities to develop their technological skills.

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