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Information is the new currency. And it’s essential to accelerating innovation.

Within innovation ecosystems, mash-ups of scientists, students, educators, clinicians, entrepreneurs, politicians, citizens, and more, collaborate in unpredictable ways. Communities around the world are embracing the strength of multidisciplinary teams to fuel solutions to intractable problems.

In this inclusive environment, connections to each other and to information are imperative to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. So much data and expertise exist outside of our traditional institutions of innovation that siloed repositories cannot support the advancement they were meant to serve.

What would happen if data, ideas, and content were freely available to everyone to use and contribute to as they wish, without restrictions?

What kinds of new knowledge would we generate? What kinds of efficiencies would we find? What security would be needed to protect them? As public institutions endeavour to provide greater access to data, society grapples with how to leverage it. Find out what kind of infrastructure is needed to support this inclusive community with their diverse ideas. Get insight into the best practices already being harnessed across the globe and from experts right here in our own backyard. Discover how you can enable greater transparency, participation, and improved decisions through “open”.

Topics we’ll explore:

How to support the complex needs of openness in …

  • Data – Leveraging what exists and applying new analytics
  • Government – Managing through collaboration with constituents
  • Education – Open, accessible classroom resources and new data literacies
  • Research – Encouraging public access to and new applications of scientific discoveries
  • Bioinformatics and medical research – Optimizing data science to accelerate health
  • Technology – Considering new open network frameworks and the increased importance of security and privacy

Who should attend:

  • Technology leaders who want to know how “open” will affect their healthcare, research and education institutions
  • Champions of the “open” approach, including researchers, students, educators, librarians, policy makers, and innovation community leaders

Conference Updates

Previous THINK Conferences

Event highlights and what others have said about the conference:

  • “I wanted to see what innovation was happening in education K-12 and then see how that translated to post-secondary and also industry. Having all three sectors there was very important.” — Ministry of Education attendee
  • “I enjoyed the conference, its location, logistics, and contents. I had not planned to stay for the whole day, but I managed to reschedule my other commitments to stay for the whole day.” — York University attendee
  • “My primary objective for attending was networking and being exposed to the latest trends in keeping up with digital technology.” — SHARCNET attendee
  • “The conference was very well organized, and I would strongly recommend it!” — District School Board of Niagara attendee

diTHINK 2016 Conference:

Digital infrastructure. It’s empowering the Digital Individual, giving them Digital Independence, enabling Democratic Innovation. DIYers can set up their own collaboration systems, undertake advanced computing analysis of crowd-sourced data, and create monitoring devices tailored to their community’s needs. Tech goes selfie for an inclusive future. Find out how this is affecting research, education and innovation.

2015 THINK Conference:

2014 THINK Conference

2013 THINK Conference