Toronto (November 21, 2024) – PortsToronto announces a new strategic partnership with Plug and Play, a leading global innovation platform based in Silicon Valley, that will foster leading-edge digital solutions and accelerate innovation within PortsToronto’s owned businesses along the Toronto Waterfront, including Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and the marine Port of Toronto.
Through this partnership, PortsToronto will tap into Plug and Play’s resources to power its digital transformation, connect with global tech leaders, and exchange innovative best practices with other organizations to deliver bold solutions for connectivity, convenience and economic opportunity.
“Having owned and operated the marine Port of Toronto for more than 100 years and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport for 85 years, PortsToronto has long brought a mindset of innovation and optimization to it businesses,” said RJ Steenstra, President & CEO, PortsToronto. “By joining forces with Plug and Play we hope to enhance this spirit of innovation for the benefit of our passengers, stakeholders and business partners. We are in the early stages of this accelerated innovation and digitization journey but look forward to delivering solutions in the short and long term that enhance the travel experience for our passengers, drive efficiencies in our port operations to improve the movement of goods, and build on Toronto’s reputation as a tech and innovation centre globally.”
“Plug and Play has partnered with organizations across industries in Canada including TD Bank, Visa, and WestJet, and has a proven track record for identifying and navigating innovation that transforms businesses and drives competitive advantage,” continued Steenstra. “We look forward to commencing our work with Plug and Play to achieve PortsToronto’s vision of Transportation Reimagined.”
“We are thrilled to support PortsToronto in accelerating their digital transformation and innovation roadmap. The leadership team’s current vision aligns perfectly with Plug and Play’s mission: helping over 650 forward-thinking corporations become more innovative and digitally centric. The partnership’s initial focus areas will include but are not limited to, multi-modal forms of transportation, sustainability, and passenger experience across Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport”, said Amir Amidi, Plug and Play Managing Partner.
To learn more about Plug and Play Travel & Hospitality, visit
https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/industries/travel-and-hospitality.
About PortsToronto
For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to promote connectivity and enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and surrounding region. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomes approximately 2 million passengers annually; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and the marine Port of Toronto that includes businesses in a variety of sectors including marine shipping, cargo services, media production and passenger cruises. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong and sustainable communities and has invested more than $28 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a board with representation from all three levels of government. For more information, visit
https://www.portstoronto.com/home.aspx
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 60+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit
https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/
– 30 –
Media Contact:
Jessica Pellerin
Senior Manager, Communications, PortsToronto
(647) 298-0585
jpellerin@portstoronto.com
Jacky Tsang
Senior Communications & PR Associate
press@pnptc.com