A new documentary is shining the light on Waterloo Region as a global innovation hub. A constant linkage between the region's many entrepreneurial and technology success stories is the University of Waterloo.
Since its founding, the University of Waterloo has emerged as a leading global research-intensive university renowned for entrepreneurship and innovation. Initially inspired to champion co-operative education, the University continues to pair rigorous research with real-world work experience and entrepreneurial thinking to deliver bold, future-focused solutions.
"The University of Waterloo was founded to address local and global challenges through unconventional means," says Nenone Donaldson, vice-president, Advancement and External Relations at the University. "Our unique approach to developing future-focused solutions - built on boundary-breaking research, experiential education and entrepreneurship - inspires innovation for Canada and the world. We're proud to have Chris Hadfield help share this story."
The new feature documentary, It Started in Waterloo: An Astronaut's Journey into the Universe of Innovation, explores how and why Waterloo Region has been so successful.
Narrated by Hadfield, the film highlights the region's role in leading a digital revolution from smartphones and educational technologies to health care technology and quantum computing.
"As an astronaut, I've seen firsthand how innovation shapes our world," says Hadfield, who is also a former adjunct professor and current honorary advisor for the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics. "Waterloo's approach to discovery and invention is completely unique, how they nurture ideas, refine and launch them onto the global stage. In this documentary, we shine a light on that process and the people behind it."
Recently named Canada's top comprehensive research university for the 18th consecutive year by Research Infosource Inc. The University's research excellence combined with its creator-owned IP policy and entrepreneurial ecosystem is moving ideas from the lab to the marketplace, turning research into societal and economic value.
What the filmmakers discovered during production was that behind all the innovations uncovered in the region was a desire to make a difference.
"Innovation is more than technology, it's a cultural expression of human creativity," says Craig Thompson, the documentary's executive producer. "Waterloo's breakthroughs came from local engineers, designers, artists, entrepreneurs and students working at the intersection of imagination and problem-solving."
Commissioned by YES TV in association with Stageview TV and produced with the participation of the University of Waterloo, the Canada Media Fund, Canadian Film and Television Tax Credits, and Ballinran Entertainment, the documentary will premiere in 2027.
