Innovate Cities

Innovate Cities is a not-for-profit network based in Southern Ontario, focused on advancing smart city innovation and commercialization in Canada. Launched on May 19, 2021, the organization aims to create more inclusive, livable, and sustainable urban environments. It emphasizes data privacy as a core principle, integrating Privacy by Design into all its operations.

The organization offers several key services, including CityShield, a Privacy by Design data trust that allows data collectors to share deidentified data while protecting personal privacy. Innovate Cities also functions as an innovation marketplace, helping innovators market their products and enabling organizations in the built environment to find smart solutions. With a commitment to transparency and accountability, Innovate Cities collaborates with the CIO Strategy Council to establish new standards in data privacy.