On December 6, the federal government launched the Southern Ontario Prosperity Initiatives (SOPI), which it calls “a new suite of initiatives designed to support and develop a stronger, more vibrant southern Ontario economy.”

In announcing the SOPI, Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), wrote to industry, stating: “With renewed funding of $920 million, as a result of Economic Action Plan 2013, we are now taking FedDev Ontario’s efforts to date to the next level. Beginning April 1, and over the next five years, we will focus on: building on our successes, co-investing in world-class innovation platforms, commercializing that innovation, creating an entrepreneurial environment with access to financing; and creating prosperity by boosting productivity and diversification.”