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In April 2018 and the (KEDC) joined forces with the (CEO), , and the (CNYBAC) to launch the (KSP).

The partnership came about after a year of collaboration between economic development, government, and academic leaders from both the Kingston region and greater Syracuse area. It started with dialogue between Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation (QPI) and the CNYBAC and was quickly followed by a discussion that also included KEDC, SUNY, and CenterState CEO regarding cross-border collaboration opportunities.

“We had some really interesting initial projects come from the collaboration,” says Jim Banting, Assistant Vice-Principal, Partnerships and Innovation. “The initial intention was to identify and bring together common interests in the fields of agribusiness, Lyme disease, defense electronics, energy, tourism, military and veterans’ health, biotechnology, and emerging medical technologies.”

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by each institution outlined mutual interest in supporting business growth across the regions by facilitating research and development, and optimizing opportunities to advance economic development in Eastern Ontario and Central/Northern New York State.

But as with many projects, the collaboration experienced a lull during the pandemic. As businesses shut down and industries pivoted, focus on the KSP waned. Something that the KSP players realized during the pandemic, however, was the importance of cross-border collaboration, particularly around health and life sciences. This past summer saw the revival of the Kingston-Syracuse Pathway when the partnership was renewed, after a year of planning, with a focus on health innovation.

Starting with the Kingston-Syracuse Pathway Cross Border Conference in June of 2022, which brought together leading health care and life sciences experts and innovators to discuss how the future of health care is evolving, the reinvigorated partnership’s momentum has continued.

A delegation with representatives from Queen’s, KEDC, the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), and the City of Kingston recently visited the Central New York Biotech Accelerator and SUNY Upstate Medical University for a day of learning, networking, and discussions to advance opportunities for potential future collaborations.

“This partnership has a lot of potential for both sides of the border, especially complementing the HI YGK Project” says Dr. Banting. The Health Innovation (HI YGK) Project is an initiative led by the City of Kingston and involving several partners, including QPI and KHSC, to encourage the launch and growth of health focused startups and the commercialization of health focused research in Kingston. “Both the City of Kingston and Syracuse bring common advantages and interests to the table,” says Kathi Durdon, Executive Director of the CNYBAC. “Each city has world-class academic and research institutions, and connections to the innovation ecosystems of their regions and in key market sectors that support the MOU, such as health-innovation, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.”

The renewed collaboration will also help facilitate market entry into the U.S. or Canada for entrepreneurs and innovators through the KSP soft-landings initiative.

When asked what was one of the most surprising things from the tour, QPI Partnerships Development Officer, Michael Wells says, “I was really impressed by the new developments and infrastructure happening in Syracuse. Their biotechnology incubator is full and expanding significantly.”

Looking ahead, an invitation to the Syracuse contingent has been extended by Queen’s and the City.

“We look forward to hosting our US counterparts and showing them the great research facilities at Queen’s and KHSC and the innovative startups and SMEs in the City of Kingston,” says Dr. Banting.