From Pilots to Progress: Ontario CEOs Push for Innovation Adoption at Queen’s Park

By Skaidra Puodziunas
CCI Director of Ontario Affairs

Earlier this month, more than a dozen CEOs and executives from Ontario’s leading scale-ups gathered at Queen’s Park to advocate for smarter policies that spur economic growth, accelerate technology adoption, and strengthen Ontario’s economy. The timing was critical—coming on the heels of renewed tariff threats from President Trump and a softening economic outlook for Canada.

The message from these CEOs was clear: governments must be smarter with limited resources. That means leveraging the strengths of homegrown firms to drive growth, improve healthcare outcomes, and create good jobs here in Ontario. Across meetings with key government leaders, one issue repeatedly took centre stage: procurement. The question now is whether Ontario will continue to pilot new technologies in isolation—or finally commit to scaling them province-wide.‍

Ontario’s Health Tech Adoption Opportunity

Ontario’s healthcare system is facing unprecedented challenges, and homegrown health tech companies are stepping up with bold solutions. But developing solutions is only half the battle—the real challenge is getting those innovations adopted at scale.

During our meetings with the Ministry of Health, our members discussed the potential of the Health Innovation Pathway, a program introduced as part of Ontario’s Life Sciences Strategy. The goal of the pathway is clear: streamline the process for integrating new health technologies into Ontario’s healthcare system.

The opportunity is enormous. If done right, this pathway could open the door for Ontario companies to deliver technology that improves patient outcomes and reduces system inefficiencies. But success depends on a relentless focus on adoption—not just experimentation.

To make it work, Ontario needs to ensure that Ontario-based companies are given a seat at the table, and that local innovators aren’t left stuck in endless pilots. To see results, the government must maintain a clear commitment to buying, scaling, and embedding made-in-Ontario solutions across the system.

From Pilots to Progress: The Cost of Hesitation

Too often, domestic companies with promising technology are caught in a cycle of pilot projects that never turn into contracts. For Ontario companies, this is a costly and frustrating process that drains time, talent, and resources. For government, it’s a missed opportunity to solve problems at scale.

The pattern is clear: Ontario has no shortage of market-ready solutions, but too many of them stall at the pilot stage. Without a path to full deployment, even the most transformative innovations become stranded.

Take health tech as an example. Companies are ready to deploy solutions that improve patient care and reduce system backlogs—but they need a clear pathway to procurement. If Ontario is serious about modernizing its healthcare system, it must move away from short-term pilots and focus on scaling proven solutions across the province.

This isn’t just a health tech issue—it’s a broader issue across government procurement. Too much time is spent “testing” technologies in isolated pilots while other jurisdictions move quickly to scale. By making a deliberate shift from pilots to adoption, Ontario can position itself as a buyer of innovation, not just a tester.

Looking Ahead to 2025: What Scale-Up Leaders Need

Programs like the Health Innovation Pathway and Ontario’s supply chain modernization efforts are a step in the right direction—but they won’t deliver impact unless backed by a clear strategy for adoption. Ontario’s future competitiveness depends on the government’s ability to procure and scale homegrown technologies that support health, infrastructure, and economic growth.

What should happen next?

• Set clear targets for adoption: Move beyond pilots and commit to system-wide adoption targets for proven technologies.

• Prioritize Ontario suppliers: Create incentives and policy frameworks that give Ontario-based companies a competitive edge.

• Simplify procurement pathways: Make it easier for Ontario innovators to navigate government procurement and access commercial opportunities.
‍

These changes aren’t just good for innovators—they’re good for Ontario’s economy. Every dollar spent on Ontario-made solutions stays in the province, supporting jobs, intellectual property development, and long-term economic growth.

2025 is shaping up to be a critical year for Ontario’s innovation economy. How the government chooses to approach adoption—not just experimentation—will define whether Ontario remains a test site or a market leader.

If you’re a CEO of an Ontario-based company, or a public sector leader interested in working with CCI on these issues, we want to hear from you. Ontario’s innovators are ready to step up and make 2025 the year Ontario becomes a global leader in innovation adoption.

Skaidra Puodziunas leads Ontario Affairs at the Council of Canadian Innovators and can be reached at spuodziunas@canadianinnovators.org. Learn more about CCI’s advocacy priorities on behalf of homegrown scale-up companies in our 2025 Ontario Pre-Budget Submission: Read here.

‍

About the Council of Canadian Innovators

The Council of Canadian Innovators is a national member-based organization reshaping how governments across Canada think about innovation policy, and supporting homegrown scale-ups to drive prosperity. Established in 2015, CCI represents and works with over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies. Our members are the CEOs, founders, and top senior executives behind some of Canada’s most successful ‘scale-up’ companies. All our members are job and wealth creators, investors, philanthropists, and experts in their fields of health tech, cleantech, fintech, cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation. Companies in our portfolio are market leaders in their verticals, commercialize their technologies in over 190 countries, and generate between $10M-$750M in annual recurring revenue. We advocate on their behalf for government strategies that increase their access to skilled talent, strategic capital, and new customers, as well as expanded freedom to operate for their global pursuits of scale.