Queen’s is a major employer, contributor, and catalyst for the economy of the Kingston region.
The university’s activities generate expenditures that ripple through the local, provincial, and national economy and lead to significant economic impacts.
Economic contributions
GDP
$1.93B
Jobs
17,487
To Canada
We contributed $1.93 billion in GDP and 17,487 jobs to Canada.
GDP
$1.88B
Jobs
16,790
To Ontario
We contributed $1.88 billion in GDP and 16,790 FTE jobs to Ontario.
GDP
$1.67B
Jobs
14,946
To Kingston
We contributed $1.67 billion in GDP and 14,946 jobs to Kingston.
1 in 10 jobs in Kingston are found at Queen’s University.
Queen’s economic activity makes up 11% of the local GDP from Belleville to Brockville.
Queen’s students from outside Kingston contribute $237 million to Kingston’s GDP.
Supporting businesses and entrepreneurs
Queen’s works with community partners to advance the goals of Kingston’s Integrated Economic Strategy, including innovation, economic growth, and the retention of young people in the community.
Queen’s is an active economic development partner for Kingston and eastern Ontario, working with businesses and innovation ecosystem partners to support the growth of new and established entrepreneurs.
$620M
The university has attracted nearly $620 million in research and development to Kingston since 2013, including $144 million in 2018/19.
Top 10 Canadian startup ecosystem
Queen’s research activities contribute to Kingston’s ranking as a top-10 Canadian startup ecosystem by Startup Blink.
600 Kingston companies supported
The university has supported more than 700 startup companies and entrepreneurs, including 600 in Kingston.
1000 women entrepreneurs
Queen’s received $3.2 million in federal funding to deliver Women Entrepreneurs Can (WE-CAN), supporting 1,000 women entrepreneurs in the Kingston region.
Initiatives
Creating local jobs and supporting innovation through our business partnerships and on campus start-up accelerators.
WE-CAN (Women Entrepreneurs Can)
Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation Office partnered with Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Ecosystem Fund to deliver the WE-CAN program which inspires and empowers existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs by providing them with tools, resources, expert mentors, networks, and community building to expand existing businesses and to launch new ventures.
Queen’s Innovation Centre’s Summer Initiative (QICSI)
A flagship program of Queen’s Innovation Centre, QICSI is a 16-week, fixed cohort incubator program where founders receive no-cost training, mentorship, and office space to launch a venture. QICSI offers the opportunity to work on a venture full-time while receiving ongoing support from DDQIC advisors, mentors, and staff.
Mayor’s Innovation Challenge
Queen’s joins St. Lawrence College and the Royal Military College of Canada in partnering with the local government to put on a competitive initiative in which students are invited to submit proposals to tackle real world problems in Kingston, such as climate change, food security, and improving accessibility.
Smith Business Consulting
In partnership with the City of Kingston Economic Development Corporation and Chamber of Commerce, Smith students partner with local businesses and provide free consulting to solve challenges in areas such as strategy, sales, marketing, data analysis, and operational planning.
Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC)
DDQIC is a proudly pan-university centre that champions inter-disciplinary teams, running eight programs and initiatives that help aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs develop their entrepreneurial mindset and launch ventures at Queen’s, in the Kingston region, and globally.