Durham is extremely well positioned for future economic and job growth because of our strengths in areas that support emerging business opportunities.
Durham has traditionally been very strong in the transportation, energy and agriculture sectors, and these will continue to be important sectors in our economy. Durham also has emerging sectors including information technology, health & wellness, and bioscience - tremendous opportunities lie in the areas of convergence between our traditional and emerging sectors, such as next generation fuel efficient vehicles and components, alternative fuels, and smart metering and smart grid technologies.
Our core strength that will support all of these opportunities are our tremendous capacity in advanced technology-based manufacturing and our emerging research and development capabilities. For more information visit Durham’s Economic Strategy website.
Energy
As 'Ontario's Energy Capital,' Durham Region produces 30 per cent of Ontario's energy generation needs. Durham is home to numerous companies that produce and distribute power; develop new and renewable energy technologies, alternative fuels, manufacturing components and systems; and provides service support to the industry.
Transportation and Automotive
Durham Region boasts a myriad of companies utilizing and developing advanced technologies, as leaders in their fields. We offer a highly-diversified, yet well balanced manufacturing sector, including expertise in automotive and transportation, metal fabrication, engineering, plastics, and engineered assembly systems.
Information Technology
It is expected that Durham Region will experience growth in technology-base areas such as advanced materials, microelectronics, wireless data transmission technologies, robotics and logistics Information Technology
BioScience and Agriculture
Durham Region offers a diverse agricultural production that is unsurpassed in Ontario. It encompasses an area of more than 500,000 acres of land with large tracts of easily accessible and serviceable prime agri-business land – an abundance of Class 1 & 2 with pockets of Class 3 & 4 for excellent livestock production. Our region is strategically located with access to 135 million consumers within a day's drive. Durham Region also offers employers a skilled labour force with agricultural technical expertise.
Tourism
Durham Region offers a variety of advantages for visitors or residents who want to explore the area. Its geographic location is just one example, as there are five million people and border crossings within a two-hour drive.
Further, the landscape and physical setting along with the history and heritage of the region compliment its core attractions and play a role in creating uniqueness only available in Durham Region.
Durham Region lies immediately to the east of the City of Toronto. The area is characterized by a variety of landscapes and communities, including eight municipalities; Town of Ajax, Brock Township, Municipality of Clarington, City of Oshawa, City of Pickering, Scugog Township, Town of Whitby and Uxbridge Township. A series of major lakeshore urban communities contrast with a variety of small towns, villages, hamlets and farms, that lie immediately inland. The relatively flat lakeshore area marked by the bluffs, wooded creeks and ancient shoreline, contrasts with the hilly terrain of the Oak Ridges Moraine running parallel to the shoreline only 15 miles to the north. This diverse landscape of woods, headwaters, ridges and hollows gives way to rolling farmlands and lakes to the north. Here the Municipality spreads into the prime recreational lake lands of Simcoe and Scugog