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Gerstein Science Information Centre

Entrepreneurship

Recommended resources for research related to entrepreneurship, startups and commercialization: from science and technology literature to market research and patents.

Industry Information

Searching for the best industry matches for your technology? Technologies may apply across one or more industries and markets - so which one is the right one, right now? Select from the secondary resources below to find more data on your industry.

Industry Research Databases

These resources require a UTORid for use. All end user terms apply.

MaRS Market Sizing

Learn how to calculate the market size for any product. Get a practical 30-minute introduction to market sizing and learn the fundamentals of market research with this video from MaRS Market Intelligence.

Trade Publications

Trade publications and business-to-business journals are a good source of current industry news, and may offer industry and market statistics that you can not find elsewhere. Check the source of data in reports to see if you can access more information.

The following databases have excellent coverage of trade publications.

Industry Profiles and Reports

Industry profiles identify leading companies and provide market forecasts, market segmentation and industry trends.

For freely available information, check out consulting firm (Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PWC, KPMG) websites to see if they have industry reports. You can often search offices by region.  Also check bank websites; law firms may have reports for industries like mining or M&A industry reports; government industry and statistical data sites are also good sources of information. 

Industry Associations

Industry associations and trade groups are an excellent source of industry statistics and reports, generally available on their websites or through their publications.

Google or your preferred search engine is the most efficient way to find relevant associations in your desired industry. Try using search terms like "industry association," "industry group," "trade group," "trade organization," etc.

Industry code classifications

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) and SIC (Standard Industry Classification) codes are an easy way to group companies engaged in the same economic activities, like mining, retail, or health care.

SIC was used by the US and Canadian governments until 1987, when both countries adopted NAICS.  Some commercial databases continue to use SIC, however.

You can search by NAICS and/or SIC in the following databases.