Shiri Breznitz

Shiri M. Breznitz is an economic geographer specializing in innovation, technology commercialization, and regional economic development. She is Director of Research and the Ralph and Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. In addition, she is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Progress in Economic Geography Journal, a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Medicine by Design, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Technology Transfer.

Her research sits at the critical intersection of theory and policy, addressing the new realities of globalization. Professor Breznitz’s work has informed policymaking at the local, national, and international levels. She has advised on the role of universities in the broader innovation ecosystem, the economic impact of biotechnology and intellectual property, and the role of clusters in driving innovation. Her current projects include a study on intellectual property and technology commercialization policies at higher education institutions, a study on the impact of research funding on innovation and collaboration, and research on the economic impact of entrepreneurship education.

Professor Breznitz’s book, The Fountain of Knowledge (Stanford University Press, July 2014), analyzes universities’ relationships with government and industry, focusing on the biotechnology industry as a case study. She also co-edited University Technology Transfer: The Globalization of Academic Innovation (Routledge, September 2015). Professor Breznitz was a member of the Ontario Expert Panel on Intellectual Property, a member of the Ontario IP Implementation Panel, and, in 2018, served as Co-Principal Investigator on the University of Toronto Alumni Impact Survey.