Banting and Best Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Banting and Best Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship The Banting and Best Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is an initiative of the University of Toronto which facilitates business mentorship and the development of commercially viable innovations. The goal of the Centre is to foster start-up companies by supporting new ideas as they are developed and then during the incubation phase on through commercialization. The centre was launched in September, 2012, in the Banting and Best buildings on College Street, Toronto. The 50,000 square foot Centre was named after Frederick Banting and Charles Best, co-discoverers of insulin, a treatment for diabetes
Banting House headed during the Second World War, and an entire gallery filled with artwork done by Banting. Adjacent to the museum is Sir Frederick G. Banting Square, a garden with several information plaques, and three main attractions. Two of the attractions, a full-sized sculpture of Banting writing his life-altering idea down, and the Flame of Hope, were unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The Flame of Hope, symbolizing the hope for a final cure for diabetes, was kindled by Her Majesty during her visit. The third attraction is the globe sculpture, which was added more recently in 2010.