News from the IPL
INTRODUCTION
This newsletter is published by The Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, and sponsored by the Ministry of Research and Innovation. The views and ideas expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ontario Government.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RBC Chairs Conference, April 25, 2013: Munk School of Global Affairs
The need for a more innovative economy has become a common buzzword in both academic and policy circles. Yet the term is used so freely that it risks losing its meaning. This year’s RBC Chairs Conference focuses on exactly what we mean by innovation, its different aspects and the extent to which it should be seen as a local or a global phenomenon. It examines the question of innovation from the perspective of both the industrial and developing countries and suggests the concept needs to be viewed in a broader context than it has to date.
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada is committed to developing the international partnerships that will allow Canadian entrepreneurs to bring new ideas to the market place generating jobs and economic growth. To this end, on March 14, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault of France announced the Joint Action Plan Canada-France 2013-2015 in the Fields of Science and Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Canadian institutions leading on such collaborations include the National Research Council and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council. The Action Plan will foster various forms of collaboration, including exchanges of scientific knowledge, seminars, business and technology partnerships, and the shared use of resources and technology.
New Fund to Help Ontario Companies Grow
Government of Ontario
The Ontario government is moving forward with its plan to create a new venture capital fund that will help innovative startups and other emerging companies get the financing they need to build competitive businesses and create tomorrow’s jobs. The Ontario government will contribute up to $50 million to the new fund, as committed in the Speech from the Throne. In time, Ontario’s new venture capital fund could reach $300 million with the participation of private investors. The fund is part of the government’s plan to foster the right climate to attract investment, support innovation, create jobs and grow Ontario’s economy.
Editor's Pick
Innovation Union Scoreboard 2013
European Commission
Innovation performance in the EU has improved year on year in spite of the continuing economic crisis, but the innovation divide between Member States is widening. While the most innovative countries have further improved their performance, others have shown a lack of progress. The overall ranking within the EU remains relatively stable, with Sweden at the top, followed by Germany, Denmark and Finland. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are the countries that have most improved since last year. Drivers of innovation growth in the EU include SMEs and the commercialisation of innovations, together with excellent research systems. However the fall in business and venture capital investment over the years 2008-2012 has negatively influenced innovation performance.
Innovation Policy
Research Infrastructure in the European Research Area
European Science Foundation (ESF)
It is increasingly recognized that the infrastructure supporting scientific activity is fundamental to modern research in many, if not most areas. Some disciplines, such as physics and astronomy, have a long history of planning, building and operating the infrastructure they need for their science. By contrast, life sciences and humanities, to name just two examples, are newer to this field. The national research funding and research performing organizations of Europe cover all areas of research and consequently fund the construction and operation of most of the individual research infrastructures of Europe. This document reports some of the outcomes of collaborative forums between European research organizations in establishing research standards and evaluation across the European Research Area.
The Choice of Innovation Policy Instruments
Susana Borras and Charles Edquist, CIRCLE
The purpose of this article is to discuss the different types of instruments of innovation policy, to examine how governments and public agencies in different countries and different times have used these instruments differently, to explore the political nature of instrument choice and design (and associated issues), and to elaborate a set of criteria for the selection and design of the instruments in relation to the formulation of innovation policy. The article argues that innovation policy instruments must be designed and combined into mixes in ways that address the problems of the innovation system. These mixes are often called “policy mix”. The problem-oriented nature of the design of instrument mixes is what makes innovation policy instruments ‘systemic’.
Bridging the Valley of Death: Improving the Commercialization of Research
www.parliament.uk
There exists the concept of a valley of death that prevents the progress of science from the laboratory bench to the point where it provides the basis of a commercially successful business or product. The future success of the UK economy has been linked to the success of translating a world class science base to generate new businesses with the consequent generation of UK jobs and wealth. For decades Governments have sought to promote technological innovation and ensure that the UK benefits from its world class science base. This report explores the problems that face UK companies and research institutions in commercialization research and proposes a series of recommendations to bridge the valley of death stage of commercialization.
Unleashing the Power of the Bio-Economy
The Milken Institute
The United States could replace 20 percent of petrochemical consumption with bio-based products over the next decade — while creating jobs and capturing a large share of the global renewable chemical market. The key is acting soon, before the current technological and agricultural edge is lost to other nations. To generate ideas for spurring the industrial side of biotechnology, the Milken Institute, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, convened experts from the public and private sectors in a Financial Innovations Lab — the Institute’s signature miniature think-tanks for generating solutions to specific challenges. This report summarizes the key barriers to the development of new biotechnology in the United States and considers policy solutions.
Cities, Clusters & Regions
America’s Growth Corridors: The Key to National Revival
Joel Kotkin, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
Much of the discussion about American economic recovery and growth in 2012 focused on the usual suspects: regions on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and on the shores of the Great Lakes. But the best recent economic record, as well as the best prospects for future prosperity, are to be found elsewhere in the United States. This report identifies four regions of the country that it terms “growth corridors.” What they lack in media attention they make up for in past performance and likely future success. Over the past decade-and, in some cases, far longer-these regions have created more jobs and gained more population than their counterparts along the ocean coasts or along the Great Lakes.
Insight: The Ubiquity of Silicon (at least in name)
The Martin Prosperity Institute
There is no geographical location more synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship than the Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and San Jose region better known as “Silicon Valley”. This region has become a unique environment where tech firms thrive and skilled individuals are constantly attracted to live and work. As regions throughout the world continue to transition to the knowledge economy, cities are working hard to attract these types of highly talented individuals. Often regions try hard to give themselves that certain ‘silicon’ branding, but can there be more than one Silicon Valley? This MPI Insight looks around the world to determine where else we can find “Siliconias”.
Statistics & Indicators
State Innovation Vital Signs 2013
U.S. Innovation
State Innovation Vital Signs 2013 (R&D STEM & Data) Report cards to help illustrate the importance of scientific research to state and local economies, job growth, innovation, standard of living, and national security. One highlight of this work is a feature which ranks states according to a variety of indices provided by U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, TechAmerica, The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, and several other organizations which track specific trends in this area.
Global Cities Initiative: Greater Atlanta and the Next Economy
The Brookings Institution
In March 2013, Brookings vice president Bruce Katz spoke at the Metro Atlanta convening of the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of Brookings and JPMorgan Chase to catalyze high-level discussions of metropolitan leadership in the world economy and the actions metro leaders can take to improve trade relationships with cities in mature and rising markets. Hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the forum brought together distinguished regional, national, and international leaders from the business, civic, government, and philanthropic communities to explore how the Atlanta metropolitan area can enhance its ability to compete globally. This site contains video and analysis from the various roundtable session held during the forum.
SBA Supports 56 Federeally Funded Cluster Initiatives
SBA
This website maps 56 Federally funded Cluster Initiatives supported by the Small Business Administration (SBA), USA.
Policy Digest
Delivering Local Development: New Growth Investment Strategies
OECD
This report examines the local and regional framework conditions and instruments for intervention to achieve successful local economic development in participating countries and localities. It covers strategic themes encompassing finance and investment, building the knowledge base, delivery vehicles and economic strategies (including the local development impacts from global events). The report also identifies institutional capacities, intelligence, leadership interventions and development instruments which come together in the design and delivery of local development strategies. Detailed recommendationsaddress the needs of national governments and localities and cover established LEED thematic areas: delivery vehicles – agencies, companies and partnerships; financing local development; economic strategies; economic development catalysts; leadership and local development systems.
Summary and Recommendations
From this review it is evident that many of the 12 cities are innovating substantially in the current moment in order to create new momentum for growth, investment and employment. There is a new impetus for creative thinking about the future economy and sources of employment growth. In several cases governments and leadership partnerships have shown willingness to change course with new strategies and programs or to more vigerously pursue approaches that have worked in the past but that need more sustained support in the new economy.
National and Intergovernmental roles
Many national governments have felt a deep funding squeeze since the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent financial services bail out. The research in this study indicates that many have faced challenges over how to distribute dwindling tax revenues. In almost every case important projects have been postponed or scrapped in response to financial constraints. Nevertheless, there is evidence that some governments are responding more proactively than others.
National governments can play many important roles in supporting new growth and investment strategies in cities. In the absence of large-scale public investment in economic development programs attantion has shifted to more systemic factors that can support local growth. Local authorities are increasingly demanding that senior levels of government contribute to:
– Local business climate and stable framework conditions;
– Rationalization of complex policies and programs into simpler frameworks;
– National level transport infrastructure investment;
– Investmentin nice higher education facilities;
– Recognition of the importance of metropolitan regions as a functional scale;
– Facilitating the expansion of the private rental market;
– A greater local capacity for decision-making.
Events
Madrid, Spain, 10-12 April, 2013
The Conference aims to encourage dialogue between academics and practitioners to improve innovation policy design, implementation and evaluation. The conference will offer keynote speeches, parallel thematic sessions, roundtable discussions, special activities for young researchers and ample space for all participants to interact. Visits to research and innovation centres both in public and private institutions will be offered after the conference.
RBC Conference – Global Innovation: Going Broad, Going Deep 
Toronto, 25 April, 2013
Four session tackle important questions about global innovation: (1) Innovation in a Changing Economy: A Global or Local Phenomenon?; (2) Poverty, Invisibility and Innovation: Rethinking the Innovation Agenda; (3) Behaviourally Informed Innovation; (4) Tow Solitudes: Innovation and Development Assistance. Janice Stein, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, is the keynote speaker for the 2013 RBC Conference, presented by the RBC Chair in Public and Economic Policy and the RBC Chair in Applied Social Work. Other speakers include David Wolfe, RBC Chair in Public and Economic Policy, Joe Wong, Director of the Asian Institute, and Dilip Soman, Corus Chair in Communication Strategy.
AAAS Forum on Science and Technology
Washington, DC, 2-3 May, 2013
The annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy, now in its 38th year, is the conference for people interested in public policy issues facing the science, engineering, and higher education communities. It is the place where insiders go to learn what is happening and what is likely to happen in the coming year on the federal budget and the growing number of policy issues that affect researchers and their institutions. Come to the Forum, learn about the future of S&T policy, and engage with the people who will shape it.
Shape and Be Shaped: The Future Dynamics of Regional Development
Tampere, Finland, 5-8 May, 2013
In the many regions and localities of the world, there is an ever-growing need to find new solutions for the future, as they are increasingly confronted with intertwined sets of ecological, social and economic difficulties as well as new opportunities brought to them by the globalising economy. Indeed, there is a need to work for more balanced and sustainable development and cross the many institutional boundaries that prevent new solutions from being created. What makes all of this a demanding set of policy challenges, is that regions and localities need to find ways to manage their own destiny while being manipulated by many forces. The central idea underpinning the RSA 2013 conference in Tampere is that there is now an urgent need to better to understand how regions and localities can adapt to current challenges and deal with the wicked issues of sustainability by developing new multi-actor governance, policy-making and leadership capacities. The conference offers researchers and workers in local and regional development an opportunity to collectively explore and discuss these key issues from a multitude of perspectives and with different theoretical stand points and with empirical observations from different parts of the world.
Cluster Academy: Learning from the Clusterland Upper Austria”cluster region”
Linz, Austria, 14-17 May, 2013
The Cluster Academy shows how successful clusters work, using Clusterland Upper Austria Ltd. as an example and gives an input, how these processes could be implemented in your region. An additional benefit is the networking and exchange of experience effect with international participants, sharing the same interests in cluster activities. The cluster management workshop covers the areas of knowledge management, initiation and support of cooperation projects, qualification and event management, marketing & PR, internationalization, financing and evaluation & measuring. This year, more interactive formats of participation such as an ample case-study to complement lectures, field reports and presentations are being designed. Numerous direct visits to cluster companies should spot the motivation of being active in a cluster. Attractive side events give a chance to get to know the participants and the city of Linz.
9th International PhD School on Innovation and Economic Development
Tampere, Finland, 20-31 May, 2013
The aim of the Globelics Academy PhD-School is to support the training of Ph.D. students from different parts of the world and who are writing theses on issues related with innovation and economic development. The Academy brings together frontier researchers in innovation with Ph.D. students from developing countries in order to inspire and qualify their work as well as in order to help them to join high-quality research networks in their field of research.
16th Uddevalla Symposium 2013: Innovation, High-Growth Entrepreneurship and Regional Development
Kansas City, 13-15 June, 2013
The critical role of innovation and entrepreneurship in regional economic development in terms of productivity and employment growth has been well documented theoretically as well as empirically by researchers in recent decades. The specific mechanisms through which innovation stimulates regional economic development are less well established. It is often assumed that entrepreneurship in the form of new firm formation and the growth of newly established firms plays a critical role, but how, why, when and under what conditions is less clear. Empirical studies show that a limited share of new business ventures have the capacity to rapidly up-scale and to generate substantial new jobs in the regions where they are launched. From the perspective of regional policy makers, this implies that it is critical to understand what regional economic milieus are capable of generating innovations that can be the basis of high-growth entrepreneurship as well as provide the right environment for entrepreneurs to launch entrepreneurial initiatives.Against this background, we seek papers that, in particular, topics related to exploring these themes.
Experience the Creative Economy
Toronto, 18-21 June, 2013
The 6th Annual Experience the Creative Economy conference is a forum for emerging scholars who are engaged in research related to the creative economy. The conference brings together up to 25 individuals from around the world to share and discuss their research. In particular, the small and focused setting provides participants with the opportunity to: present their work; receive feedback; refine and develop research methods; and join an ongoing network of collaboration and exchange.
Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurship, the Triple Helix and Local Economic Development
London, UK, 10 July, 2013
The creation of innovative new firms and the development of SME innovation are strongly influenced by the extent to which localities offer environments that favour the transfer of knowledge to local business and provide the other resources required for innovative firm development, including skills, finance, advice, and supply chain partners. The concept of the ‘triple helix’ captures the interplay of government, research and industry in the promotion of business innovation and provides a framework for policymakers seeking to understand how to promote local knowledge-based entrepreneurship. The workshop will use this framework to examine the policy actions that governments can take to promote innovative new firm creation and SME innovation in local economies by improving conditions for knowledge transfer and knowledge-based entrepreneurship.
Brighton, UK, 10-12 July, 2013
Europe’s relations with the wider world are continuously undergoing change. The urban and regional significance of these changing relations remains surprisingly poorly understood. The global financial and economic crisis, the dramatic events of late 2010 and 2011 in the Middle East and North Africa, the continuing crisis in Europe, and the global rise of ‘new powers’ are each impacting on how Europe, its citizens, and its cities and regions are connected to the wider world. The 9th European Urban and Regional Studies conference aims to consider a wide range of consequences of these changes as well as other themes relating to European urban and regional change.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.