News from the IPL
LINKS TO RECENT WEBINARS
This is a recording of the Jul 16th, 2020 event focused on exploring the short and long term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Panelists included Catherine Beaudry, Ben Spigel, Tara Vinodrai, and David Wolfe.
Will COVID-19 Bring Us Together or Blow Us Apart? The Global Security Implications of the Pandemic
This is a recording of the July 7th, 2020 event focused on the national and international security implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Janice Stein discusses the historical security lessons of previous pandemics and depressions, Jon Lindsay considers emerging military and strategic dangers exacerbated by COVID-19, and Ron Deibert discusses the cybersecurity and surveillance threats associated with the unprecedented relocation of life online.
This is a recording of the June 11, 2020 event focused on how will COVID-19 shape the future of our cities. Join experts Anita McGahan, Shauna Brail (School of Cities), and Nathalie des Rosiers (Massey College), Richard Florida (School of Cities Professor) as they discuss cities after COVID with Marcia Young, host of CBC’s World Report.
This is a recording of the June 11, 2020 event focused on the impact of COVID-19 on higher education. Speakers: Shiri Breznitz, Heike Mayer, Donald Siegel and Elvira Uyarra.
The Future of (Decent?) Work After COVID-19
This is a recording of the May 26, 2020 Munk School / Innovation Policy Lab / CIFAR event focused on the future of work after COVID-19. Speakers: Dan Breznitz, Zabeen Hirji and Peter Warrian.
This is a recording of the May 11th 2020 event focused on “what will the world look like in the wake of COVID-19?” Speakers: Shauna Brail, Anita McGahan, Tara Vinodrai and Shiri Breznitz.
COVID-19 and the World’s Grand Challenges
This is a recording of the May 8th 2020 event focused on “what impact will COVID-19 have on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?” Speakers: Anita McGahan, Joseph Wong and Karlee Silver.
How is COVID-19 affecting global supply chains?
This is a recording of the April 29th 2020 event focused on “how is COVID-19 affecting supply chains in Canada and around the globe?” Speakers: Dan Breznitz, Shauna Brail and Steven Denney.
RESEARCHERS
Assetization: Turning Things into Assets in Technoscientific Capitalism
Kean Birch and Fabian Muniesa
IPL Associate Kean Birch serves as co-editor for a new book which argues that the asset—meaning anything that can be controlled, traded, and capitalized as a revenue stream—has become the primary basis of technoscientific capitalism. An asset can be an object or an experience, a sum of money or a life form, a patent or a bodily function. Assetization examines how assets are constructed and how a variety of things can be turned into assets, analyzing the interests, activities, skills, organizations, and relations entangled in this process. The contributors consider the assetization of knowledge, including patents, personal data, and biomedical innovation; of infrastructure, including railways and energy; of nature, including mineral deposits, agricultural seeds, and “natural capital”; and of publics, including such public goods as higher education and “monetizable social ills.”
Editor's Pick
Preparing for the Future of Work in Canada
Alessandro Kandiah & Jonathan Barr, OECD
COVID-19 has led to a labour market shock in Canada and is likely to generate a profound reflection on production and consumption habits. COVID‑19 is also likely to accelerate automation as firms look to new technologies to pandemic proof their operations. While automation offers the opportunity to boost productivity, it can also create losers as vulnerable workers who lose jobs may not have the skills needed in a changing labour market. This OECD report examines the potential impacts of automation on people and places across Canada with a special focus on the Province of Ontario. It also sheds light on policies and programs that can help regions and cities to prepare for the future of work.
Cities, Clusters & Regions
Towards a Stage Model of Regional Industrial Path Transformation
Simon Baumgartinger-Seiringer, Johan Miörner & Michaela Trippl, Industry and Innovation
The recent debate on innovation-based structural change in Evolutionary Economic Geography is characterized by a strong focus on the rise of new industrial paths. This paper seeks to shift attention and cast light on radical innovation activities occurring within existing paths without necessarily leading to their dissolution. Departing from a systemic perspective of path development we propose a stage model of path transformation. We outline how radical change becomes initiated, reinforced and finally consolidated in established industrial paths. Particular attention is devoted to the ways in which actors – influenced by ‘the past’ and driven by visions and expectations (that is, ‘the future’) – exert agency to stimulate asset modification processes that are assumed to underpin path transformation and the reconfiguration of the wider support structures. The framework is applied to the analysis of the automotive industry in West Sweden, which is currently transforming towards the development of self-driving cars.
David Bailey et al., Regional Studies
This recent editorial from Regional Studies surveys research gaps on the regional dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis. The authors assert that the COVID-19 crisis “is undoubtedly a regional one, with important consequences for economies, well-being, transportation, everyday life, and even the practice and publication of regional studies research itself. The authors assert that the regional nature of the crisis makes it such that “a regional analysis is essential to fully understand and manage the unequal impacts of the current pandemic.” This editorial considers some relevant regional dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis, such as uneven regional impacts, new spatialities of supply, the fourth industrial revolution, knowledge production and innovation, climate change, reconceptualizing the urban, and research practice.
Jan C. Breitinger, Benjamin Dierks & Thomas Rausch, Bertelsmann Stiftung
The international balance of power in innovation is shifting – to the advantage von East Asia. This is the central finding of a new study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung on the development of national and regional portfolios of patents in cutting-edge technologies since 2000. Innovation is the fundament of social progress and international competitiveness. This is particularly true for new developments in important cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing or artificial intelligence. The study takes a closer look at the most important patents in 58 of these technologies. Based on a new approach to patent assessment, the Swiss Research Institute and Consultancy EconSight analyzes how the innovative power of major economies and world regions has shifted between 2000 and 2019.
Innovation Policy
Why the World is at a Turning Point with Artificial Intelligence and What to do About it
Caitlin Chin, Brookings
This post includes a summary and audio recording of the a discussion of a new book by Brookings scholars Darrell West and John Allen titled “Turning Point: Policymaking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.” On August 10, West and Allen joined Nicol Turner Lee to explain what AI is, discuss its use in leading sectors, outline the ethical and societal ramifications of AI deployment, and recommend a policy and governance blueprint to maximize the advantages of AI.
Capital Incentive Policies in the Age of Cloud Computing: An Empirical Case Study
Raphaela Andres, Timothy DeStefano, Thomas Niebel & Steffen Viete, OECD
This paper assesses whether current policy environments are appropriate for the emergence of cloud computing technology. In particular, this research uses firm level data for Germany and the United Kingdom to examine the impact of capital incentive programs (a common policy present in most OECD countries) on cloud adoption. The design for many of these policies target investments in physical capital while excluding digital services like the cloud. Firms view digital investments and digital services as substitutes, therefore narrowly defined incentive programs may actually discourage the use of emerging tools like cloud computing, which are found to enable the growth and performance of young entrants. Overall, the results find that while capital incentive policies encourage firm investments in ICT and other forms of capital, they actually reduce the probability of cloud adoption. Policy makers may therefore need to reconsider the design of capital incentive programs within their jurisdictions.
Policies to Broaden Participation in the Innovation Process
Lisa D. Cook, Brookings
Since the 1960s, both women and underrepresented minorities have earned an increasing share of bachelor’s degrees and advanced degrees in fields most associated with invention—the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Yet, we do not observe a similar increase in patenting activity among these groups. This paper explores a range of approaches to help close these gaps, including policies aimed at further increasing the share of women and underrepresented minorities who are educators in STEM fields, bringing more people into the world of invention, and ensuring equal access to the tools and resources needed to drive innovation. The policies proposed here focus on improving data collection at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and measurement of potential innovation, making commercialization more inclusive using the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs housed at the Small Business Administration (SBA), and addressing issues related to workplace climate in the innovation economy.
Statistics and Indicators
New Research Provides Empirical Support For Relationship Building to Encourage Innovation
Colin Edwards, SSTI
This post discusses a recent study which sheds new light on the mechanisms and types of interactions that may contribute to the desired outcomes of promoting innovation ecosystems. Based on a short-lived program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) — which provided supplemental funding to firms with active SBIR Phase II or Phase IIB awards for membership in Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) — the study surveyed participating firms to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the researchers explored how participating firms increased and leveraged their social capital through formal and informal interactions with IUCRC members for increases in their R&D and commercialization outcomes.
State Business R&D Investment (1999-2017)
Connor LaVelle, SSTI
This post explores US Business R&D investment at the state level. While business investments towards research and development have varied among states, the overall trend throughout the country has been a positive one. Business R&D funding has weathered two recessions over the past 20 years, with many states seeing investments grow beyond their pre-recession levels. While the scope of COVID-19’s economic impact continues to grow, business R&D investment has shown a strong history of recovering from, and building beyond, national financial downturns.
Events
Research Money Design Thinking Workshops
Research Money is offering a series of design thinking workshops on innovation challenges, in collaboration with IBM Canada’s Centre for Advanced Studies. Six series of workshops will run from June 15 to August 29. Each series consists of five 2-hour sessions (9 am to 11 am Pacific time) on separate days.
Challenge A: How do we capitalize on our natural resources strength to grow the green economy?
First series: June 15, 17, 19, 22 and 24. Second series: August 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Challenge B: How do we capitalize on foreign direct investment to scale domestic tech firms?
First series: July 6, 8, 10, 13 and 15. Second series: August 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21.
Challenge C: How do we capitalize on research excellence to enhance prosperity & quality of life?
First series: July 20, 22, 24, 27 and 29. Second series: August 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28.
Canadian Science Policy Conference
Ottawa, Canada, 23-25 November, 2020
The CSPC 2020 call for panel proposals is now open. The 12th Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC 2020), will be held in Gatineau Quebec on November 23-25, 2020 at Hilton Lac-Leamy. Presenters are invited to submit proposals in a variety of presentation formats that revolve around any of the conference themes. Due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals and organizations across Canada and the world, and to accommodate the community, CSPC is extending the panel proposal deadline by an additional four weeks, to May 15th, 2020.
Regional Innovation Policies Conference
Aalborg, Denmark, 25-26 March 2021
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak the conference has been postponed to March 25 and 26, 2021 in Aalborg, Denmark. The conference will focus on regions in transformation – as well as transformations in regional innovation policy and new developments in methods for defining and analyzing regions. Submission deadline: 30th November 2020.
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This newsletter is prepared by Travis Southin.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe