The IPL newsletter: Volume 25, Issue 523

March 17, 2025

News from the IPL

EVENTS

US Politics and Big Tech Power: Past, Present, and Future

How did the US tech sector and its leaders become so extraordinarily wealthy, market-dominant, and politically consequential in the US and around the world? This talk places the prominent role that US tech leaders and companies are playing in the second Trump era in historical perspective, tracing the evolution of the decades-long relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington DC and the political and economic transformations this relationship has wrought.

About the speaker - Margaret O’Mara is a historian of the modern United States. She writes and teaches about the growth of the high-tech economy, the history of American politics, and the connections between the two.

Prof. O'Mara is the author of two acclaimed books on the history of the modern technology industry: The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America (Penguin Press, 2019) and Cities of Knowledge: Cold War Science and the Search For The Next Silicon Valley(Princeton, 2005). She also is a historian of the American presidency and author of Pivotal Tuesdays: Four Elections that Shaped the Twentieth Century (Penn Press, 2015). She is a coauthor of the widely used United States history textbook, The American Pageant (Cengage) and is an editor of the Politics and Society in Modern America series at Princeton University Press. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, MIT Technology Review, The American Prospect, and other national and international publications.

Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Time: 4:30pm – 6:00pm ET

Location: In-person: Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto & Online via Zoom

RESEARCH

Exploring pathways for a green transition to a bioeconomy

John Zysman, David Zilberman & Dan Breznitz, CEPS
The bioeconomy will utilise renewable natural resources with advanced technologies, life science, digitisation, AI and prevision systems to produce food and fibre, and to recycle and reduce waste. The bioeconomy will unfold in any case – but the major challenge will be who will take the lead and how places and governments maintain prosperity and societal wellbeing whilst supporting the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. This CEPS Explainer, specially prepared in advance of a wider discussion at the 2025 CEPS Ideas Lab, aims to offer some answers to this conundrum and does so by first discussing the bioeconomy in a historical context. It addresses the techno-economic and political challenges in the transition to the bioeconomy. By analysing case studies from diverse countries such as Denmark, Israel and Japan, it provides insights into how local communities can leverage their unique capabilities to build a successful bioeconomy.

Editor's Pick

Updated Guidelines on the National Security Review of Investments

Government of Canada
On March 5 the Government of Canada updated the Investment Canada Act guidelines for the National Security Review of foreign investment. The change enables assessment of "the potential of the investment to undermine Canada’s economic security through the enhanced integration of the Canadian business with the economy of a foreign state." In applying this factor, "the Government will consider, among other things, the size of the Canadian business, its place in the innovation ecosystem, and the impact on Canadian supply chains." Minister Champagne's statement noted that "we’ve always been clear; economic security is national security. We are seeing this play out in real time. We need to make sure Canada, our workers and industries are protected." He also noted that "as a result of a rapidly shifting trade environment, some Canadian businesses could see their valuations decline” making them vulnerable to “opportunistic or predatory investment behaviour by non-Canadians.” Also see CCI's Statement on Updates to the Investment Canada Act. CCI notes that "this change strengthens Canada’s ability to safeguard critical industries, intellectual property, and supply chains from harmful foreign influence." They also emphasize that "we have long called for policies that enable Canadian companies to scale globally while ensuring critical technologies and industries remain in Canadian hands."

Cities & Regions

Metro Monitor 2025: Growth and affordability trends in US metro areas over the past decade

Glencora Haskins and Joseph Parilla, Brookings Institute
The Metro Monitor is Brookings Metro’s comprehensive tracker of economic growth in regional economies across the U.S. with populations greater than 250,000. The 2025 update to Brookings’ Metro Monitor takes a fresh look at economic performance and affordability over the past decade. Using 15 indicators to measure economic performance (see text box below) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ relative price parity index (RPP) to measure affordability, this analysis explores the following questions across the nation’s 195 largest metro areas: how has affordability shaped regional economic growth and prosperity; how have regional economic growth and prosperity influenced affordability and inclusion; & can metro areas achieve economic growth and prosperity while preserving affordability?

Statistics

The Trade Imbalance Index: Where the Trump Administration Should Take Action to Address Trade Distortions

Stephen Ezell, Trelysa Long and Robert D. Atkinson, ITIF
As the Trump administration seeks to rebalance America’s trade relationships, this report argues that "it should focus the most attention on countries where U.S. industries face the worst trade distortions and imbalances, and where the greatest gains can be achieved for the U.S. economy." The authors' research based on an index composed of 11 indicators covering America’s trade balances and key barriers U.S. industries face in markets around world finds that "the administration should focus the greatest attention on China, India, and the European Union."

Business innovation and growth support, 2022

Statistics Canada
In partnership with the Treasury Board Secretariat, Statistics Canada maintains the Business Innovation and Growth Support (BIGS) database which acquires administrative data on the support provided to businesses from federal departments and agencies through various program streams. BIGS data are now available for the 2022 reference year. In 2022, the federal government provided innovation and growth support valued at $5.9 billion to over 39,000 businesses through 172 federal programs. Enterprises with a revenue of $500 million or greater received around $736 million in support in 2022, an increase of 182% compared with $261 million in 2021.

Y Combinator is Stealing Canadian Startups

Douglas Soltys, BetaKit
This article discusses data from Bram Sugarman tracking the Canadian headquartered companies in Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator by batch. Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, told Bram “The Canadians stay in the USA and raise more money. The ones that stay in SF after demo day become unicorns at 2.5X the rate.” Tan also noted a recent YC dinner packed with a row of founders who turned out to be Canadians looking to base their startups in San Francisco after graduation.

Innovation Policy

Challenges and opportunities of mission-oriented innovation policy in Korea

OECD
This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how Korea implements mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIPs), and offers guidance on how to design, co-ordinate, and implement MOIPs in the country. As part of a series of MOIP national reviews, the paper finds that Korea has made significant efforts to embrace a mission-oriented approach, setting several overarching MOIP frameworks and specific MOIP initiatives. This work builds upon a long history of central co-ordination of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies implemented in a number of STI and sectoral public bodies. MOIPs in Korea are the latest attempt to provide STI with more direction in order to prioritise technological development that both benefits Korean society and drives competitiveness. The study concludes with options for change, including simplifying prioritisation exercises for sectors and technologies across government, and exploring how the government can better support its societal missions to drive more transformative outcomes.

Canada launches first-ever Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the federal public service

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
This post summarizes the recent announcement of Canada’s first AI Strategy for the federal public service. The Strategy will advance 4 key priority areas: establishing an AI Centre of Expertise to support and to help coordinate government-wide AI efforts; ensuring AI systems are secure and used responsibly; providing training and talent development pathways; and building trust through openness and transparency in how AI is used.

Policy Digest

Collaborate to succeed: The Government of Canada’s role in growing domestic clean technology champions

Net-Zero Advisory Body
In this report, the NZAB recommends that the federal government adopt a more collaborative and strategic approach to industrial policy in Canada. A more modern net-zero industrial policy can help Canada grow cohorts of successful homegrown businesses that can compete internationally and prepare the country for a net-zero future. Key components include prioritizing sectors, convening stakeholders, setting goals, and aligning various policies, programs and funds.

For example, the pandemic has shown us that we need to secure the supply of key elements to achieve our net-zero objectives and seize this economic opportunity. Canada's main trading partners have implemented net-zero industrial policy, and this report analyses their methods and results. The report notes that while Canada has started to respond with a de facto net-zero industrial policy, this approach remains too scattered. It lacks the cohesive strategy needed for major transformation.

The report emphasizes that a modern net-zero industrial policy can help Canada grow cohorts of successful homegrown businesses that can compete internationally and prepare the country for a net-zero future. NZAB recommends that the federal government adopt a more collaborative and strategic approach to net-zero industrial policy in Canada. This approach should focus on building a supportive culture and capacity within government over time. Key steps include prioritizing sectors, convening stakeholders, setting goals, and aligning various policies, programs and funds. Our advice is informed by international best practices and domestic insights gleaned from a wide range of interviews and stakeholder engagement.

NZAB's advice on net-zero industrial policy is summarized as follows:

Prioritize sectors
• Advice 1: Start with a few priority sectors for net-zero industrial policy

Convene stakeholders
• Advice 2: Create formal, technology-specific forums for private-public co-design and implementation of industrial policy roadmaps
• Advice 3: Advance inclusive growth through Indigenous partnerships
• Advice 4: Deepen in-house, technology-specific policy capacity across the federal government

Setting net-zero competitiveness goals for priority sectors
• Advice 5: Set a few, technology-specific, measurable goals that focus on innovation, developed with key stakeholders and are supported by the whole government

Align policies, programs, and funds
• Advice 6: Align research, development and deployment funding to scale Canadian firms
• Advice 7: Improve clarity on roles across federal government by having central agencies select a few priorities and assign responsibility
• Advice 8: Strategically coordinate use of existing demand-side policy instruments beyond carbon pricing

The report summarizes findings from 37 domestic interviewees (14 industry, 14 federal civil servants, 6 provincial civil servants, and 3 Indigenous):

Common desire to focus priorities on technology-specific goals
• Desire for central agencies to clearly identify a select few priorities and assign responsibility. Goals should focus on net-zero technologies where Canadian firms have potential to be innovation leaders
• Opportunity to align with efforts by Environment and Climate Change Canada to develop assessment frameworks for Government of Canada grants and contribution programs
to determine whether technologies are net-zero compatible

Common desire for whole of government coordination of demand-side and supply-side instruments
• Desire for more targeted and coordinated use of existing demand-side instruments beyond carbon pricing, such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms and standards, regulations, regional hubs, and procurement
• Calls to increase technology-specific in-house policy capacity to account for increased demand by program spending in other departments
• Calls to deepen private sector engagement on R&D and road maps

Common desire for NZIP to advance inclusive growth
• Desire to better coordinate with Indigenous priorities to benefit their communities

Events

OPPORTUNITIES

Derrick Rossi Innovation Fund

The University of Toronto (U of T) Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) is hosting a call for applications for the Derrick Rossi Innovation Fund, which supports proof-of-concept research projects focused on accelerating the implementation and/or commercialization of high potential, cutting-edge research, with the promise of significant socio-economic impacts. The fund provides up to $300,000 over two years. A Notice of Intent (NOI) is due on February 10, 2025 and the application deadline is March 17, 2025.

Call for application for a fellowship for the project “Science technology relationships in the development of AI in the health sector”

The application for this University of Torino position must be submitted exclusively online, using the form available here: https://forms.gle/NHKw4Nnhta7Mew4BA .Applicants are advised that once they receive the application registration form via email, they must complete the transmission by printing the said email, signing it and transmitting the scan to the following address: incarichi.cle@unito.it.

Duration: 18 months. The total amount of the grant is € 34,200.00 and is paid in monthly installments (€ 1,900.00 per month after tax). The research activity consists of:
- Research on the diffusion of AI and robotics technologies within hospitals.
- Creation and analysis of comparative data at regional and national levels.
- Production of two articles to be submitted to international scientific journals.

EVENTS

The 10th Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy

May 14-16, 2025, Georgia Institute of Technology
Hosted by Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Conference provides a forum to present and discuss high quality empirical research by about 300 scholars representing more than 30 countries that focus on the challenges and trends associated with science and innovation policy and processes. Abstracts Due: Nov. 17, 2024.

7th Global Conference on Economic Geography

June 4-8, 2025, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
The GCEG is the largest international conference dedicated to Economic Geography. Cutting-edge research concerning the sources and drivers of socio-economic change, and an assessment of the economic geography of places in a multi-scalar and multi-dimensional context.

DRUID25

Toronto, June 25-27, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
Since 1996, DRUID has become one of the world's premier academic conferences on innovation and the dynamics of structural, institutional and geographic change. DRUID is proud to invite senior and junior scholars to participate and contribute with a paper to DRUID25, hosted by Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Presenting distinguished plenary speakers, a range of parallel paper sessions, and an attractive social program, the conference aims at mapping theoretical, empirical and methodological advances, contributing novel insights, and help identifying scholarly positions, divisions, and common grounds in current scientific controversies within the field. Submission deadline: March 1

SASE 2025 Annual Conference

9-12 July 2025, Palais des Congrès, Montréal, Québec

The conference's theme is 'Inclusive Solidarities: Reimagining Boundaries in Divided Times.'

6^th International ZEW Conference on the Dynamics of Entrepreneurship (CoDE)

October 9-10, 2025, Mannheim
The aim of this conference is to discuss recent contributions to entrepreneurial research. It focusses on the formation, growth and exit of young firms linked to innovation, environmental sustainability, or entrepreneurial finance. The conference also addresses the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship policies. You are welcome to participate in the conference and contribute theoretical, empirical and/or policy-oriented papers on all areas of entrepreneurship research. Interested researchers are invited to submit a paper (or extended abstracts of at least 4,000 words are also welcome) to entrepreneurship2025@zew.de. Submission deadline: 31 May 2025

Twin Transition, Ecosystems, and Disruptive Innovation

October 23rd-24th 2025, Venice School of Management - Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, San Giobbe - Economic Campus.
The 19th edition of Regional Innovation Policies Conference will take place in Venice, Italy.

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This newsletter is prepared by Travis Southin.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe