The IPL newsletter: Volume 3, Issue 49

The relative importance of home and host innovation systems in the internationalization of MNE R&D: a patent citation analysis

P. Criscuolo et al. MERIT

This paper examines the phenomenon of home base augmenting (HBA) R&D and home base exploiting (HBE) R&D.  The authors argue that any given R&D facility’s capacity to exploit and/or augment technological competences is a function not just of its own resources, but the efficiency with which it can utilize complementary resources associated with the relevant local innovation system. Just as HBA activities require proximity to the economic units from which they seek to learn, HBE activities draw from the parent’s technological resources as well as from other assets of home location’s innovation system. Results indicate that both EU affiliates in the US, and vice versa (US affiliates in the EU), rely extensively on home region knowledge sources, although they appear to exploit the host country knowledge base as well.

The Irish Economic Boom: Facts, Causes and Lessons

P. Fortin, Université du Québec à Montréal and Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

Here is a study of Ireland’s remarkable economic turnaround. The author finds that for several decades, Ireland has been very supportive of long-term productivity growth through its openness to free international trade and investment, its business-friendly industrial and tax policies, and its free secondary and low-cost higher education – all policies that can be widely imitated or emulated by other countries, including Canada. In general, countries will achieve the lowest sustainable national unemployment rate if they avoid premature monetary tightening and if they adopt supply-friendly tax, expenditure and regulatory policies that keep unit labour costs low and foster high rates of saving and investment.

Knowledge Diffusion From Multinational Enterprises: The Role Of Domestic And Foreign Knowledge-Enhancing Activities

Y. Todo and K. Miyamoto, OECD Development Centre

This paper addresses the question of whether or not multinational enterprises (MNEs) facilitate knowledge diffusion to domestic firms and, if so, under what conditions. The approach takes into account enterprise activities that mobilise technology transfers to domestic firms — knowledge-enhancing activities — such as research and development (R&D) and human resource development by both MNEs and domestic firms. The authors find that, contrary to the conclusions of a number of recent works on technology transfers, MNEs do have a positive and significant contribution to knowledge diffusion to domestic firms. However, this does not happen automatically. It is only when MNEs and domestic firms make efforts to invest in R&D and/or human resource development that knowledge diffusion occurs.

BioNorth 2002 9th Annual Ottawa Life Sciences International Conference and Exhibition

Ottawa 4-6 November, 2002

BioNorth 2002 is Canada’s premier biotechnology and life sciences conference. This year, the focus is on new developments such as genomics, proteomics, bioproducts and convergent technologies and their impact on the global business of discovery, development and commercialization. Special Programs Canada’s Top 10 Investment Prospects Canada-U.K. Business Forum National Merit and OLSC Achievement Awards Dinner Student Poster Awards.

Symposium 2002– Canada: A Partner In Global Science And Technology

Ottawa, 5 November, 2002

Symposium 2002 will focus on Canada’s participation and leadership in international science and technology projects. Speakers in discussing a broad spectrum of Canadian international activities from space and ocean sciences, to subatomic and transportation research, will highlight the importance and benefits of Canadian participation in international science and technology development projects.

Who’s Who in IT in Ontario: ITAC’s Third Business Cluster Development Session

Toronto, 7 November, 2002

This breakfast session aims to provide an opportunity for Ontario’s IT companies, which total some 4000, to tell each other what they are doing.  Such interaction is important to the Ontario IT industry for its potential to foster a strong and vital cluster of cooperating companies. Keynote speaker is Michael Stumm, Co-Founder, Senior Vice President, and Chief Technology Officer, SOMA Networks.

International Conference On Advances In Infrastructure For Electronic Business, Education, Science, Medicine, And Mobile Technologies On The Internet

L’Aquila (Italy) 6-12 January, 2003

The conference attracts experts in computer/communications science and engineering, management and business administration, plus all others researching the e-business in interdisciplinary fashions. Topics include: B2B, B2C, E-Business Management. Workflow Technologies, Datamining, E-Banking, Virtual Marketplace, E-Marketing and E-Government. Keynote speakers include Peter Lyman (UC Berkeley) and Erich Neuhold, IPSI/Fraunhofer.

International conference on territorial development: The key role of regions 

Paris, 21-23 January, 2003

This international conference will explore the increasingly important role of regions in all European countries as a key player for territorial development. The regional level is essential especially for the promotion of co-operation and innovation at various levels of governance, from local to international. The aim of the conference is to provide public as well as private stakeholders the opportunity to exchange ideas. Themes to be covered include regions and economic development, regions and territorial cohesion, and regions and civil society.

Knowledge And Economic And Social Change: New Challenges To Innovation Studies

Manchester, 7-9 April, 2003

The purpose of this conference is to bring together the innovation studies community to focus on the current developments in the global economy, in technologies, and in political systems that are continuing to pose new challenges to analysis. Topics include: the increasing importance of the role of knowledge in the operation of the global economy; and the qualitative change in the conditions under which knowledge is exploited to create wealth, to improve the quality of life, and to move towards a sustainable ecosystem, economy and society. The conference is organized by Advances in the Economic and Social Analysis of Technology and the Institute of Innovation Research.

The Knowledge-based Economy: New Challenges in Methodology, Theory and Policy

Augsburg, Germany 9-12 April 2003

This 3rd European Meeting of Applied Evolutionary Economics focuses on the most important aspects of knowledge-based economies within the framework of evolutionary economics. Conference themes include: knowledge and learning; dynamics of technological and qualitative change; industrial organisation in a knowledge-based economy; evolution of institutions financial markets in knowledge-based economies; and policy in a knowledge-based economy. Deadline for submission of extended abstracts: October 18, 2002.