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
SPRU regrets to announce the death of Keith Pavitt, Professor of Science and Technology Policy. For 30 years, he was at the heart of SPRU and of its most important contributions. With others, he helped establish science policy as an important field of research. He was prominent in many of the great debates that have characterized the field over recent decades. He has established Research Policy as the leading journal in the field. He argued with all of us but you always came away having enjoyed the argument and feeling that you had benefited in some way from it. Last, but certainly not least, he was one of the nicest and most generous people it has been my pleasure to work with. He will be sorely missed. (Ben Martin 21.12.02)
U.S. cities now offering free wireless Internet
The city of Long Beach, California, has recently announced that it will offer free wireless internet access in a four-block area of its downtown business district as part of a marketing campaign to attract tourists and new businesses. It is one several cities now exploring the idea of installing such networks in downtown areas or throughout entire communities. These cities include San Francisco; Seattle; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Lodi, California. [Courtesy Canarie]
The Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP6) is now underway with a budget of 17.5 billion euros for the years 2002 – 2006. The program will be the main financial and legal instrument of the European Commission to implement the European Research Area, alongside national efforts and other European co-operative research activities. The main objective of FP6 is to contribute to the creation of the European Research Area (ERA) by improving integration and coordination of research in Europe, which is so far largely fragmented. At the same time research will be targeted at strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy, solving major societal questions and supporting the formulation and implementation of other EU policies.
Editor's Pick
L. Lengrand & al., ARNT & PREST
This comprehensive study, prepared on behalf of the European Commission, synthesizes the new approaches to innovation policy now being implemented within knowledge-based societies. Called the third generation innovation policy, this approach places innovation at the heart of each policy area. The study, following a review of the links between innovation policy and other policies, outlines the case for this new policy framework in several policy areas that relate to the legal and regulatory framework for innovation. In support of the study, a High Level Working Group of senior academics, industrialists and policymakers was organized, along with case studies examining specific examples of where these policy areas intersect with innovation.
Innovation Policy
Canada: People, Places and Priorities: Report of the Standing Committee on Finance
This year’s Commons Standing Committee on Finance report makes several recommendations regarding the priority of productivity and innovation. These include increased funding for the granting councils, a program that funds the indirect costs of federally funded research, simplifying access to the SR&ED program, the creation of a commercialization office at Industry Canada for Canadian research; and making it easier for foreign workers with the necessary level of expertise to practice their trade in Canada. The report also calls for a series of changes to the tax system to make Canada more competitive. The Commons Standing Committee on Finance is mandated to make annual proposals regarding the budgetary policy of the government.
European Innovation Scoreboard 2002
This latest issue of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), which focuses on 17 high-tech innovations, confirms that the innovation performance of the EU is still low compared to its main global competitors. Japan leads the EU in eight of the 10 indicators for which comparable data are available and the US leads for seven. The situation is, however, more encouraging with regard to trends. For five of eight comparable trend indicators, the EU trend has been improving faster than in the US, and compared to Japan, the EU leads in all seven available trend indicators. The EIS seeks to track the EU’s progress towards the Lisbon goal of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world within the next decade.
Regional Innovation & Clusters
Knowledge Flows through Informal Contacts in Industrial Clusters: Myths or Realities?
M. Dahl and C. Pederson, DRUID
This paper empirically examines the role of informal contacts in a specific cluster. Drawing on a questionnaire that asked engineers in a regional wireless communication cluster a series of questions on informal networks, the authors analyze whether the engineers actually acquire valuable knowledge through these networks. They find that engineers do indeed share even valuable knowledge with informal contacts, indicating that informal contacts are important channels of knowledge diffusion.
Events
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.
Washington, DC, 27-28 January, 2003
Transforming Enterprise is a two-day international conference organized by U.S. Department of Commerce on the economic and social implications of information technology. It will examine what makes the digital economy different in terms of the changing nature and relationship of information, knowledge, and value – and the implications for work, learning, and society. Also the conference will look at what has been learned and what still needs to be known.
CITO Innotalk: Valuing High Tech Companies
Toronto, 28 January, 2003: 8:30 am – 11 am
This InnoTalk will explore methods for assessing the value of high technology companies, highlighting valuation principles, characteristics unique to high tech companies and the impact on their value, and various valuation approaches. Such assessments are a key part of negotiations for the capitalization of start-up enterprises, as well as the acquisition and sale of existing companies. InnoTalk seminars are designed to help companies find effective answers to process, systems and technology issues.
CITO InnoTalk – Securing Venture Capital For Your Early-Stage Technology Based Business 
Waterloo, 4 February, 2003
This InnoTalk will explore the early-stage venture capital process. Topics will include: developing a business concept that venture capitalists will be interested in financing, what to include in your pitch to venture capitalists, tips for obtaining venture capital in this market, understanding venture capital deal structures (term sheets, due diligence), and what to expect after you get venture capital.
Technology Clusters – By Accident or Design?
Ottawa, 19 February, 2003
Organized by Re$earch Money, this conference will bring together some of Canada’s most experienced practitioners in creating economic activity around technology in different regions of the country. These include investors, community leaders, industry leaders and representatives from different levels of government. The one-day program includes 5 sessions that will look at the concept of clusters and their development as well as the investor and government perspectives on clusters.
Jump-Starting Innovation: Government, Universities and Entrepreneurs
Raleigh, NC 10 & 11 February, 2003
This 2003 Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State University will assess traditional means of economic development and analyze new strategies for fostering high-growth entrepreneurial firms and applying new technologies to traditional firms. At the center of these discussions will be the proper and most effective roles for research universities in a knowledge-driven economy. Panels include: Innovation and an Entrepreneurial Culture; Innovation and Rural Economy; States and Technology-Led Economic Development National Perspectives; States and Technology-Led Economic Development State Perspective; New Roles for Universities and Community Colleges in Economic Development; and University Research Alliances.
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.
Innovation through Collaboration: Clusters, Networks, Alliances
Manchester, 8-11 June, 2003
This conference aims to address the issues associated with collaboration in the context of recent research which suggests that as many as 50-70% of strategic alliances will fail within four years due to a vast array of cultural, political, technological and commercial factors. It will provide a forum for academics, business people and consultants to discuss these issues in depth by presenting the latest academic papers, delivering company presentations on the subject and running interactive workshops. Selected proceedings will be published in a special edition of The Journal of Enterprising Culture. The conference is organized by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management.
Creating, Sharing And Transferring Knowledge: The role of Geography, Institutions, Organizations
Copenhagen, 12-14 June, 2002
The conference has four main objectives: to contribute to a more satisfactory understanding of the mechanisms underlying the way in which knowledge is created, shared and transferred; to examine the promoting or inhibiting effect of particular circumstances of organizational context, institutional setting or geographical configuration, such as cities and agglomerations or clusters; to investigate arrangements particularly capable of enhancing, capturing and utilizing end consumer knowledge; and to consider the implications for managerial strategy and public policy. Both senior and junior scholars are invited to participate and contribute with a paper to the conference.
Communities and technologies (C&T 2003)
Amsterdam or Bonn, 19-21 September, 2003
This international conference is a forum for stimulating and disseminating research into all facets of communities and information technology. Attendees represent multidisciplinary research efforts from applied computer science and social science. The 2003 conference will focus on presentations and discussion of empirical and conceptual research on a wide range of topics including (Virtual) Community formation and development; Virtual communities vs. location-based communities; Digital cities, and Design methods for communityware. The deadline for submission of full research papers is March 14, 2003.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.