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
$500 Million Auto Investment Strategy Means Better Workers for Better Jobs in an Innovative Economy
This month Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty unveiled a new $500 million Automotive Investment Strategy that will train workers for the next generation of innovation in the industry. Over the next five years, the Ontario Automotive Investment Strategy will provide support for leading-edge auto manufacturing projects that are worth more than $300 million in investment or that create or retain more than 300 jobs. The strategy’s $500 million fund is earmarked to partner with industry for advanced-skills training for our workers, improved environmental and energy technologies, public infrastructure and investments in research and innovation.
Editor's Pick
Analyzing the Commercialization of University Research: A Proposed Categorization Scheme
Fred Pries and Paul Guild, University of Waterloo
Universities are an increasingly important source of technological innovations of commercial importance. Numerous methods of commercializing these innovations are available including licensing, spin-outs and consulting arrangements. Research on the commercialization of university research has involved various categorizations of these methods. However, these categories are typically limited to a particular method of commercialization and are often inconsistent. Drawing on ideas from transaction cost economics, this paper proposes a comprehensive categorization scheme. These categories focus on the substance of commercialization process rather than its form. For example, licensing arrangements are possible in any of the five categories. The existence of a comprehensive categorization scheme has implications for measuring the amount and impact of the commercialization of university research and for helping universities to identify ways to support these activities.
Innovation Policy
A Strategic Planning Process for Organizations at the University-Industry Interface
Edward Acworth, Edward Crawley and Michael Kelly, The Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI)
The University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2000 established the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) to create a new form of academic enterprise. CMI’s mission is to enhance the competitiveness, productivity and entrepreneurship of the UK economy by improving the effectiveness of knowledge exchange between universities and the economy. Recently CMI undertook to review its strategy in consultation with 27 stakeholder groups including government, industry, education, entrepreneurship and other involved parties using best practices from academia and the management consulting industry. This paper describes in detail this strategic planning process specially developed by CMI, and argues that this process is relevant for a much larger field of applications where knowledge exchange through organizational boundaries is crucial. In addition to the strategic planning process itself, a number of lessons learned during this process are presented that relate to how best to execute this process.
Nanotechnology
Robert Smithson, Lance Adams, Steven Stacey and Eliza Evans, IC2 Institute, University of Austin
The objectives of this report are to raise the consciousness of the Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor with regards to convergence of technologies, and to provide recommendations on how to best position the Corridor to reap the benefits of this revolution. This report provides a report card on the present status of two key convergence industries in the Corridor, nanotechnology and biotechnology, through the results of our inventory survey and profiles of select Corridor companies in these spaces. The survey results characterize the issues of importance to the engines of future job creation in the Corridor, its growing nanotech and biotech companies.
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) and The Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI)
The rapid advancement of nano-scale technologies are producing an explosive global increase in both research, and associated technology commercialization directed to impact most every industrial sector. An international competition has emerged in which regions vie for competitive advantage in the attraction, development and retention of these emerging technology related firms and the jobs they will create. Massachusetts has emerged as one of the world’s leading sources for new nano-scale technologies. However, whether the region will emerge as a leader in commercialization of nanotechnologies is yet to be determined, and is dependent on several factors outlined in this report
Cities, Clusters & Regions
Biotechnology in Canada – A Regional View
Life Sciences Branch – Industry Canada
This presentation compares key biotechnology statistics across Canadian regions – Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and BC. It provides a quick reference tool for those looking for statistical data on Canadian biotechnology from a regional perspective.
The Production of Knowledge in Canada: Consolidation and Diversification
Benoit Godin, C Dore and V Lariviere, INRS/OST
The Canadian innovation system is composed of four main sectors: university, hospital, government, and industry. This paper analyzes each sector’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of its scientific production. Using bibliometric data on Canadian scientific publications, this paper tracks the interrelations between these sectors and show that universities have remained a dominant force in collaborative research despite recent policies and discourses prophesying their decline. It also reveals that Canadian science is increasingly produced in international collaboration and that all sectors are collaborating increasingly with each other.
Statistics & Indicators
State Technology and Science Index: Enduring Lessons for the Intangible Economy
Ross DeVol, Rob Koepp and Junghoon Ki, Miliken Institute
The 2004 State Technology and Science Index encapsulates each state’s comprehensive inventory of technology and science assets that can be leveraged to promote economic development. The Index provides states with a benchmark, monitors their technology progress and can be leveraged to promote economic growth. It provides a valuable framework of measures to guide state policy makers and the public on the realities of their performance in the knowledge-based economy of today. The index uses 75 indicators in five categories to measure how well a state will perform in today’s knowledge-based economy. The five composite categories are: R&D inputs; Risk capital and entrepreneurial infrastructure; Human capital investment; Technology and science workforce; and Technology concentration and dynamism
Events
The Europe of Knowledge 2020: A Vision for University-based Research and Innovation
Liege (Belgium), 25-28 April, 2004
This conference will explore the issues raised by the Commission’s communication published in February 2003 on “the role of universities in the Europe of Knowledge”. The conference will address in a series of parallel sessions that address the following issues: the creation and certification of knowledge, the changing nature of research teaching, P3s, the role of universities for research in the regions and the challenge of inter-disciplinary research. This conference aims to produce an agreed roadmap to help European universities to realize fully their ambitions in the 21st century.
Ottawa, 27-28 April, 2004
The Smart City Summit combines Ottawa’s Business and Technology Trade Show with a major business and technology conference that draws international attention from business and government. It is also Ottawa’s premier mega-networking and business development event, catering to technology and business decision-makers and federal, provincial and municipal government attendees from across Canada. In just three short years, the Summit has evolved into a dynamic local and international marketplace for business innovators encompassing a major conference, trade show, keynotes, networking, and innovation awards.
Ennis, Ireland, 13-14 May, 2004
This conference presents the PRELUDE project and its nine Digital Regions, which represent one of the most important European efforts to boost regional applied research and innovation through public-private partnerships. Participants will have the opportunity to become an active part of the community of interest for local and regional innovation that PRELUDE has initiated. Also, it will showcase the Irish experience, particularly Ireland’s effort to modernise its economy and the public sector through a visionary strategy making use of the opportunities offered by the Information Society. The programme includes Conference presentations and an exhibition of Irish best practices.
Hamilton, 19 May, 2004
This event – sponsored by The Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network – is a must for those involved in the bioscience business. This conference will deal with venture capital investment and new company financing, biotech and health related research, the commercialization of research, and community and economic development at all levels of government. Over 200 participants from the business and science community attended the BioSummit@McMaster last year.
MERIT Workshop on Information Technology, New Industry and Labour Market Dynamics
Maastricht, 3-4 June, 2004
The aim of the workshop is twofold. First, to develop a perspective on the changing way in which goods are being produced, production processes are being organised and jobs are being occupied as a result of the adoption of IT. Second, it aims to investigate the consequences of IT diffusion and the determinants of adoption empirically at the firm level, its impact in the labour market both from a theoretical and empirical point of view and its macroeconomic consequences.
Regionalization of Innovation Policy – Options and Experiences
Berlin, 4-5 June, 2004
Globalization leads to a greater relevance of regional factors for innovation processes. There is a growing consensus in the academic field, as well as among politicians, that innovation policy should include this regional dimension, i.e. regional innovation systems. But it is still not quite clear how this could or should be done in practice. In general, there are two approaches to the regionalization of innovation policy. One strategy is attempting to improve the quality of the innovation system in certain regions. The main questions here concern appropriate instruments for such a strategy and the selection of regions. A second strategy that may be complementary to the above-mentioned one is to scale down national innovation policies in such a way that they take into account the various regions (for example, by focusing measures on certain clusters). In some countries, interesting attempts at such a policy that are worthy of investigation have been made (for example, the BioRegio or the InnoRegio program in Germany). This conference will bring together scholars working in the field of innovation systems and policy at the national and regional level.
DRUID Summer Conference on Industrial Dynamics, Innovation and Development
Copenhagen, Denmark, 14-16 June, 2004
This conference aims to promote the general understanding of the interplay between industrial dynamics, innovation and development; investigate arrangements organized at various scales to enhance and utilize knowledge geared towards economic development; examine the role of entrepreneurship and innovation at various stages of economic development; the geographical reach and development consequences of knowledge spillovers; and to consider the implications for managerial strategy and public policy. Participation in the conference is restricted. Potential participants must supply a detailed abstract of at least 2 pages to summer2004@druid.dk no later than January 30, 2004.
The 4th Congress on Proximity Economics Proximity, Networks and Co-ordination
Marseilles, 17-18 June, 2004
This conference is geared towards all of the scientific community interested in the proximity concept, as it relates to everything from industrial organization to networks of public health. The call for proposals, which is open until October 31st, 2003, will give priority to either theoretical or empirical communications likely to produce a better understanding of the conceptual links between proximity, networks and co-ordination.
Oslo, 20-24 June, 2004
This conference features academic papers and presentations from industry plus workshops elaborating on the conference theme. Delegates will have the opportunity to submit a poster on the conference theme as part of their conference fee. Important deadlines are 25 February 2004 (extended from 11 February) for abstracts, 19 April 2004 for full papers, presentations and posters.
Patent Policy: Using, Abusing and Reforming
Duke University, 17-19 September, 2004
It has long been recognized that the patent system provides a unique means for trading off ex ante
innovation incentives against the ex post inefficiencies of monopoly power. The current system of patent acquisition and protection is now frequently criticized on numerous grounds, including its manipulability, its susceptibility to abuse and holdup, its regional specificity, its differential treatment of leaders and laggards, and the agency costs that are present not only among business competitors, but among the very bureaucrats and judges who administer the system itself. The
proposed conference intends to explore these ideas further, bringing together leading scholars
from law schools, business schools, and economics departments. Submission deadline: May 1, 2004.
Continuous Innovation: Strategic Priorities for the Global Knowledge Economy
Sydney, Australia, 22-25 September, 2004
Continuous innovation is the ongoing process of initiating, developing, operating and improving new and existing configurations of products, market approaches, processes, technologies and competencies, organisation and management systems. As organisations strive to achieve a synergistic balance between short-term oriented, operationally-effective exploitation strategies and longer-term, flexibility-oriented exploration strategies, the rapid growth of the global knowledge economy has placed learning at the centre of this critical balance. The 5th International CINet 2004 conference has as its theme “Continuous Innovation: Strategic Priorities for the Global Knowledge Economy” and aims to address these key issues for organisational survival and growth.
Hydrogen & Fuel Cells 2004 Conference and Trade Show
Toronto, 25-28 September, 2004
As society shifts towards the Greener World, it is increasingly important that the team-work necessary to achieve and meet our challenges and objectives be effectively integrated, shared and understood across disciplinary and business boundaries. In planning for the September 2004 Meeting in Toronto seven such inter-related themes have been identified: Hydrogen technology progress, fuel cells, economics & policy, renewable hydrogen, demonstrations, investment & marketing options, and climate change. We invite you to submit abstracts for oral and/or poster presentations to be presented to an international audience of hydrogen and fuel cell industry leaders. Submission deadline: March 17, 2004.
Constructing Competitive Advantage
Ottawa, 28 September – 1 October, 2004
TCI’s 7th annual conference will closely examine and exchange experiences concerning how firms can be grown in a cluster, how clusters can be branded and get products to market, how clusters interact, and how an active strategy can either grow or stunt the future prospects of a cluster. The program includes an introduction workshop on cluster, cluster site visits, an academic summit and many guest speakers and mini-forums.
Ottawa, 27-29 September, 2004
Building on the success of OptoCanada, held in Ottawa in May 2002, the Canadian Photonics Consortium and the Ottawa Photonics Cluster are collaborating to sponsor Photonics North 2004. The Conference is chaired by the CEO of Siemens Canada, Dr. Albert Maringer, and is being managed by SPIE. Leading photonics experts from around the world will be participating. Suggested topics for papers range from Biophotonics to Telecommunications Networking. Among the special features of the Conference will be a parallel program on the first day focusing on doing business with Germany, with a variety of speakers from Germany, as well as a student program organized by Photonics Research Ontario on the second day. The deadline for submission of abstracts is March 15, 2004.
Commercialization: What’s Working, What’s Not
Ottawa, 9 November, 2004
Research Money once again shines the spotlight on the federal government’s innovation agenda. Join key players from business, government and academia to examine what’s working and what’s not with research commercialization.
Calgary, 17-18 November, 2004
This first annual western Canadian Innovation Conference, hosted by the Centre for Innovation Studies (THECIS), will address a wide range of issues in innovation including cluster, education, public-private partnerships and financing innovation. This conference provides a forum for the innovation community in western Canada to network, review the latest developments and work to find solutions to common problems. Day 1 has eight sessions, and Day 2 has four Workshops, on BioProducts, Energy, ICT, and Manufacturing.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.