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
Waterloo Region has long been regarded as an “export powerhouse,” fueled by regional economic diversity and strategic access to markets, facilitating the flow of goods. According to a new study prepared for CTT Inc by Community Benchmarks, the Waterloo Region is outperforming provincial and national growth in value of product exports. In 2004, Waterloo Region, known as Canada’s Technology Triangle (CTT), exported over $12 billion CDN worth of products, a 33.9 percent increase from year 2000. In comparison, Ontario’s exports declined by 4.0 percent, and Canadian exports as a whole declined 0.3 percent over the same time period.
Editor's Pick
Social Capital as a Public Policy Tool
Government of Canada, Policy Research Initiative
By examining the potential of the concept of social capital to inform policy development and evaluation, this publication offers a clear framework for the analysis of the concept, identify policy and program areas where social capital makes a difference, and offer a strategic set of recommendations for testing new approaches, improved measurement, and policy action. In combination with other human and financial resources, social capital can significantly influence their social, economic, and political participation. Government policies and programs inevitably affect patterns of social capital development. Taking this into account more systematically could make a significant difference in the achievement of various policy objectives. Finally, social capital has particularly important implications for three key areas of public policy: helping populations at risk of social exclusion, supporting key life-course transitions, and promoting community development.
Innovation Policy
Innovating Regions in Europe: Good Practices of Regional Innovation Schemes
IRE
The objective of this compilation by the IRE Thematic Networks is to provide access to the numerous good practices identified by these networks. The good practice cases focus on: promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation, exploitation of research and business creation, innovation financing, cluster and networking and internationalization.
Here or There? A Survey on the Factors in Multinational R&D Location and IP Production
Marie Thursby and Jerry Thursby, Kauffman Foundation
Contrary to popular belief, it is intellectual capital and university collaboration, not just lower costs, which primarily attract companies to locate R&D activities in locations away from their home country, according to a new study sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The study of more than 200 multinational companies across 15 industries, mostly headquartered in the United States and Western Europe, finds that emerging countries such as China and India will continue to be major beneficiaries of R&D expansion over the next three years as companies seek new market opportunities, access to top scientists and engineers, and collaborative research relationships with leading universities. Among the study’s more surprising findings was the role university collaboration plays in the decision-making process for locating R&D facilities. In fact, collaboration with universities was particularly prevalent as a factor for expanding to emerging countries, even though these countries provide lesser degrees of IP protection.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Innovation Grants: Evidence from the Irish Innovation Panel
Stephen Roper and Nola Hewitt-Dundas, ERSA
Innovation grants are a ubiquitous feature of industrial support regimes across the industrial world. Evidence on their effectiveness is less widespread, however, due to a lack of consistent longitudinal or panel data on innovation outcomes and company performance. This paper investigates the effectiveness of R&D and innovation grants support in Ireland and Northern Ireland using panel data and a sample selection approach to the modelling of grant impacts. The study is based on the Irish Innovation Panel which provides panel data on the innovation activities of manufacturing firms in Ireland and Northern Ireland over the 1991-2002 period.
Cities, Clusters & Regions
New Technologies in Old Neighbourhoods: A Breaking Off with History? A Montreal Case Study
Claire Poitras, INRS Urbanisation, Culture et Societe
Heritage districts are considered to be one of a city’s most valuable assets. During the 1990s, industrial heritage sites became a key element in cities’ strategies to attract new high-tech firms and, more specifically, small multimedia firms. Researchers have argued that cities retaining these historical districts are better able to accomplish these goals. Drawing on this trend, the Government of Quebec launched a major redevelopment project in Montreal called the Multimedia City. This real estate project aimed to create new jobs in the growing ICT sector and revitalize an abandoned industrial and warehousing district strategically located near the city’s downtown core and historic quarter. This paper highlights the ways in which a new neighbourhood was created. This case suggests that, while history and heritage are assets, they paradoxically had to be cast aside to make way for new representations linked to the changing urban economy.
OCRI
The OCRI Report 2005 is the first edition of an annual community and statistical profile containing the latest economic, technology and educational data for the Ottawa community. The report has been developed as a quick-reference tool for business, community and government leaders in their decision-making processes, as well as for potential investors who often request community and industry statistics when looking at relocating or expanding to the Ottawa region. The report provides indicator data for the year 2005 for 28 different areas in the Ottawa economy, as well as for the education and technology sectors of the region.
Statistics & Indicators
THECIS
The purpose of the scorecard is to increase understanding of innovation in Alberta by telling the story of innovation in the province through a set of metrics and illustrative examples, so as to provide a basis for action by decision makers. This report differs from an economic scorecard in that it looks at a number of non-economic factors. It also differs from a technology report in that it looks at the whole innovation cycle, from invention through to commercialization, including diffusion through the whole economy. It is not the intent of this report to provide specific proposals or recommendations, but rather to identify some key questions and stimulate a debate about them.
IRE
The first aim of this guide is to assist project managers involved in stage 1 of the RIS project in conducting a reliable assessment of their regional innovation system through data collection and analysis. This guide is the second published by the IRE Secretariat and is addressed to both current RIS project managers and to regions wishing to carry out similar analyses in their region in the future.
Top 100 Cities for NIH Funding
SSTI
Despite a decrease of $44.6 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding from fiscal year 2003, Boston held the top spot in total NIH funding for FY 2004, maintaining its lead over New York. The two cities had $1.57 billion and $1.25 billion, respectively. Baltimore moved up to third place in the annual ranking after receiving a significant increase of $70.3 million in NIH funding. That resulted in Philadelphia dropping to fourth, with Seattle, La Jolla, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago and San Francisco rounding out the top 10, respectively.
Best Performing Cities 2005: Where America’s Jobs are Created and Sustained
Milken Institute
The Milken Institute Best Performing Cities Index ranks 379 U.S. metropolitan areas based on their economic performance and their ability to create, as well as keep, the greatest number of jobs in the nation. The top positions in the 2005 index are dominated by Florida metros, which hold not only the index’s top three slots, but five of its top six and 12 of its top 30. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville is No. 1, followed by last year’s top scorer, Cape Coral-Fort Myers in second and Naples-Marco Island in third place. The 2005 winners have similar characteristics: strong and growing service sectors, a robust recovery in tourism, growing populations and an increase in the number of retirees. As evidence, six metros in the top 20 come from the Southwest, including three in California (Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Ana) and two in Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix). By comparison, the Midwest has none. The index enables businesses, industry associations, economic development agencies, investors, academics, governments and public policy groups, to assess and monitor recent metro performance.
Events
Social Capital and Public Policy Seminar 
Toronto, 2 March, 2006
This seminar tackles a variety of critical questions regarding social capital and public policy: What is social capital? Who benefits and who does not? How does it operate to produce positive outcomes? Is there a role for government? This event is intended for academics, federal and provincial policy makers and community practitioners and will feature the conclusions of a major federal interdepartmental initiative on social capital and an overview of recent academic research on the role of social networks in achieving policy outcomes in Canada. 1:00 – 5:00; Massey College, St. George Campus, University of Toronto, 4 Devonshire Place.
Canadian Urban Institute Roundtable Breakfast Series: Lessons from Tokyo – Toronto’s Future as the Hub of a Regional City
Toronto, 9 March, 2006
More people live and work in the Tokyo city region than live in the whole of Canada. To keep the population moving, there is a complex web of commuter rail lines and subways, augmented with light rail, serving 21 million passengers a day. The airport is a short train ride away and trains come every ten minutes. The streetscapes are varied and interesting, with an emphasis on mid-rise, mixed use development. Despite coming off a decade or more of depressed economic conditions, the upkeep of public assets of all kinds is immaculate. Much of this is overseen by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, with 180,000 employees, which is the upper tier level overseeing the activities of 29 local municipalities. But according to Paul Bedford, it works. He will share his insights gained during a recent visit to Tokyo made possible by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, and offer suggestions on how Toronto and surrounding communities can grow to become a high-functioning regional city.
Conference on Canada’s Competitiveness and Prosperity
Ottawa, 10 March, 2006
The conference will feature the release of the Report on Canada 2006 by the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity. Roger Martin, Chairman of the Institute and Dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management will release the findings of this key annual report on Canada’s current and future levels of competitiveness and prosperity. For the balance of the conference we will present and discuss ideas from various perspectives on Canada’s economic opportunities and challenges. Confirmed panelists include: Brian Crowley (Executive Director, Atlantic Institute for Market Studies), Don Drummond (Senior Vice President and Chief Economist TD Bank Financial Group), Heather Munroe-Blum (Principal, McGill University), David Johnston (President, University of Waterloo), Deborah Roseveare (Sr Economist, Head of Canada desk, OECD), Claude Seguin (Sr Vice President, CGI), Andrew Sharpe (Executive Director, Centre for the Study of Living Standards) and Jim Stanford (Economist, Canadian Auto Workers). The incoming federal Ministers of Finance, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and Industry have also been invited. This conference is a unique and timely opportunity to hear and discuss the key competitiveness and prosperity challenges facing the incoming government.
Stuttgart, 30-31 March, 2006
The conference on 30 March is a key event of the RegStrat project co-funded by the European Commission’s Regions of Knowledge 2 Programme and co-ordinated by SEZ. This event brings together policy researchers and practitioners from different fields of strategic policy intelligence (SPI – foresight, technology assessment and road-mapping, evaluation, benchmarking etc.) with policy-makers from Europe’s regions. The participants will examine and discuss the state of the art of related policy research and methodology, as well as the practical use of SPI tools in regional policy-making. Please visit RegStrat website for further information and possible cooperation in the framework of the project. The MLP Regional Foresight Workshop on 31 March is implemented in the framework of the Mutual Learning Platform (MLP), a joint initiative by DG Enterprise and Industry, DG Research, DG Regional Policy and the Committee of the Regions, and supported by the IRE Secretariat. The aim of the initiative is to develop concrete policy tools that can be applied by regional policy-makers. In case of foresight it focuses on reviewing and promoting practical knowledge on incentives, benefits and impacts of conducting foresight exercises in a regional context. The workshop is thought as a follow-up to the discussions from the first MLP foresight workshop (October 2005) as well as the RegStat conference. This event focuses on the practical aspects and impacts of regional foresight. The process and the lessons learned are addressed to regional policy-makers, foresight managers, practitioners, users and stakeholders of policy-making organisations in European regions.
Community Building Through Innovation: Celebrating Today’s Rural
Collingwood (ON), 10-12 April, 2006
This conference aims to present rural development from a broad range of perspectives. It unites three key partners in Ontario’s rural development landscape: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Rural Secretariat), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the Ontario Rural Council (TORC). This conference will stimulate participants through an array of sessions presented in a variety of formats that support the innovation theme.
Ottawa, 16 – 17 May, 2006
The Statistics Canada Socio-economic Conference provides an annual forum for empirical research focusing on issues of concern to Canadian public policy. The conference focuses on studies discussing: emerging economic trends and their underlying causes;
and the social implications of economic trends and the ability of various groups to participate in the economy. Topics relevant to the Conference include, but are not restricted to, innovation; productivity; international trade; agriculture; environment-economy linkages; natural resources and energy; transportation; industrial development; urban and rural development; health; education; families; income and wealth and their distribution; and labour markets. The Conference focuses on studies directly relevant to Canada, while at the same time welcoming comparative international studies that shed light on Canadian public policy issues. It places a premium on empirical studies making innovative use of Canadian data.
Atlanta Conference on S&T Policy
Atlanta, 18-20 May, 2006
Both the U.S. and Europe see innovation as central to the future growth and vitality of their economies. Policies to encourage innovation need to lead in institutional learning and change across sectors. This conference explores the research base that informs those policies, in current international context. It aims to stimulate dialog among policy makers, analysts, and scholars, covering both what we know and what we need to know to frame effective science and technology policies and to help advance the research agenda of the field. Proposals for papers and sessions are due February 1.
Toronto, 5-6 June, 2006
The 2006 Ontario R&E Summit being hosted by ORION and MaRS and being held in the new MaRS Discovery District Collaboration Centre. This event is promoted as “Ontario’s definitive annual gathering for the research and education community, inspiring innovation through collaboration technologies and expertise”. MaRS is a non-profit corporation aimed at improving commercial outcomes from Canada’s foundation of science and technology innovation. The Collaboration Centre, opened last May, is a “convergence innovation centre” located in Toronto’s refurbished and hip Discovery District.
Changing Foresight Practices in Regional Development: Global Pressures and Regional Possibilities
Turku, Finland, 7-9 June, 2006
The future of regions is dependent on proactive interaction between companies, universities and public actors. The aim of the conference is to discuss the different strategic possibilities of regions under the rapidly changing pressures of globalizing world. The key questions are: How regional actors can cope in a global economy? What are the new ways to study and explore the future of regions? How to enhance regional co-operation and networking? What are the strategic keys to prosperous regional futures? Does creativity strengthen regions? How general foresight and development theories can strengthen regional development in practice? How companies can shape their regional strategies in globalizing economy? The conference will consist of several keynote addresses and parallel sessions.
Athens, Greece, 11-14 June, 2006
The 2006 International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) Conference will be held in Athens this summer. Many topics will be discussed such as: academic-industry networks for innovation, learning and the entrepreneurial mindset, managing knowledge, SMEs: opportunities & threats, public policy to stimulate networks. Deadline for submitting an abstract: January 27, 2006.
9th Uddevalla Symposium 2006: Entrepreneurship and Development – Local Processes and Global Patterns
Fairfax, Virginia, 15-17 June, 2006
The conference organizing committee will be accepting abstracts until the 28th of February, 2006. Keep checking the conference website for more news and information.
International Conference on Technology Policy and Innovation: Science, Society and Sustainability
Santorini, Greece, 18-21 June, 2006
The choice of the ICTPI Greece 2006 theme, “Science, Society and Sustainability” was based on the outcomes of the recent national Technology Foresight (TF) exercise (Greece 2001-2021), emphasizing these three key factors and their interactions as critical for the emergence of a knowledge-based economy and society. Scholars interested in presenting at this conference should submit a paper for consideration before March 15, 2006.
Innovation, Competition and Growth: Shumpeterian Perspectives
Sophia-Antipolis, 22-24 June, 2006
Recent developments in economics have gone from the recognition of the importance of innovation (early studies of innovation, exogenous growth models) to the exploration of innovation mechanisms (more refined microeconomic and sectoral studies of innovation) to the incorporation into economic models of the results of the previous research (endogenous growth, evolutionary models). An important lesson to be drawn from all this research is that a purely macro-based analysis of growth is not enough. The ISS 2006 conference aims at favouring dialogue amongst open minded researchers sharing a common interest in innovation and in the work of Schumpeter. The following subjects provide examples of topics about which the dialogue could be especially fruitful. The growing importance of knowledge and of human capital, increasing returns and path dependence, the role of variety in economic growth, the role of time and importance of business history, the co-evolution of technology and institutions, the economics of agglomeration are just some examples of subjects that will be discussed at this years event.
Saskatoon, 8-10 August, 2006
The World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations Biennial Congress – WAITRO 2006 – is an opportunity for the research and technology community worldwide to come together to learn from each other and from invited experts. WAITRO participants include potential collaborators from research and technology organizations in other parts of the world to develop projects of common interest. Representatives of International Finance Institutions and International Development Agencies will be present to assist in formulating projects that address the needs of the developing world.
The Future of Science Technology and Innovation Policy
Sussex, 11-13 September, 2006
This conference, besides celebrating the 40th Anniversary of SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research), offers the opportunity to engage in a critical evaluation of the present and future research agenda of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) field. This conference seeks to explore empirical, theoretical and applied policy approaches that can enable us to conceptualize the contradictory nature of modern science and technology and innovation, and thus provide practical policy guidance. Such a conference is particularly timely because many of the existing conceptual frameworks are apparently undergoing a period of what Kuhn called ‘normal science’ where their assumptions are rarely questioned, and where they are institutionally and academically isolated from criticism. We aim to identify fruitful new ways forward in the field of STI policy by subjecting these established frameworks to structured debate and critical evaluation. The conference will be organized in the form of plenary sessions, parallel sessions and set debates. It will cover a series of broad themes. These include: Ownership, Accountability and Relevance of Science – for example, the deficiencies of peer review, the pros and cons of patenting in universities, the shifting boundary between public and private knowledge, and processes for allocating resources between disciplines. Technology, Security and Sustainability – for example, the dual relationship between technology and security, changing environment and energy policy, the balance between sustainability and growth, and the role of technology in sustainable development. Dynamics of Innovation Interfaces – for example, the management and dynamics of innovation across different levels (such as individuals, groups, firms, sectors, networks and systems), user-centred innovation processes vs. producer-centered innovation processes, and the connection between innovation and entrepreneurship.
Blue Sky II: What Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation Policies in the 21st Century?
Ottawa, 25-27 September, 2006
This forum will examine new areas for indicator development and set a broad agenda for future work on science, technology and innovation (STI) indicators. Emphasis will be placed on indicators of outcomes and impacts in order to support monitoring, benchmarking, foresight activity, and evaluation, applied to policies and programs, and their economic and social impacts. The Forum is expected to provide ideas and guidance for indicators work in both OECD and non OECD countries, as well as in their international organizations. The Forum will include plenary sessions featuring invited guest speakers who are leading authorities in their fields. Break-out sessions will discuss papers on specific themes selected through a call for papers.
New Generation Innovation: New Approaches and Policy Designs – Call for papers
Atlanta, 27-29 September, 2006
Particular areas of interest include: new developments in university-industry relationships, new strategies for technology-based local and regional economic development, technology transfer to and from the public sector, trajectories for emerging technologies. All session proposals, paper proposals and abstracts should be submitted electronically not later than Friday, May 12, 2006.
The 9th Annual Conference of the Competitiveness Institute (TCI): The Role of Cluster Governance and Companies’ Involvement in Clusters Initiatives
Lyon, France, 9-13 October, 2006
The goal of this conference is to share ideas, build alliances and explore the best modes of economic development. Additionally information is offered about specific clusters, introductory courses on cluster theory and presentations given by an array of world experts (academics, businesses and institutions).The main topics include competitiveness, innovation, cluster initiatives, industrial organization and corporate change. The theme of the 9th conference will be “Governance and business involvement in cluster initiatives”.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.