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
Canada’s New Agenda: Human Security and Cities
Since the development of the “Freedom from Fear” agenda in 1999, Foreign Affairs Canada has devoted significant resources to the support of human security related initiatives through the Human Security Program. With the world now over 50% urban, and cities growing in significance on the global stage, our latest focus has been the effects of cities on human security. With this in mind, the Canadian Consortium on Human Security (CCHS) and Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) are launching a set of activities and resources designed to encourage interest in and dialogue on this issue – most can be found on their new Human Security in Cities website.
Editor's Pick
Presentations from the Conference on Canada’s Competitiveness and Prosperity
Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity
This conference was a unique and timely opportunity to hear and discuss the key competitiveness and prosperity challenges facing Canada’s incoming federal government. It featured 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 released the findings of this key annual report on Canada’s current and future levels of competitiveness and prosperity. There were several speakers representing a wide variety of stakeholders and perspectives including David Johnston (president of the University of Waterloo), Don Drummond (TD Financial); and Deborah Roseveare (OECD), among others. Several presentations are available online.
Innovation Policy
Beiling Yan, Statistics Canada
This study examines the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) and of foreign outsourcing on the demand for skilled workers. One of the defining features of the Canadian economy in the last two decades has been an increasing wage gap between more- and less-skilled workers. Over the same period, there have been dramatic increases in expenditures on information and communication technologies and in purchases of foreign intermediate inputs. Using data for 84 Canadian manufacturing industries over the 1981-1996 period, this paper finds that both ICT and foreign outsourcing are important contributors to the demand for skills.
The Better Worlds Report and Reports from the Field
AUTM
While it is safe to say that new medicines, electronics, educational tools and other inventions have improved the lives of countless people, a new project by the AUTM describes more than 100 such breakthroughs that probably would not exist if not for the practice of technology transfer. The Better World Project allows readers to learn the stories behind the Google™ search engine, Honeycrisp apple, V-chip, cochlear implant, Habitrol® nicotine patch and other products used in health care, environmental protection, agriculture, safety and 16 other fields. A key element of the project is The Better World Report, a book containing 25 technology transfer cases contributed by AUTM members in the U.S. and Canada. Another important component, a Reports From the Field publication, includes 100 short stories about products used in areas such as biotechnology and veterinary science. The stories, contributed by academic institutions in the U.S. and Canada, show the breadth of academic research in North America.
The Future Success of Small and Medium Manufacturers: Challenges and Policy Issues
Manufacturing Institute
Small and medium-sized manufacturing firms do face competitive challenges, but many of them are thriving and effectively competing in key markets. This report takes a look at the prospects for these manufacturers. While the individual firms are small, their economic impact is big. Small (less than 500 employees) and medium (less than 2500 workers) manufacturers employ eight million people (60% of all manufacturing employment) and account for 40% of the total value of US production. The report includes a list of policy recommendations as well as fifteen “best practices” that characterize world-class manufacturers. This list includes a wide range of ideas such as including a majority of outsiders on the board of directors, aggressive development of export markets, and investing at least three percent of payroll in employee training programs.
The Internationalization of Innovation Systems: A Survey of the Literature
Bo Carlsson
While there is a large literature on the internationalization of economic activity (including R&D) at the corporate level, there are not many studies of the degree of internationalization of innovation systems. The few studies that exist show that national innovation systems are becoming internationalized, even if the institutions that support them remain country-specific. To the extent that the far more numerous studies of internationalization of corporate R&D discuss innovation systems at all, they point to the continued importance of national institutions to support innovative activity, even though that activity is itself becoming increasingly internationalized.
Cities, Clusters & Regions
Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions: An Agenda for Rebuilding America’s Older Core Cities
PolicyLink
Many of America’s urban cities are struggling. These older core cities (rust belt, weak market, slow growth, or undercapitalized cities) are struggling as a result of a changing economy, the movement of people and resources out of urban centers to other parts of the region or country, and far fewer supports from the federal government. This report demonstrates that, despite significant challenges, older core cities can become economically competitive places where all residents can participate and prosper. It looks closely at five cities: Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, and examines how innovative economic development, land use, transportation, neighborhood revitalization, and housing policies are bringing about significant economic and social revitalization.
Simona Iammarino and Philip McCann, SPRU
This paper examines the relationship between location patterns, innovation processes and industrial clusters. To do this the authors extend a transaction cost based classification of industrial clusters into a knowledge-based taxonomy of clusters along the lines suggested by a critical revision of the main assumptions underlying most of the existing literature on spatially defined clusters. These arguments show that the transaction costs approach and the innovation and technological change framework are broadly consistent, and that real insights into the microfoundations, nature, and evolution of clusters can be provided by these classification systems.
New York State Regional Technology Development Centers Program Summary 2004-2005
RTDC
The New York Regional Technology Development Centers (RTDC) Program serves New York’s small and medium-sized manufacturers and early stage technology companies through 10 regional centers. This program summary provides background information, outlines program goals, and reveals statistics over 2003-04 and 2004-05. The RTDC program leverages funds from the Federal MEP program and New York
State programs with support from local governments and businesses to provide a continuum of services for New York’s startup companies (early stage technology companies) and small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Innovative Regions in Europe: Regional Profiles and Growth Poles
IRE
This report is a concise summary of the presentations, discussions and main conclusions of the first MLP workshop on regional profiles and growth poles. The workshop was attended by some 50 practitioners and officials representing regional authorities, specialized regional agencies, experts as well as representatives of the European Commission. The report is divided in three parts. The first part presents introductory remark on the workshop and its objectives. The second part covers main points from the presentations. The third highlights main conclusions of the day. The appendixes contain a background material on regional growth poles prepared for the workshop, a digest of the results of the feedback questionnaires and the list of registered participants.
Statistics & Indicators
Twin Cities’ New Opportunity Forecast
Great North Alliance
This document provides a discussion of Twin Cities’ social and economic competitiveness, summary of the latest studies and surveys, comprehensive regional data base of 120 competitiveness indicators on 12 high performing regions, and full source documentation for data, studies, and analysis. The forecast informs regional decision-making processes with sound information and an appreciation of the Twin Cities’ global standing. By examining historic strengths and current trends, it offers information for shaping the destiny of the region and addressing issues critical to future opportunity.
Events
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.
Digital Regions – Public Private Strategies for IT Cluster Development Technopolicy Seminar 
Austin, Texas, 1-2 May, 2006
Many regions focus on information technology as a key sector in their economic development strategies. This seminar will present informative case examples, from Asia, Europe and the Americas, of successful and challenged public-private strategies for cluster development in the Global Knowledge Economy. Special attention will be paid to the impressive growth model of the Austin IT-Cluster and Austin’s strategies for sustaining this in the future. Other topics that will be covered include the globalised economy and its meaning for IT-Clusters and the question of how to integrate an IT-Cluster with other economic sectors.
EURADA – Second World Forum on Regional Economic Development
Madeira, Portugal, 15-17 May, 2006
In a global economy based on knowledge, regions can develop competitive advantages by relying on talent, entrepreneurship and innovation. Both in Europe and elsewhere in the world, regions implement strategies and measures aiming at : creating and attracting talent; supporting the creation and development of new enterprises: facilitating their access to support services and sources of finance; promoting the emergence of knowledge-based regions through the exploitation of research results and the setting up of key actors networks. The Second World Forum on Regional Economic Development is a unique opportunity for you to exchange ideas and best practice with experts and practitioners in local and regional development from countries and regions all over the world. Conference attendees also have the opportunity to register for the DIME training day on “Policy Platforms: The New Approach to Regional Innovation Strategies” announced seperately below.
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.
DIME Training Day: Regional Innovation Strategies: Constructing Advantage through Platform Policies
Madeira, Portugal, 17 May, 2006
It has become clear that there are three overwhelming areas of demand for training on the part of policy-makers with economic, innovation and regional development responsibilities . In broad terms, these are the following, in descending order of urgency: Regional Innovation Systems and Local Industry Clusters, Knowledge Economies, and Globalisation of Science, Technology & R&D. Put in simple language, policy makers are interested in understanding and becoming Technological Top Regions (TTRs) or ‘Hot Spots’ Accordingly, and in line also with EU DG Research’s recent commissioning of DIME and PRIME (a separate FP 6 NoE) advice on the construction of regional advantage (CRA) the program aims to assist policy makers to evolve policy mechanisms to facilitate the achievement of these regional aspirations.
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.
International Conference on Transnational Technology Transfer
Darmstadt, Germany, 30-31 May, 2006
Innovation and technological change are the main drivers of economic growth and the key to competitiveness both on national and international level. Successful innovation depends considerably on the ability to efficiently exploit and commercialize knowledge. This is achieved today with growing transnational transfer and exchange of knowledge and technologies. However, there is still a lot that needs to be learned. This conference focuses on successful models of international knowledge transfer and networked innovation activities.
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”.
Subscriptions & Comments
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think will find it of value. We look forward to collaborating with you on this initiative. If you would like to comment on, or contribute to, the content, subscribe or unsubscribe, please contact us at ipl.munkschool@utoronto.ca.
This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.