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
The European Cluster Alliance is an umbrella initiative that brings together a number of cluster initiatives supported under the PRO INNO Europe and Europe INNOVA initiatives with the objective to facilitate the emergence of world leading clusters in Europe. The members of the European Cluster Alliance are committed to develop an open platform for cooperation in the area of cluster policy and a number of joint actions will be identified and developed, such as exchanges of good practices, the organization of thematic workshops, and the development of new policy instruments.
US Department of Commerce Seeks Public Input on Innovation Measurement
The Department of Commerce is seeking public comment on issues related to the measurement of innovation. This request supports efforts
of the Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Economy Advisory Committee to seek advice from the public as it prepares recommendations for the Secretary of Commerce on new or improved measures of business innovation.
US Government Passes Key Legislation for Competitiveness
The Competitiveness Act S.761 and H.R. 362, 363, 364 are all recently passed bills that address the issues of innovation and competitiveness in the US. Highlights of S.761 (which passed 88-8) include: the establishment of the Innovation Acceleration Research Program, which devotes a percentage of every federal research agency’s R&D budget to “research projects that can yield results with far- […] ranging implications but are considered too novel or span too diverse a range of disciplines to fare well in the traditional peer review process”; the creation of a NASA Aeronautics Institution for Research; an increase in authorization levels for both NSF and NIST; among other programs. Bills 362 and 363 are aimed at strengthening research and improving and supporting math and science teachers. A third innovation related bill passed recently, Bill 364, the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) bill aims to reduce American dependence on oil through clean energy technologies by providing aggressive funding for out of the box research project
Editor's Pick
Andrew A Toole and Dirk Czarnitzki
Do academic scientists bring valuable human capital to the companies they found or join? If so, what are the particular skills that compose their human capital and how are these skills related to firm performance? This paper examines these questions using a particular group of academic entrepreneurs – biomedical research scientists who choose to commercialize their knowledge through the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research Program. The conceptual framework assumes the nature of an academic entrepreneurs’ prior research reflects the development of their human capital. The paper highlights differences in firm performance that correlate with differences in the scientists’ research orientations developed during their academic careers. We find that biomedical academic entrepreneurs with human capital oriented toward exploring scientific opportunities significantly improve their firms’ performance of research tasks such as “proof of concept” studies. Biomedical academic entrepreneurs with human capital oriented toward exploring commercial opportunities significantly improve their firms’ performance of invention oriented tasks such as patenting. Consistent with prior evidence, there also appears to be a form of diminishing returns to scientifically oriented human capital in a commercialization environment. Holding the commercial orientation of the scientists’ human capital constant, the paper concludes that increasing their human capital for identifying and exploring scientific opportunities significantly detracts from their firms’ patenting performance.
Innovation Policy
Presentations from the OCED Workshop on the International Mobility of Researchers
OECD
Across the OECD, there is growing demand for a better understanding of the scale, direction and drivers of the international mobility of scientific and technical talent. An increasing number of countries are implementing policy measures to attract foreign researchers and to facilitate their access to the labour market. However, competition for skilled researchers is increasing, and policy makers need to be concerned with measures both to attract researchers and to retain them. There has been an increase in return flows to some countries, especially to non-OECD member countries such as China and India as well as to OECD countries like Ireland who are actively courting expatriate researchers. In addition, some OECD countries have developed policy measures to promote the temporary outward flow of students and researchers to enhance international mobility and ‘brain circulation’. These presentations address many of these issues.
İ. Semih Akçomak and Bas ter Weel , MERIT
This research investigates the role of social capital and government intervention in explaining the differences of innovation output and economic growth for regions of the European Union from 1990- 2002. Using several measures of social capital and innovation, and the European Union’s Objective 1, 2 and 5b figures for EU regional support, the estimates suggest that EU funding is not significantly contributing to economic outcomes, while social capital is. Investigation of a possible complementary relationship between social capital and government support reveals that regions with higher levels of social capital are more likely to effectively gain from EU regional support program. This result implies that aside from the benefits associated with the direct effect of social capital on economic outcomes, social capital appears to be a critical prerequisite for the effective implementation of government programs. From a policy perspective, it appears to be important to stimulate education to foster human capital formation. When combined, human capital and social capital are likely to yield stronger effects for effective policies which increase economic outcomes.
Cities, Clusters & Regions
Securing Our Future Now: An Economic Blueprint for the Tucson Region
Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities
While the Tucson area is growing rapidly, surpassing one million residents last fall, regional economic development officials are concerned about personal income levels keeping pace with the growth. They argue that a highly-skilled and educated workforce within existing and emerging clusters is imperative to raise per capita personal income and to improve the region’s economic growth along with its burgeoning population. This Economic Blueprint that identifies five major focus areas and outlines an action plan utilizing a cluster development strategy for sustained growth and a competitive state economy. These areas include: High-skilled/high-wage jobs; Educational excellence; Urban renaissance; Livable communities; and, Collaborative governance and stewardship.
Statistics & Indicators
What is Science? Defining Science by the Numbers, 1920-2000
Benoit Godin
This paper examines the official definition of science, and its construction, over the period of 1920-2000. The definition of science as research owes much of its origin to statistics. Among all the scientific activities, research was the activity on which government started collecting data in the 1920s. Defining science as research was standardized in 1962 in a methodological manual known as the OECD Frascati manual. Several alternative definitions have been suggested since then, but all have failed to modify or extend the definition to be more inclusive of science’s diverse activities or dimensions.
Policy Digest
Improving Knowledge Transfer Between Research Institutions and Industry Across Europe
Commission on European Communities
In its broad-based innovation strategy for the EU, the importance of improving knowledge transfer between public research institutions and third parties, including industry and civil society organizations was identified by the Commission as one of the ten key areas for action. In this document, the Commission sets out how Member States and the Community can act together to overcome some of the existing obstacles.
The need for sharing knowledge between research institutions and industry has become increasingly evident in recent years. Historically, research institutions were perceived as a source of new ideas and industry offered a natural route to maximizing the use of these ideas. However, the past decade has seen a significant change in the roles of both parties. Many companies are developing open innovation approaches to R&D, combining in-house and external resources, and aiming to maximize economic value from their intellectual property, even when it is not directly linked to their core business. In particular, they have begun to treat public research as a strategic resource. In parallel, it has become clear that research institutions need to play a more active role in their relationship with industry in order to maximize the use of the research results. This new role requires specialist staff to identify and manage knowledge resources with business potential, i.e. how best to take a new idea to market, ensure appropriate resources (funding, support services, etc.) to make it happen, and to obtain adequate buy-in by all stakeholders.
Creating Conditions for Successful Knowledge Transfer:
The involvement of business in the governance of research institutions, as well as the use of technology transfer facilities can both improve collaboration and exploitation of research results, as well as uptake by business. However, success is not as easy as establishing a TTO. Effective knowledge transfer hinges on;
- highly skilled and competent staff;
- continuous professional development of these staff through increased mobility between private and public sectors;
- sufficient autonomy of research institutions to recruit experienced staff on a competitive basis;
- continuous internal interaction between staff to share knowledge of their external links;
- pooling patent and resources of research institutions (perhaps across specific regions or the EU)
Promoting an Entrepreneurial Mindset:
The need to publish and make results freely available is often viewed as being incompatible with industry’s need to keep information confidential and protected by intellectual property rights such as patents. However, experience shows that promoting innovation and
disseminating new knowledge can be compatible, provided that intellectual property issues are understood and managed professionally. Interaction on these points can be facilitated by tools such as the CREST decision tree, model contracts such as the UK’s Lambert agreements, or guidance such as the Danish document on Contacts, contracts and codices. This communication recommends that:
- Member States should support initiatives such as those mentioned above that promote more effective research collaborations;
- A “creative commons” approach should be considered, and the question of a common European ownership model of publicly funded research may be one that is appropriate to revisit;
- Wherever possible, staff should take part in exchanges between institutions and industry to enhance understanding of the importance of IP management;
Examples of Collaboration Between Member States and the Community:
- The European Institute of Technology (EIT): The EIT is a visionary and bold endeavor for the long term. It will focus on the development and integration of all aspects of the knowledge triangle – innovation, research and education – in areas that present challenges for Europe’s future. In particular, the EIT will promote research institutions – industry interactions and knowledge transfer. It will feature a balanced composition of both business and academic expertise in its governing body and will provide a reference model for experimenting with more business-oriented approaches to governance;
- EU Growth and Jobs Strategy: Most of the cooperation in this area takes place under CREST which acts as an interface to put into practice the open method of coordination, a policy cooperation tool based primarily on exchange of information and best practice. Previous sections refer to some of the results of this cooperation that take the form of expert advice, policy recommendations, guidance documents, peer review of national policies and awareness raising initiatives;
- There is also a large degree of coordination related to public financing arrangements under the RDI State Aid Framework
While the political and geographical context of the European Union is unquestionably unique, the community of states still struggles with some of the same issues faced internally in Canada in terms of innovation policies: a mish-mash of IP policies, a need to improve technology transfer, and increase the effectiveness of innovation policies. As such, this policy document can provide guidance as to the realm of coordinating strategies and successful models of collaboration that have evolved in the EU context.
Events
Hydrogen Fuel & Fuel Cells 2007: International Conference and Trade Show
Vancouver, 29 April – 2 May, 2007
Today’s energy challenges have no boundaries. Energy security, climate change, and clean air concerns challenge communities around the world. International research, business and policy collaborations are ensuring that technologies, such as hydrogen and fuel cells, will provide a sustainable future for generations. This conference and trade show will highlight these global activities and developments. Canada, and particularly Vancouver, boasts unrivalled hydrogen and fuel cell expertise. Don’t miss out on the chance to explore BC’s Hydrogen Highway, experience the latest in hydrogen and fuel cell innovations and visit the most advanced hydrogen and fuel cell research facility… the National Research Council’s cutting-edge Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation.
Toronto, 1 May, 2007
Connect with people and speakers and discover what is next in innovation in Ontario. The program includes a keynote address from Ray Kurzweil, one of the worlds most respected thinkers and entrepreneurs and Richard Florida, author of two widely influential books about the relationship between creativity and competitiveness. Sessions cover the issue of Technology Revolution, The Innovation Highway, Creating Value – Driving Success, Ideas to Income, Innovation and Technology Convergence, and the IP Debate.
Pacific Regional Science Conference Organization (PRSCO) 2007
Vancouver, 6-9 May, 2007
The central theme of the conference is “Creative City Regions: Examining Their Role in the Pacific Rim”. Cities have always been the crucible of culture and civilization, and the hubs of wealth creation, but today they face enormous challenges. Compounded by infrastructure, economic and social problems, dramatic changes are taking place. If cities are to flourish, there has to be a paradigm shift in the way they are managed, to draw fully on the talents and creativity of their own residents – businesses, city authorities and the citizens themselves. The host city, Vancouver, is a multicultural and diverse urban area with a high quality of life. It is poised to stage the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Join us at PRSCO 2007 when we shall examine the role of the `new economy’ and `cultural industries’ in Pacific Rim city regions. Paper submission deadline has been extended to February 28th, 2007.
Miami Beach, Florida, 13-17 May, 2007
IAMOT 2007 will provide an international technical forum for experts from industry and academia to exchange ideas and present results of ongoing research in the following tracks: Knowledge Management, Green Technologies, Social impact of technology development, MOT Education and Research / Corporate Universities, New Product/Service Development, National and Regional Systems of Innovation, Small and Medium Enterprises, Emerging Technologies, Technology Transfer, Marketing and Commercialization, Technology Foresight and Forecasting, Information and Communication Technology Management, The Integration of Technology and Business Strategies, R&D Management, Project and Program Management, Industrial and Manufacturing System Technologies / Supply Chain Management, New Forms of Organizations, Management of Technology in Developing Countries . Technological Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions, Theory of Technology, Technology Incubation, Management of Technology for the Service Economy, Innovation/technological development and productivity
Unionville, 15 May, 2007
Join this breakfast discussion to hear the latest innovations in healthcare IT from local firms (large and small ) and their perspectives on challenges and opportunities in this sector. Keynote speakers at this event include: Sal Causi, IBM Canada – “The Hospital of the Future”; Frederic Vezon, Aurora MSC – ” Managing Medical Images in the 21st Century”; John Bodolai, Nightengale Informatix; and Howard Rosen, Life:WIRE – “Health Management in the Palm of your Hand”. These speakers will be followed by discussion and networking sessions.
Singapore, 16-18 May, 2007
Organized for the first time in Asia, Triple Helix VI 2007 will provide a global forum for academic scholars from different disciplinary perspectives as well as policy makers, university administrators and private sector leaders from different countries to exchange and share new learning about the diverse emerging models of the entrepreneurial university, the changing dynamics of University- Industry-Government interactions around the world and the complex roles of the university in local, regional and national economic development.
Networks of Creativity in Science and Arts: Colloquium for Young Social Scientists
Padua, Italy, 22 May, 2007
The aim of this colloquium is to bring together research and researchers in different fields dealing with networks, communities, creativity and innovation. We therefore invite young scholars, including Phd students, in economics, economic geography, business and management, social science, and related subjects to submit proposals for a cross disciplinary colloquium/workshop to be held in Padua, the 22nd of May 2007. The colloquium is connected to the conference “Networks of creativity in science and arts”, which takes place the day before. CALL FOR PAPERS.
Today’s Research: Tomorrow’s Prosperity – Commercializing University Research 
Toronto, 24 May, 2007
This is an exciting opportunity to interact with international leaders from business government and academia. Keynote speakers include Ross C DeVol, from the Milken Institute; David Naylor, President of the University of Toronto; and Ted Sargent, Canada Research Chair in Nanotechnology. The theme of the morning panel is “Getting the Job Done: International Experiences in Technology Commercialization” and has speakers from Ireland, Sweden, Austria and Chicago. The afternoon panel is entitled “What Business Wants: The Business View of Technology Commercialization”.
Toronto, 28 May – 1 June, 2007
Toronto’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry cluster will come together to celebrate being the largest high-tech hub in Canada and the third largest in North America. During this event a series of activities will be undertaken to showcase the depth and breadth of Toronto’s high technology sector. These will include trade associations’ events such as seminars and business networking functions, job fairs, collaboration demonstrations, an ICT business open door program, school projects, educational seminars, special exhibits showcasing innovation & excellence and other ICT sector- related activities. An organizing committee formed by ICT industry stakeholders representing a cross-section of this industry, in both the private and public sectors, has been formed to implement this initiative
Photonics North 2007 – Closing the Gap Between Theory, Development and Application
Ottawa, 4-7 June, 2007
Conference topics include, but are not limited to: biophotonics, fiber lasers and amps, guided wave devices, industrial applications, new optical materials and nanophotonics, optical sensors and detectors, optics and photonics in defence and security, photonics design and simulations, photonics devices and networks, and ultrashort pulse lasers.
Innovation, ICT and Creativity: Knowledge-Based Regions for a Competitive Europe
Bilbao, Spain, 13-15 June, 2007
The IANIS+ 2007 Conference in Bilbao will address the importance of transformative uses of ICT to achieve competitiveness, the ways in which regions can contribute to the Lisbon Agenda and their own development, the challenges that regions will face, and the new priorities they will need to adopt so as to become creative regions better adapted to today’s global competitive environment.
Toronto, 14-16 June, 2007
This interdisciplinary conference, the second presented by the Design Exchange, Canada’s National Design Centre, seeks to explore
the varied and future states of cities. Papers are invited that address such related and relevant topics as green space in cities,
infrastructure, technology, environmentalism, and sustainability, Brownfield rehabilitation, ex urban growth, public transportation, universal design, street furnishings, climate change and disaster preparedness. Several themes of interest : mass media, technology, infrastructure and policy and social responsibility.
Regional Innovation in Traditional Industries
Volterra, Italy, 23 June, 2007
This workshop is part of the Structural Activity Line 3 of the DIME Network of Excellence and focuses particularly on the impact of diversification within various sectors ranging from previously highly industrialized regions to agri-food regions. The workshop will assess the way in which global competition from emerging markets is challenging traditional industries, what their responses are and how innovative and how successful such responses may be. Taking a regional innovation systems approach, the workshop will explore how network interactions can reshape a region, the effects the transformation has on the regions, and the challenges to economic growth accompanying the changes.
3rd International Conference on E-Government
Montreal, 27 – 28 September, 2007
Alongside the rise in e-Government provision comes a greater interest in the study of e-Government, from both a practical and a theoretical point of view. As controversy rages around issues such as e-Voting and identity cards, so academics and practitioners pick up the gauntlet of supporting or attacking these issues. Service providers too have their opinions to share. Much time and money is being spent in considering the best way forward and in examining what has been done well and what lessons can be learnt when things go wrong. This conference aims to bring evidence of the research being undertaken across the globe to the attention of co-workers and the wider community for the purposes of helping practitioners find ways to put research into practice, and for researchers to gain an understanding of additional real-world problems. The advisory group for ICEG 2007 therefore invites submissions of papers on both theory and practice in respect of the conference themes outlined below, from academics, government departments and practitioners in the public and private sector. The closing date for paper submissions has been extended to 11 May, 2007.
Atlanta Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2007
Atlanta, October 19-20, 2007
The landscape of global innovation is shifting, with new problems and actors emerging on the scene. National governments are looking for new strategies, and they are turning to the science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy research community for models and research results to tell them what works and what doesn’t, under what circumstances. The Atlanta Conference provides an opportunity for the global STI policy research and user communities to test models of innovation, explore emerging STI policy issues, and share research results.
Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Organizations of the Future
Cambridge, 7-8 December, 2007
Creativity is an essential element of success in contemporary organizations, yet much remains to be discovered about how creativity happens in the minds of individuals, in group processes and in entrepreneurial organizations. The conference will draw on scholarly work from multiple disciplines to deepen our understanding of creativity and entrepreneurship, and the ways in which their intersection might impact organizations of the future.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.