Volume Two
Issue #23 (August 15, 2001)
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
Total spending on corporate R&D in Canada tops $11.1 billion
A rising tide of revenues, profits and stock prices floated the R&D performance of Canada’s Top 100 R&D companies to new heights in Fiscal 2000. Leading the way, according to Re$earch Infosource’s top 100 list, was Nortel Networks, followed by Pratt & Whitney, Magna International, Ericsson Canada and ATI Technologies.
Municipalities see deficits as revenues edged down
Statistics Canada has recently documented the extraordinary decline of local government finances in Canada. In its report published on June 13, StatsCan notes that for the fourth consecutive year federal, provincial and territorial governments have very significant surpluses, much larger than last year, while local governments collectively posted a deficit of $443 million in 2000 far below their surplus of $2.5 billion of the previous year. For Ontario’s municipalities, who are required by law to have a balanced budget, deficits are particularly problematic. [Local Self-Government Bulletin].
Government of Canada launches programs to build aerospace and defence SMEs
The federal government has launched two initiatives under the Technology Partnerships program (TPC) aimed at helping small and medium-sized Canadian aerospace and defence firms better meet the challenges of the global economy. The $30 million TPC Aerospace and Defence (A&D) Supplier Development Initiative is aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the aerospace and defence sector develop and incorporate world-class business and manufacturing practices and technologies. The second initiative, the Canadian Aerospace Collaborative Technology Development Program, is designed to encourage early stage research and development collaboration, and has a budget of $9 million over three years.
Editor’s Pick
The Effects of the Bayh-Dole Act on U.S. University Research and Technology Transfer
D. Mowery, R. Nelson, B. Sampat, and A. Ziedonis
This paper challenges some of the commonly held beliefs about the impact of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which made it easier for universities to retain title to inventions resulting from government-funded research. While Bayh-Dole is commonly credited with the explosion of university patent activity over the past two decades, the researchers found evidence that suggests other factors may have led to increased patenting and licensing activity and that Bayh-Dole may have added fuel to trends already underway and heightened university marketing efforts. The study concludes with concerns that Bayh-Dole may have resulted in universities patenting or protecting information that historically would have entered the public domain and encouraged more scientific exploration and advances in knowledge.
How Do University Inventions Get Into Practice?
J. Colyvas et al.
Led by a ‘strong conjecture’ that both the role of patents and the role of the university technology transfer offices varies significantly from case to case, this group of researchers seek to better understand the nature of the projects that led to inventions, the motivations for the research, and the processes and mechanisms involved in connecting with industry for technology transfer. The analysis is based on eleven cases of inventions from Columbia and Stanford University.
Innovation Policy
Innovation and the Environment
From a recent OECD workshop comes this report on how to better understand the interaction between innovation and the environment. Among the issues addressed are how innovation and technology can better contribute to environmental sustainability, the factors that drive firms to innovate for the environment and how environmental and innovation policies can be better designed to stimulate innovation for the environment.
Trends in US Federal Support of Research and Graduate Education
National Research Council
This latest report finds that the president’s proposed science and technology budget reflects a net reduction compared to last year in spending on work that is not health related, and a sizable increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health. The budget increase for NIH would contribute to the goals of improving the nation’s health and advancing life-sciences research, but, according to the report, these goals also would be well-served by greater federal investment in other areas. The report adds that adequate funding across all areas of science and technology is necessary for the U.S. to reach its goals in defense, energy production and conservation, environmental protection, and economic growth.
Methods for Using Patents in Cross-Country Comparisons
E. Archambault, Observatoire des sciences et des technologies
This paper proposes methodological procedures for facilitating the comparison of patent statistics. It suggests compiling data only for patents that have been granted rather than for the totality of patents that have been applied for and it recommends distinguishing clearly between independent and institutional inventors. It also recommends that inventors and patent holders be considered in such a way that would allow for the production of statistics on technological collaboration. Finally, it suggests compiling statistics on inventions as much as on intellectual property.
E-Commerce
Canadian Online Buying Activity
This website, published by the Retail Council of Canada and Industry Canada, is a source for up-to-date information on Canadian on-line buying habits, e-retailers, technology trends and other business information. The site has been designed to give retailers a competitive edge to run their operations more effectively and profitably.
Events
Copenhagen, 7-8 September 2001
This workshop, organized by the “Learning, Incentives, and Knowledge” (LINK) program at the Copenhagen Business School, will focus on understanding the governance of knowledge-creation, sharing and exploitation. The organizers currently seek papers in one of three areas: the governance of knowledge creation, the governance of knowledge sharing, and the possible trade-offs between governance of knowledge creation and knowledge exploitation.
The Future of Innovation Studies
Eindhoven , September 20-23, 2001
The Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS) at Eindhoven University has organized a conference on ‘The Future of Innovation Studies’ which will host a number of plenary sessions featuring some of the key contributors to the field of innovation studies. Invited speakers include Giovanni Dosi, Ranjay Gulati and Bengt-Åke Lundvall. The conference will include topics in all areas of the social sciences perspective on the innovation process. Special emphasis will be placed on contributions in the area of the economics of technological change, innovation management, and sociology of innovation processes.
CITO’s Knowledge Network Conference
Ottawa, October 10-11, 2001
This year’s Knowledge Network Conference brings together academic and industrial researchers, technology leaders and CITO’s top electrical engineering and computer science graduates to share research and technology ideas and develop future research strategies in the fields of communications, IT and digital media. The two-day conference explores the issues affecting long-term planning for communications, information technology and digital media technologies – and provides a forum to chart the course for the development of future research strategies.
Innovations for an e-Society- Challenges for Technology Assessment
Berlin, October 17-20, 2001
This conference, organized by the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at the Research Centre Karlsruhe, is concerned with all aspects of society making better and increased use of information and communication technologies, with special emphasis on the roles of knowledge and information. There will be sessions on the following topics: e-Commerce, New Media and Culture, Electronic Governance, e-Health Services and New Approaches of Technology Assessment and Forecasting.
Toronto, November 5-8, 2001
The 2001 IBM Centre for Advanced Studies Conference invites researchers and developers from IBM, universities, government agencies, and their industry partners to present their latest technological undertakings. One of the key components of CASCON is the technology showcase where CASCON provides an interactive forum for researchers and developers to meet and interact in a friendly atmosphere. The deadline for registering posters and demos for CASCON 2001 is Monday, October 1, 2001.
5th Annual ‘European Network on Industrial Policy’ (EUNIP) Conference
Vienna, November 29th – December 1st, 2001
This EUNIP Conference will focus on the cutting edge topics in industrial and structural policy, including policies promoting growth, competitiveness and employment. Topics include industrial economics and policy, innovation policy and theory and, regulatory issues in network industries. A special session will focus on industrial policy in a knowledge-based economy.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.