Current Issue
Archive:
Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six
Volume Seven
Introduction
Welcome to Ontario's Regional Economic Development and Innovation Newsletter. The newsletter is published by ONRIS and jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology. The purpose of this newsletter is to share news and information on research initiatives, publications, and events related to regional economic development and innovation in Ontario. It is intended to create a digital forum for information sharing and dissemination across the research community, the private sector and government.
We encourage you to participate in the Newsletter - please forward items that you would like to share with newsletter recipients, as well as other items of interest, to: onris.progris@utoronto.ca. In addition, please forward this newsletter to anyone you think will find it of value. We look forward to collaborating with you on this initiative.This newsletter is also available on the web at: http://www.utoronto.ca/onris. Please contact onris.progris@utoronto.ca to be added to or removed from the distribution list.
The views and ideas expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ontario Government.
This Newsletter is prepared by Matthew Lucas.
Announcements / News
Strengthening the American States in a New Global Economy
At its winter meeting in Washington, D.C., the National Governors' Association (NGA) announced a new initiative to explore America's changing economic landscape and how states can meet the challenges of governing in the twenty-first century. NGA's new report, State Strategies for the New Economy, was unveiled at the opening press conference.
http://www.nga.org/NewEconomy/Links.asp
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act - Bill C-6
Parliament passed the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act on April 4. The data-protection component of the act, Part 1, provides individuals with new legal rights when their personal information is collected, used or disclosed in the course of a commercial activity. Part 2 of the Act is also of considerable importance to the roll-out of electronic commerce as it facilitates the use of electronic documents, digital signatures, etc. http://ecom.ic.gc.ca/english/privacy/632d1.html#privup?he=y
Internet Retailing News, Statistics and Research
Industry Canada has compiled a series of hypertext links for up-to-date information on the Internet, online retailing, electronic commerce and related topics. Sources include: Internet research companies, government research bodies, academic institutions, Internet-related companies, and electronic publications. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/ir01690e.html?he=y
Research Initiatives / Publications
State Strategies for the New Economy
This report released by the National Governors' Association explores the challenges that state governments in the US face as the new economy brings change and new prospects for individuals and firms. The report suggests that state governments need to transform themselves to provide a supportive environment for businesses and citizens to prosper. To succeed in this environment, state governments must: 1) re-engineer themselves to become more adaptable, customer-oriented, and performance-driven; 2) invest in their human and physical capital to attract new economy workers and businesses; and 3) reshape the economic environment to facilitate business expansion and eliminate market distortions caused by outmoded taxes and regulations.
http://www.nga.org/Pubs/IssueBriefs/2000/Strategies.asp
Competing in the Age of Talent: Quality of Place and the New Economy
A new report by Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon University, undertaken for the National Governor's Association, summarizes the findings of a study of the role of talent in the new economy. The study looked specifically at how quality-of-place - amenities, lifestyle, and environmental quality - affect the ability of regions to attract talent and to generate and sustain high technology industry. It examined the performance of various regions across the US along these dimensions, explored what leading regions are doing to be successful and conducted focus groups with young knowledge workers in technology-based fields to better understand how they choose places to live and work.
http://www.nga.org/NewEconomy/rflorida.pdf
America's High-Tech Economy: Growth Development, and Risks for Metropolitan
Areas
This study's by the Milken Institute in the US examines technology's importance in determining the relative economic performance of metropolitan areas and what lessons can be applied to the future. It examines the sensitivity of high-tech industries to future business cycles and the likely impact on metropolitan economies. It offers some implications and suggestions for economic development officials and business firms.
http://www.milken-inst.org/poe.cfm?point=pub03
Universities as Research Partners
This study was prepared by Bronwyn H. Hall, Albert N. Link et John T. Scott for the National Bureau of Economic Research. It examines a sample survey of pre-commercial research projects funded by the U.S. government's Advanced Technology Program. http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7643
The Influence of Federal Laboratory R&D on Industrial Research
Prepared by James D. Adams, Eric P. Chiang et Jeffrey L. Jensen for the National Bureau of Economic Research this study examines the influence of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) on a sample of industrial laboratories in the U.S.
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7612
Monthly Economic Indicators, March 2000
March's special report from Industry Canada is entitled "Innovative Activity in Canada by Technological Field".
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_ecnmy/mera/engdoc/03.html?he=y
Profile of the Multimedia Industry
This report was prepared by ACNielsen DJC Research for the Interactive Multimedia Arts and Technologies Association (IMAT) in collaboration with Industry Canada. It reports on extensive survey data collected in 1999.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/it05386e.html?he=y
Building Excellence in Science and Technology (BEST): The Federal Roles
in Performing Science and Technology
This report was prepared by
the Council of Science and Technology Advisors (CSTA) to provide advice
to the government on the roles of the government in performing science
and technology (S&T) and its capacity to deliver on those roles. http://csta-cest.gc.ca/csta/website/publications_e.html
Global Online Retailing: An Ernst & Young Special Report
This survey examines retail habits in six countries: Canada, U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy and France. It looks at purchase frequency, volume, types of products, shipping behavior, site frequence, types of sites, factors deterring purchase, holiday shopping, future Internet shopping plans and non-buyer attitudes. The survey reports that one million Canadians made purchases online in '99.
http://www.ey.com/GLOBAL/gcr.nsf/Canada/NewsRoom_ReportsandSurveys
The State of Online Retailing 3.0
This report is the third in
a series of Industry Benchmarking Studies by the Boston Consulting Group.
It predicts that online retailing revenues in North America will top $61
billion in 2000.
http://www.bcg.com/new_ideas/new_ideas_subpage1.asp
E-Business Re-Shapes Administrative Profession
This study was prepared by
the Office Workers Career Centre to evaluate the impact of e-commerce
on administrative and clerical workers. Its examination of twenty companies
in the Toronto area showed that the use of the Internet for business purposes
is contributing to an unprecedented transformation of office work. A complete
copy of the research study can be downloaded at http://www.officeworkers.org
Canadian Environmental Service
This is a Consultation Paper in preparation for the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Negotiations. It represents the first step in a process aimed at determining the negotiating position of the Canadian Environmental Services sector. In the current WTO schedules, the environmental services sector is defined to include: sewage services, refuse disposal services, sanitation and similar services, and other environmental services (i.e. cleaning of exhaust gases, noise abatement services, nature and landscape protection services and other environmental protection services not included elsewhere). http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/sk00074e.html?he=y
World Competitiveness Yearbook 2000
Published by the International
Institution for Management Development, this report contains over 500-pages
of reference material on 47 economies. For ordering information see: http://www.imd.ch/wcy
Events
Towards a Digital Media Institute
The University of Toronto's Knowledge Media Design Institute, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Sheridan College, and the Canadian Film Centre are presenting a 10-week lecture series: Towards a Digital Media Institute. The first session was held on April 13th and attracted over 100 participants! Future sessions will be held on Thursdays from 3:00-5:00 pm. For more information, please go to:
http://www.rcc.ryerson.ca/dmi/
Trade Mission to Washington, DC
The World Trade Centre Montreal
(WTC Montreal) and Team Canada Inc., through the International Trade Centre
of Industry Canada have issued invitations to take part in a trade mission
to the World Bank (WB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to
be held in Washington, DC from May 3 to 5, 2000. The mission will be chaired
by Mr. Andre Gladu, Deputy Minister, Canada Economic Development, and
will focus on the Telecommunications, Telehealth, Information Technologies
and Software sectors. For more information, e-mail aperron@wtcmontreal.com or visit http://www.wtcmontreal.com/
Canadian IT Financing Forum
On Wednesday May 3, 2000 the Ontario chapter of the Information Technology Association for Canada (ITAC) will be hosting a talk by Scott Campbell, Corporate CIO of the Ontario Government. The talk will take place in Toronto at the Holiday Inn at Eglinton Avenue and Leslie Street. The cost of the event is $40 for ITAC members and $75 for non-members. For event information please see:
http://www.itacontario.com/itac98/events/itac2000/may3.htm
To register online: http://www.itacontario.com/itac98/forms/event-reg.htm
Creating Canada's Advantage in an Information Age
This conference, taking place from May 4 to May 6, 2000, is sponsored by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) and the Canadian Employment Research Forum (CERF) in partnership with Industry Canada and Statistics Canada. It examines the facts on employment out-comes, the brain drain, and the new Internet recruiting. It probes the pub-lic policy choices we are facing in the areas of education, taxation and infrastructure for the exchange of employment information. A copy of the program and registration form may be obtained at:
http://www.irpp.org/events/archive/0500info.pdf
http://www.irpp.org/events/archive/0500form.pdf
Future of Technology Conference
The Future of Technology Conference will be held on May 5 in Toronto with speakers John Roth, President and CEO, Nortel Networks; Prof. Ian Angell, The London School of Economics; John Wetmore, President and CEO of IBM Canada; and, Dan Thompson, Partner, Co-Leader of E-Business Initiative, Deloitte Consulting. Registration is $695 and includes continental breakfast, lunch and conference materials. To register contact Speakers Forum at (416) 921-4240.
Information Technology Week
Canada's Information Technology
Week will take place from May 5 to May 14. The week is an initiative of
CanConnect, a national partnership that helps Canadian youth and communities
acquire and develop skills. For more information contact Linda Oliver
at (613) 238-4822 or mailto:loliver@itac.ca
Canadian_Healthcare_System.Com:
Can B2B E-Commerce Heal the Canadian Healthcare System?
This series of talks will take
place at the University of Toronto on the morning of May 10, 2000. The
session is organized by CITO (Communications and Information Technology
Ontario) and the Teleheath Association of Ontario (TAO) and is sponsored
by e-HM Electronic Health Market Inc. For more information see:
http://www.cito.ca/events/events/aismay102000.shtml
Innovation Systems Research
Network Conference
The Innovation Systems Research
Network's second annual meeting will take place from May 11-12, 2000 in
Montreal. The preliminary program for the conference is posted on the
ISRN website:
http://www.utoronto.ca/isrn/frameset.htm
For more information or to
receive a copy of the program please contact Lisa Mills at: lisa.mills@utoronto.ca
Brain Gain 2000: Meeting
Ontario's Innovation Challenge
Taking place on June 1, 2000 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this one day symposium will bring together some of Ontario's leading thinkers from the worlds of science, business, media and government to discuss the keys to competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy. The symposium is sponsored by the Ontario Challenge Fund. For more information see:
http://www.ontariochallengefund.com/english/braingain_flyer.pdf
ED-MEDIA 2000: World
Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Educational Telecommunications
The annual conference of the
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) will
take place in Montreal from June 26 to July 1, 2000. The conference is
hosted by the Computer Research Institute of Montréal (CRIM) Concordia
University, McGill University, LICEF Research Center (Tele-université),
University of Montréal, and Université du Québec
à Chicoutimi. For a sampling of session by topic, see
http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/sampling.htm
The early registration date is May 16. For the Advance Program or to Register, see
http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/advprog.htm.
