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Issue #18 May 15, 2001
Studies
& Publications: Announcements | Editor's Pick | Innovation
Policy | Clusters and Local Dev.
Events
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Regional Reporter!
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This newsletter is published by ONRIS at the Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto, and jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology. The views and ideas expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ontario Government.
Next issue: June 1, 2001
ANNOUNCEMENTS [Table of Contents]
New
venture capital fund focuses on Waterloo market
Silicon Valley North
In another sign that Waterloo
is approaching critical technology mass, the region is welcoming a $23
million venture capital fund. Waterloo Tech Capital has two fund
managers with an empty portfolio looking for early stage tech companies
between London and Guelph to invest in.
EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents]
INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents]
U.S.
Competitiveness 2001: Strengths, Vulnerabilities and Long-Term Priorities
M. Porter, & D. Opstal,
Council on Competitiveness
This report revisits U.S.
economic performance from 1985-2000: what drove U.S. prosperity, where
economic performance fell short and why U.S. leadership will be challenged.
The recommendations call for further investment in science and technology,
workforce skills and a strengthening in regional innovation clusters.
The
Intensification of Innovation
M. Dodgson , D.Gann
& A Salter, SPRU
Using insights from contemporary
innovation and management research, this paper examines the benefits and
limitations of digital technologies used for the automation of innovation
in dealing with innovation challenges such as reducing costs and increasing
speed, predictability and strategic organizational integration. It presents
a conceptual framework for assessing the intensification of innovation
and outlines some strategic managerial precepts that will facilitate effective
use of these technologies. The paper concludes with speculations about
future developments in the intensification of innovation and its impact
for strategic management, together with questions for further research.
Organizational
Design of R&D Activities
Ambe & Poitevin,
Centre de recherche et développement en économique
This paper addresses the
question of whether R&D should be carried out by an independent research
unit or be produced in-house by the firm marketing the innovation. The
authors compare an 'integrated structure', where firms that market the
innovation also carry out and finance research leading to the innovation,
with an 'independent structure' where firms that market the innovation
buy it from an independent research unit. The paper concludes that
the integrated structure dominates when development costs are negatively
correlated with revenues from the innovation while the independent structure
dominates in the opposite case.
Social
Capital and Knowledge Development in Small Firms
P. Parker, Lund University
From comparative case studies
of nine small firms, this paper argues that knowledge development in firms
correlates with specific types of social network structures or social capital.
The author notes that although the specific network configurations that
constitute social capital is likely to vary with the industry, the mechanisms
identified in this study correspond well with those described in research
on social capital generally.
CLUSTERS AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT [Table of Contents]
Building
an Innovative Economy in Europe Part
1 | Part
2 | Part
3 | Part
4
Commissioned by the European
Commission
This four-part brochure
summarizes 12 reports, nine of which examine the trends and impacts of
European innovation policy shedding light on specific aspects of interest
to policy-makers. The other three assess specific actions addressing
the financing of innovation, the promotion of innovation management techniques
among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the development of
regional innovation strategies. regional innovation strategies.
These reports serve to improve understanding of the dynamics of European
innovation including its mechanisms, strengths and bottle-necks.
EVENTS [Table of Contents]
Intellectual
Property and Innovation in the Knowledge-Based Economy
Toronto, May 23-24, 2001
This conference, organized
by Industry Canada and the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy conference,
will explore how the IP regime can stimulate the creation and commercialization
of new knowledge and how it can best contribute to Canada's innovation
economy. It will also examine emerging IP issues such as the patenting
of biotechnology, software and business methods, and the protection of
databases. Lastly, it is hoped that the conference will stimulate more
interest in IP related research.
Strategic
Alliances 2001 Conference: Strategy and Partnering Tools
Ottawa, May 30-31, 2001
This conference will give
business leaders the unique opportunity to hear how to form alliances that
stimulate growth, and find out the value of having a clear view of what
kinds of alliances should be pursued to leverage specific strengths, execute
growth strategies or fill capability gaps. Also, case studies will
be discussed that explore the pitfalls and benefits of alliances
European
Union - Canada Science & Technology Cooperation
Toronto, June 5, 2001
The European Commission,
in association with federal and provincial R&D funding agencies, is
convening a series of seminars to inform Canadians about the procedures
for partnering with consortia involved in the European Union's (EU) five-year
Framework Programs on Research and Development. Technical experts and program
officers from the European Commission will present cooperation opportunities
for the 2002/2006 Sixth EU Framework R&D Program. The partner identification
process, matchmaking and technical cooperation procedures will be described.
Canadians who have participated in the EU Framework Programs will provide
testimonials of their experience.
CITO
Toronto TechTalk Workshop: The Interactive Digital Technologies Shaping
What We See, How We See It & Where We See It
Toronto, June 6, 2001
This talk takes a look at
interactive digital media technologies, exploring how they will shape what
we see in the future, where we see it and how we see it. The impact
of advances in digital media technology and techniques will be examined
in three application areas: industry, education and entertainment offering
broad overview of the influence that digital media technologies are now
having.
IASP
World Conference: Science and Technology Parks in the Knowledge and Digital
Economy
Bilbao, Spain June 10-13th,
2001
The main objective of this
conference is to make an overall assessment of the role to be played by
Science Parks, incubators and universities faced with the challenges and
opportunities of the Knowledge Society and Digital Economy. Speakers
include Stephen Denning, Programme Director of Knowledge Management at
the World Bank, Manuel Castells, Professor of City and Regional Planning
at the University of California-Berkeley and, Jill R. Felix, President
and CEO of the University City Science Center of Philadelphia.
Bridging
the Investment Gap Conference
Montreal, June 13-14,
2001
The Bridging the Investment
Gap Conference will explore the new ideas, best practices and lessons learned
by 22 pilot projects established under the Canada Community Investment
Plan (CCIP) of Industry Canada. CCIP has created bridges between entrepreneurs
and angel investors, facilitating a reported $150 million in risk capital
for 250 businesses outside the main financial centres.
Nelson
and Winter Conference
Aalborg, Denmark,
June 12-15, 2001
To commemorate the 20 years
since Dick Nelson and Sid Winter published their seminal book An Evolutionary
Theory of Economic Change DRUID (Danish Research Unit of Industrial Dynamics),
in collaboration with the journals Research Policy and Industrial and Corporate
has organized this conference to address six main themes. These include,
'Growth, Development and
Structural Change', 'National Systems of Innovation, Institutions and Public
Policies' and, the 'Production and Use of Knowledge.'
The
5th International Conference on Technology, Policy and Innovation
The Hague, Netherlands
Congress Centre, June 26-29, 2001
Theme: Critical Infrastructures
The conference focuses on
how infrastructures such as those enabling transportation of goods and
people, telecommunications, and the supply and distribution of energy and
water have become vital to the daily functioning and security of society.
Proposals are invited for workshops or presentations dealing with vulnerability,
institutional management, historical lessons, innovation, and methodologies
for interdisciplinary analysis and design, all related to critical infrastructures.
Canadian
eBusiness Leadership Forum: Canada's Internet Future
Toronto, June 26-28
At this Forrester two-day
Event, industry leaders and Forrester analysts will focus on what is needed
to: compete in the new arena of Canadian eBusiness; build strong and collaborative
B2B relationships; and deliver products and services to online Canadians.
Speakers include: Jean C. Monty, Chairman and CEO, BCE, Marty Lippert,
Vice Chairman and CIO, Royal Bank of Canada, and John D. Wetmore, President
and CEO, IBM Canada.
Knowledge:
the New Wealth of Nations?
Amsterdam, June 28 -
July 1, 2001
The 13th Annual Meeting
on Socio-Economics will focus on the role of scientific knowledge in the
economy and in innovation and, the role of social scientific knowledge
in social and economic policy.
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.
WILL YOU BE ONE OF OUR REGIONAL REPORTERS? [Table of Contents]
SUBSCRIPTIONS & COMMENTS [Table of Contents]
This newsletter is prepared
by Tijs Creutzberg.
Project manager is David
A. Wolfe.
