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#27 October 15, 2001
Events
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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: November 1, 2001
ANNOUNCEMENTS [Table of Contents]
Canada's Technology Triangle Winds Up European Mission Promoting the Area for Investment
Randy Ellis, CEO of Canada's Technology Triangle, wound up a successful 21-day mission to Europe on Friday. The visit focused on promoting investment opportunities in the Cambridge - Kitchener - Waterloo region to key European business people and government contacts in Britain, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Sweden.
Website Link: The Innovation Journal
The public sector innovation journal is an independent Internet-based journal devoted to sharing ideas and discussion of public sector innovation. In addition to peer-reviewed articles, the journal features a selection of case studies, both Canadian and international, book reviews and information on upcoming seminars, publications, and other related websites.
Local Economic Development e-newsletter - New Zealand based
This is an occasional e-newsletter from Cluster Navigators Ltd for those
with an interest in local economic development, particularly from a cluster perspective.
Included are experiences in supporting local agencies in the development of
clustering programs as well as information on upcoming seminars and other
related activities. The company has recently been involved in clustering
initiative start-ups in
EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents]
Performance and Potential 2001-02: Charting a Canadian Course in North America
The Conference Board of Canada
This year’s report updates the annual assessment of Canada’s performance as measured by 40 socio-economic indicators and, explores the issue of North American integration, particularly the impact and ramifications of Canada’s changing situation in North America as the implementation of NAFTA nears completion. The ‘top 40’ assessment, which benchmarks Canada’s performance against the United States, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Norway and Australia, finds Canada’s record to be ‘simply average’. Canada is a top performer in only one category—Labour markets—and a relatively poor performer in Innovation and Environment.
INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents]
The Regional Dimension of the European
Research Area
This communication from the Commission of European Communities addresses the regional dimension of the European Research Area, focusing on the “motor” role that regions may play in the overall context of economic growth based on research, technology and innovation. In particular, the paper examines how these regions influence the process by which a real European Research policy is achieved that benefit citizens, attains results, stimulates development and generates wealth and jobs. The paper also examines how to best use the Community’s research and innovation instruments and, how to develop efficient synergies between the Union's research, innovation and structural policies.
Next-Generation Knowledge Management: Enabling Business Processes
Presentations from American
Productivity and Quality Centre's September 2001 conference in Houston on
next-generation knowledge management are now available for viewing. Speakers included, Ikujiro Nonaka,
Professor, Hitotsubashi University, Dr. Josef Hofer-Alfeis, Siemens Medical
Solutions and, Jeffrey A. Goldman, Ph.D., General Dynamics Electronic Systems.
Impediments to Advanced Technology Adoption
for Canadian Manufacturers
J. Baldwin Z. Lin, Statistics Canada
Using survey data, this paper investigates problems that firms in the
Canadian manufacturing sector face in their decision to adopt advanced
technology. The data show that while the use of advanced technology is
relatively important (users account for over 80% of all shipments), it is not
widespread among firms (users represent only about one-third of all
establishments). One explanation lies in the fact that while advanced
technologies provide a wide range of benefits, firms also face a series of
problems that impede them from adopting advanced technology related to cost,
institutions, labour, organization, and information.
Building the New West: A Framework for Regional Economic Prosperity
Published by the Canada West Foundation, this framework is the outcome of a multi-year research and public consultation initiative to explore the strategic positioning of western Canada within the global economy. Outlined are five priorities that must be addressed to ensure that western Canada achieves long-term economic prosperity: the West must create the tools to attract, retain and build human capital, continue economic diversification, strengthen its transportation infrastructure, promote the global competitiveness of its major cities, and develop new ways of facilitating regional coordination.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY [Table of Contents]
J. R. Baldwin, D. Sabourin, Statistics Canada
This paper investigates the evolution of the industrial structure in the Canadian manufacturing sector and its relationship to technological change by examining the take-up of advanced technologies and how it is related to the stochastic growth process in the plant population. The study finds that a considerable amount of market share is transferred from declining firms to growing firms over a decade. At the same time, the growers increase their productivity relative to the losers. Those technology users that were using communications technologies or that combined technologies from different classes increased their relative productivity the most and in turn, their market share. Other factors that were associated with gains in market share were the presence of R&D facilities and other innovative activities.
STATISTICS [Table of Contents]
The European Innovation Scoreboard
European Commission
This yearly innovation scoreboard compares each European state alongside the United States and Japan in four areas: human resources, knowledge creation, transmission and application of new knowledge, innovation finance and output and markets. Though all Member States have improved their innovation performance, the report finds that there remain substantive national differences. Variations between Member States are particularly high for life-long learning, business R&D, high-tech patenting and the share of SMEs involved in co-operative innovation. The differences are greater in areas directly influenced by private decision-making. In contrast, there is less variability between Member States for most indicators that are strongly influenced by public policy, such as tertiary education or public R&D investments.
EVENTS [Table of Contents]
Innovations for an e-Society- Challenges for Technology Assessment
Berlin, 17-20 October, 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.
The Private Sector’s Role in Creating
Digital Opportunities
Toronto, 19 October, 2001
This workshop focuses on the challenge that a ‘digital divide’ presents to individuals, businesses, and communities in the new economy. Sponsored by Canadian E-Business Opportunities Roundtable and the Committee for Economic Development, the workshop will be a high-level discussion to learn about and contribute to the creation of digital opportunities, What are the issues? How is the private sector meeting this challenge? What are some sustainable solutions for transforming the many digital divides into digital opportunities? The Honourable Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry, Government of Canada, and The Honourable Peter Harder, Deputy Minster, Industry Canada will be among the keynote speakers.
Tuscon, 29 October- 2 November
For their 4th Annual Conference, the Competitiveness Institute has
organized a global forum for exchanging best practices on cluster
development. The conference will
focus on what clustered regions should do differently because of the New
Economy, providing ‘the how’ of making clusters an economic driving force of
a regional economy. A mixture of short plenary sessions will be included in on
such topics as new cluster types resulting from the new economy, how the software
industry has impacted clusters and, the
Toronto, 5-8 November, 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.
Meeting Canada's R&D Challenge: Moving from 15th to 5th in Global R&D
Ottawa, 13 November, 2001
RE$EARCH MONEY, Canada's leading source of news and analysis for the R&D community, in partnership with NSERC, CFI and others, will bring together some of Canada's most influential thinkers to debate how Canada can improve its R&D performance over the next decade. Meeting Canada's R&D Challenge is a must for anyone who is involved in research, development or policy. If you want to participate in helping Canada become Number Five in Global R&D, this conference is for you.
Implementing Clusters in Practice: Academic and Practical Perspectives
Newcastle upon Tyne, 17 October, 2001
The Regional Studies Association in conjunction with the ESRC is organizing a half-day seminar in Newcastle upon Tyne, as part of the ESRC Cluster seminar series. The focus of this seminar will be to look at how cluster policies have been implemented in practice. Particular emphasis will be placed on the way in which academic and practitioner analyses of these policies and the clusters have advanced understandings of local, regional and national economic development. Speakers will be drawn from academic, practitioner and policy-maker communities, with the opportunity for a lively and engaging debate alongside the main presentations to build on and extend the interim findings of the seminar series.
Regional Innovation Observatories and
Technology Watch
Póvoa de Varzim (Portugal), 8-9 November, 2001
This workshop, organized by TecMinho, the Innovation
Relay Centres and Innovating Regions in Europe Central Unit, aims at
promoting the exchange of information and presenting good practices on
technology watch at two levels. The first is at the level of policy makers, particularly for enhancing
the services that can be provided by Regional Innovation Observatories The workshop will demonstrate how to
set up Innovation Observatories, the methodologies they use and the role they
play in guiding regional innovation policies. The
second level focuses on technology watch services to companies,
particularly SMEs, emphasizing the role that can be played by IRCs.
2001 Innovation Conference: Investing In Innovation
Montreal, 19-20 November, 2001
This Conference Board of Canada event focuses on the critical necessity to increase investment for innovation, presenting helpful tools and lessons learned from practitioners, and discussing what it means for the country, organizations and individuals. The conference will help executives, managers and entrepreneurs in any organization to create the kind of culture that encourages the constant effort to find and invest in new answers, new ideas and new products. Stakeholders for this event include the business community, the financial community, the education system and all levels of government.
5th Annual 'European Network on Industrial Policy' (EUNIP) Conference
Vienna, 29 November – 1 December, 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.
Creating and Applying Vision in the Regions: Towards Agile and Networked Regions through Foresight
Dublin, 13 December 2001
This EC Conference focuses on regional foresight and seeks to explain how such activities may help regional policies achieve their major objectives (e.g. improvement of competitiveness, job creation, sustainable development). It will examine what good practice is in Foresight, and will unveil a practical guide for regional foresight developed through the FOREN initiative. FOREN is an EC-supported network, under the STRATA program, which has brought researchers and policymakers together to share experiences in regional foresight and to learn from each other. The conference will also showcase keynote speeches and in-depth presentations by leading figures in regional futures thinking and action.
Regional Governance in an Age of Globalization
Stuttgart, Germany, 8-9 March, 2002
This conference aims to examine and advance theories and practices in understanding regional governance in an age of globalization. The focus will be on globalization and its impact on subnational governments around the world with a particular interest in the intersection of the international with the local and regional and how this phenomenon is affecting the development of international and transnational relations on the one hand, and governance internationally, nationally, and subnationally on the other. The influence of unprecedented technological change on globalization and governance is also of interest to the conference organizers.
Rethinking Science Policy: Analytical Frameworks for Evidence-based Policy
Brighton, 21-23 March, 2002
This conference focuses on new models for science policy, exploring the European context where traditional foundations for science policy have been increasingly questioned during the last few decades of science policy research as policymakers search for new methods of harnessing scientific investigation. Twenty-six new papers, including eight invited papers by leading authorities in the field of science policy, will be presented. Final date for acceptance of abstracts November 1, 2001.
WILL YOU BE ONE OF OUR REGIONAL REPORTERS? [Table of Contents]
Yes, you! In an effort to improve our coverage of Ontario's regional economies in this newsletter, we are looking for a few people who are 'plugged in' to the latest local economic development and innovation happenings in their regions. All we ask is that you send us a short message once a month highlighting recent news and research initiatives from your region - please forward items that you would like to share with newsletter recipients, as well as other items of interest, to: onris.progris@utoronto.ca.
SUBSCRIPTIONS & COMMENTS [Table of Contents]
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anyone you think will find it of value. We look forward to collaborating with
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This newsletter is prepared by Tijs Creutzberg.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.
