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Next issue: January 15, 2001
ANNOUNCEMENTS [Table of Contents]
National Research Council of Canada announces a new technology spin-off, Ionalytics Corp.
NRC’s latest technology spin-off company, Ionalytics Corporation, will be licensing FAIMS technology (ion separation technology) developed by at the Institute for National Measurements Standards. With a start-up investment of $2 million from Genesys Capital Partners Inc. of Toronto, Ionalystics will design and manufacture FAIMS chemical analysis systems from its the Industry Partnership Facility on NRC's Ottawa campus. The technology will be sold as accessories for the mass spectrometers, which are used in such areas as proteomics, drug discovery, in the detection of chemical and biological agents, and in the monitoring of environmental waste sites. NRC has created close to 50 companies in Canada since 1996.
Provincial investment to boost research to ease traffic congestion
The Ontario government, through the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF) and the Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT), is investing close to a $1 million to help establish the Centre for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) at the University of Toronto. These investments will enable Canadian engineers to develop the communications technology needed to reduce gridlock and solve the environmental and economic challenges it brings. Intelligent transportation systems is an emerging global industry that uses advanced technologies to better control over-congested transportation networks. For more information on the project and its industrial partners, please see background information.
S&T highlights from last week’s budget include increased funding to
the National Research Council for leading-edge technologies and for expanding
regional innovation initiatives, increased funding to the Research Councils
(NSERC & SSHRC), and extended funding for Internet initiatives including
SchoolNet, and the building of CA*net 4, a new generation of Internet
broadband network architecture. In total, the Government’s expenditures on
science and technology are estimated at $7.4 billion in 2001-02, an
increase of 25 per cent from the previous peak. For a summary of funding increases,
see table.
NRC hopes to expand technology clusters
The National Research Council will spend the $110-million it was granted
in last week’s federal budget to try to expand technology clusters across the
country, the federal body's latest attempt to turn public sector research
into private sector activity. The NRC will use the new money over the next
three years to start or expand six fledgling clusters west of the Maritimes,
following the council's move last year to spend another $110-million to
kick-start four clusters in the Atlantic provinces. Dr. Arthur Carty, the NRC's president, said the money is
expected to create about 500 jobs and establish about the same number of
seats for students and visiting academics. [The Globe and Mail]
EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents]
A. Scott, et al., SPRU
Here is up-to-date information on academic and policy analysis of the
returns to academic research, highlighting once more the real economic
benefits of publicly funded research (see table for a summary of the
published estimates of rate of return to publicly funded R&D). The paper also
reviews the literature on the relationships between industry and university giving
attention to the benefits of four categories of communication channels that have
become increasingly important between public research and the private sector.
These include codification channels (e.g. publications, patents and
prototypes), cooperation channels (e.g. joint ventures, personnel exchanges)
contact channels (e.g. networks and science parks) and contract channels
(e.g. licensing and consulting).
INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents]
A framework for cluster - based economic
development policies
R. C. Turner, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government
This paper examines how state and local policy makers in New York identify the members and boundaries of a cluster and promote the regional technological dynamism associated with Silicon Valley. The cluster concept, according to the author, is useful to policy-makers for understanding a regional economy and the sources of its competitiveness, promoting greater collaboration among regional firms and for maximizing the impact of government services to private industry. Specific recommendations for each of these uses are developed. The paper concludes with a pilot proposal to identify successful examples of cluster policies at the regional level which other policy makers around the state can emulate.
Next Silicon Valley: Riding the Waves of Innovation
Joint Venture: Silicon Valley
This White Paper provides a framework for understanding and communicating
what is now happening in the Valley's economy and for stimulating further
action. The paper discusses how short-term economic cycles, longer-term waves
of innovation, and external economic shocks have shaped the Silicon Valley
habitat and asks whether Silicon Valley is strong enough to absorb current short-term
forces and shift into new directions. Understanding the cycles that drive the
Valley, and learning how to deal with them are, according to the authors, critical
for future success. Though the authors note that the Next Silicon Valley is
already emerging in a few companies today, they caution readers of the need
to appreciate how much more volatile the new world of global innovation is for
both organizations and people.
A Practical Guide to Regional Foresight
European Commission
Foresight, a process that involves constructively bringing awareness of
long-term challenges and opportunities into more immediate decision-making,
has been mostly visible at the national level especially in Europe. This guide
suggests that it is also suitable at a sub-national level where there is a minimal
degree of local identity and political leverage available. The guide is aimed
more specifically at potential Foresight practitioners, focusing on how and
why regional Foresight can be used, what the different approaches to
Foresight are, when and where they may be appropriate, and how a regional or
local situation has to be taken into account in the design of a Foresight
process.
An Introduction to the Economy of the
Knowledge Society
P. A. David & D. Foray
This introductory article reviews the main themes relating to the
development of new knowledge-based economies. After placing their emergence
in historical perspective and proposing a theoretical framework that
distinguishes knowledge from information, the authors characterize the
specific nature of such economies. They go on to deal with some of the major
issues concerning the new skills and abilities required for integration into
the knowledge-based economy; the new geography that is taking shape (where
physical distance ceases to be such an influential constraint); the
conditions governing access to both information and knowledge, not least for
developing countries; the uneven development of scientific, technological
(including organizational) knowledge across different sectors of activity; problems
concerning intellectual property rights and the privatization of knowledge;
and the issues of trust, memory and the fragmentation of knowledge.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY [Table of Contents]
The UCLA Internet Report 2001: Surveying the
Digital Future
Here is the second report from the UCLA Internet Project, a comprehensive
year-to-year examination of the impact of online technology in the United
States. The project surveys more than 2,000 households across the country, each
year contacting the same households. This second report, along with continuing
the examination of how the Internet influences the social, political, and economic
behavior of users and
non-users, begins work on one of the projects main goals, that of comparing
the evolving responses of Internet users and non-users over the years. Among the issues studied are users demographics, media use and trust, consumer
behavior, communication patterns and social and psychological effects.
Interactive Learning in an Innovation System: The Case of Norwegian Software Companies
M. Wibe, R. Narula, MERIT
Drawing on innovation systems
theory, this paper examines the concept and process of interactive learning in
software development and then applies this understanding to a case study of the
Norwegian software industry. The authors argue that the interactive learning
is a composite concept and can be described as several interrelated learning
processes at work at each level of the economy.
EVENTS [Table of Contents]
CITO InnoTalk: An Intellectual Property
Guide For Weathering The Downturn
Toronto, 16 January, 2002
This seminar will focus on a variety of cost-effective strategies for IP protection at a time when many intellectual property protection budgets have been cut back. The presenter for this half-day talk will be patent and trade-mark agent, Anthony de Fazekas, from Keyser Mason Ball.
The 5th World Congress on the Management of
Intellectual Capital
Hamilton, 16-18 January, 2002
The McMaster World Congress will showcase
presentations and panel discussions with worldwide e-commerce leaders and
forward-thinking analysts, while providing opportunity for attendees to meet
and network. This year’s themes include knowledge management, innovation
management, intangible assets, organizational learning, management of new
technology, and human capital. The Congress will also be hosting an e-commerce
case competition for MBA students, special e-government track for both the knowledge
management in government and e-learning in government, and a Ph.D.
consortium.
2002 Incubation and New Ventures Conference: How Incubators Fit In
Calgary,
21 –22 January, 2002
This Conference Board of Canada event focuses on how incubators fit in with innovation, the economy, technology, regional cities, universities and colleges, research parks, the community, major corporations and entrepreneurship. The session topics discussed by the panels include: ‘Financing New Ventures, Angel Investors and the Role of Incubators’, ‘Incubators in Health, the Life Sciences and Biotechnology’, ‘Incubators in Rural Communities and Mid-Sized Cities’ and, ‘Making Incubation Work: Incubators, Research Parks and Regional Economic Development’.
Regional Governance in an Age of Globalization
Stuttgart, 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.
Sixth International Research Conference on
Quality, Innovation and Knowledge Management
Kuala Lumpur, 17-20 February 2002
The theme of this conference is ‘Convergence in the Digital Economy’, a rubric
that seeks to encompass the many new ideas relating to quality, innovation
and knowledge management and the associated challenges in the rapidly
developing digital economy of the 21st century. Papers will be presented in
such areas as ‘Quality Management and Innovation’, ‘Quality and Innovation in
Services’, ‘Knowledge Management and Organisational Learning’ and, ‘Human
Capital, Intellectual Capital and Innovation’.
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.
16th International Conference on Business
Incubation: Explore Your World, Enrich Your Community
Toronto, 28 April - 1 May, 2002
Sponsored by the National Business Incubation Association and the Toronto
Business Development Centre this international conference brings together industry
leaders from around the world for four days of knowledge sharing and
networking. Along with pre-conference
workshops, the conference includes three days of educational sessions and
roundtable discussions covering incubation's latest topics.
Innovation in an Evolving Economy
Ottawa, 6-7 May, 2002
Statistics Canada’s Economic Conference 2002 will be focusing on the
investments required to meet the challenges of rapidly changing economic and
social realities. The event will include several plenary sessions featuring
invited guest speakers who are leading authorities in their fields. It will
also include presentations in which participants will discuss research
providing new perspectives on topics related to one of the following
sub-themes: ‘Investing in a competitive Canada’, ‘Investing in the global context’,
‘Investing in infrastructure’ and, ‘Investing in an innovative work force’.
Raleigh, (North Carolina), 6-8 June, 2002
In an effort to establish a critical dialogue on the social and ethical dimensions of ICT, ISTAS'02 will bring together ICT professionals, computer science and engineering educators, scholars in the humanities and social sciences, students and policymakers to discuss several important and topical themes. These include electronic publishing, ICT and democratic processes, intellectual property rights in the digital era, social implications of wireless technology and gender issues in ICT. Among the plenary session speakers will be Dr. Lucy Suchman from the Department of Sociology, Lancaster University. Proposal deadline for sessions, panels, or individual papers is December 13, 2001.
WILL YOU BE ONE OF OUR REGIONAL REPORTERS? [Table of Contents]
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