PDF Version
Events
Be a Regional
Reporter!
Search the
OREDI Newsletter
Subscriptions
& Comments
This newsletter is published by ONRIS at the Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto, and sponsored by the Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity & Innovation. The views and ideas expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ontario Government.
ANNOUNCEMENTS [Table of Contents]
License income and research expenditures up in 2001 among Canadian Institutions, AUTM Reports
The latest annual survey from the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) reports that license income received by Canadian institutions rose by 82% to $64,510,917, though primarily due to two very successful products. Among the 54% of institutions that responded, total research expenditures increased by 33 % from the previous year reaching a total of $2,743,312,884. Canadian institutions were responsible for 68 of the 494 start-up companies reported by all North American survey respondents in 2001. Fourteen Canadian institutions reported the availability of 21 new products.
Federal government announces new bioinformatics training program in BC
The Federal government has officially launched the Canadian Bioinformatics Resource Industry Service (CBRi), a one-year pilot project that will provide expertise and consulting to small-to-medium-size biotechnology companies as well as targeted bioinformatics training at a new $1.3 million facility at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. In the coming year, the National Research Council, which is partially financing the project, anticipates expanding the CBRi pilot program across Canada and providing access to CANARIE's CA*net 4, a network for Internet research and education.
Innovation Systems Research Network Conference Presentations now available
Presentation from Canada’s fifth annual Innovation Systems Research Network conference are now available on the ISRN website. Titles include: ‘The Ontario Automotive Parts Industry’ by S. Fitzgibbon and J. Holmes; ‘The Evolution of Canada's Biotechnology Clusters: From Local to Inter-regional Networks’ by J. Niosi and R. Dalpe; and ‘Vancouver Multimedia Cluster Study’ by R. Smith.
EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents]
Cluster-Based Workforce Development: A Community College Approach
S. Rosenfeld et al., Regional Technology Strategies, Inc.
In support of a leadership network representing ten U.S. state community college systems, this paper seeks to better understand how community colleges can support emerging state cluster-based economic development strategies. Its intent is to provide concrete applications of a cluster-based model that inform both workforce/economic development policy and decision makers, bringing together two agendas that states usually pursue separately. The model offers a broad array of responsibilities, activities, and functions, each of which must be considered and prioritized in the context of local needs, existing resources, and regional circumstances.
INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents]
Statistics Canada
Despite their exceptional dynamic output, employment and productivity characteristics, ICT industries were not the only source of growth in Canada's high-tech economy. Science-based goods industries, which include many "heavy manufacturing" industries such as petroleum products, aircraft industries, industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals, also registered sharp productivity gains during the 1980s and the 1990s. Multifactor productivity in science-based goods industries increased 51% from 1981 to 1997, which was substantially greater than for any of the high-tech service industries studied though less than in high-tech manufacturing where it more than doubled (126%) in the same period.
The International Dimension of Innovation
R. Narula and A. Zanfrei, MERIT
This paper looks at the trends in the internationalization of innovative activities, providing a taxonomy of R&D internationalization strategies followed by a discussion of the main theoretical and empirical issues defining the phenomenon. The authors identify international technology partnering as a key strategy that is complementary to the internationalization of innovative activities and conclude with policy dimensions that derive from the issues of international innovation.
The role of direct measures in stimulating private sector R&D expenditure
L. Georghiou et al., PREST
This report reviews a wide range of direct support measures undertaken by governments and examines their role in stimulating investment by the private sector in R&D. Following the development of a typology of direct government support mechanisms, the report examines the role of supply side, demand side and framework conditions in influencing business sector spending on R&D. Finally, the report considers the importance of public technology procurement activities as a means of significantly increasing the level of innovation in the economy.
REGIONAL INNOVATION & CLUSTERS [Table of Contents]
Clusters from the Inside and Out: Lessons from the Canadian Study of Cluster Development
D. Wolfe, University of Toronto
This paper, to be presented at the DRUID Summer Conference 2003, surveys some of the current methodologies employed to analyze cluster development, as well as some of the key themes emerging from both the analytical and prescriptive literature noted above. It uses this survey as the context in which to present a synthesis of the initial findings of the current national study of industrial clusters in Canada, conducted by the Innovation Systems Research Network. The study is comprised of twenty-seven cases, which aim to identify the presence of significant concentrations of firms in the local economy and understand the process by which these regional-industrial concentrations of economic activity are managing the transition to more knowledge-intensive forms of production.
EVENTS [Table of Contents]
Innovation through Collaboration: Clusters, Networks, Alliances
Manchester, 8-11 June, 2003
This conference aims to address the issues associated with collaboration in the context of recent research which suggests that as many as 50-70% of strategic alliances will fail within four years due to a vast array of cultural, political, technological and commercial factors. It will provide a forum for academics, business people and consultants to discuss these issues in depth by presenting the latest academic papers, delivering company presentations on the subject and running interactive workshops. Selected proceedings will be published in a special edition of The Journal of Enterprising Culture. The conference is organized by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management.
Creating, Sharing And Transferring Knowledge: The role of Geography, Institutions, Organizations
Copenhagen, 12-14
June, 2002
The conference has four main objectives: to contribute to a more satisfactory understanding of the mechanisms underlying the way in which knowledge is created, shared and transferred; to examine the promoting or inhibiting effect of particular circumstances of organizational context, institutional setting or geographical configuration, such as cities and agglomerations or clusters; to investigate arrangements particularly capable of enhancing, capturing and utilizing end consumer knowledge; and to consider the implications for managerial strategy and public policy. Both senior and junior scholars are invited to participate and contribute with a paper to the conference.
5th Berlecon Workshop on the Economics of IT
Berlin 13-14, June, 2003
This conference is focused on improving the understanding of the economic aspects of information technology and its role in our economy. The program not only covers IT in the strict sense, but it includes communication technologies that converge with traditional IT. Each year the workshop focuses on a single topic, which is analyzed in its different facets. This year’s workshop topic is “e-business: economic impact and policy implications”.
Clusters, Industrial Districts and Firms: The Challenge of Globalization
Modena, 12-13 September, 2003
Organized in memory of Professor Sebastiano Brusco, this conference focuses on the international competitiveness of industrial districts and clusters, and the effects that globalization has on SME’s and their interactions with markets and institutions. Questions to be raised relate to how clusters’ internal networks, productive patterns and specializations are changing; how the cluster firms themselves are changing; what factors determine the competitive advantage of industrial districts; and finally, how their international competitiveness can be enhanced. Invited speakers include Charles Sabel, AnnaLee Saxenian and Frank Wilkinson.
Business Innovation and Growth from the Exploitation of Academic Research (BIGEAR) Open Conference
Vienna, 18-19 September 2003
This conference will be an open meeting to present and discuss good practice and issues on Business Innovation and Growth from Exploitation of Academic Research. Supported by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Enterprise as part of the Innovation and SMEs program, BIGEAR aims to understand and disseminate best practice in the effective exploitation of academic research to stimulate business growth in Europe.
Communities and Technologies (C&T 2003)
Amsterdam or Bonn, 19-21 September, 2003
This international conference is a forum for stimulating and disseminating research into all facets of communities and information technology. Attendees represent multidisciplinary research efforts from applied computer science and social science. The 2003 conference will focus on presentations and discussion of empirical and conceptual research on a wide range of topics including (Virtual) Community formation and development; Virtual communities vs. location-based communities; Digital cities, and Design methods for communityware.
Workshop at C&T 2003: The ambiguous role of ICT in
regional inter-firm clusters: Towards a better empirical knowledge base for
theorizing
This workshop, organized by Steinfield and colleagues from Michigan State University, will focus on the role of ICT in inter-firm networks in light of the mixed evidence regarding ICT usage and benefits in clusters, both for internal coordination in the cluster (e.g. CSCW and collaborative commerce) and for contact with external markets (e.g. B2B and B2C ecommerce).
Information Technology in Regional Areas Conference (Itira)
Caloundra (Australia) 5-7 November, 2003
This conference will focus on strategies that link ICT-enhanced economic, social and cultural development efforts and opportunities in such areas as electronic commerce, community and civic networks, tele-centres, electronic democracy, on-line participation, self-help and virtual health communities, advocacy, and cultural enhancement. This event, geared to practitioners, and policy makers in developed and developing countries, will provide a platform for sharing ideas across practice, research and policy. A call for papers has been issued with a deadline of May 10, 2003 for proposals.
What Do We Know About Innovation? A Conference in Honour of Keith Pavitt
Brighton, 13-15 November, 2003
This conference is in recognition of the lifetime contribution of Professor Keith Pavitt to the study of innovation. Keith's work was based on a deep empirical understanding of innovation and firm behaviour, and he placed particular emphasis on the development of new data, methods, and taxonomies. His contributions spanned economics, management and science and technology policy. The conference is organized around the major themes of his work, including the structure, dynamics and management of innovation processes, the relationship between basic research and technical change, knowledge and the theory of the firm, the globalization of R&D, and science and technology policy.
Washington D.C. 3-7 April 3-7, 2004
This Conference of the International Association for Management of Technology will discuss new directions in technology management and their influence on innovation and the creation of economic growth and prosperity. Special attention will be give to the necessary mechanisms of knowledge generation, science and technology policy, and the collaboration required to accomplish national and organizational objectives. Best practices in technology development and utilization will be presented. The academic institution’s role in preparing the needed human resources for the technological environment of the 21st century will also be addressed. Submission of Abstract: October 15, 2003
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.
SEARCH THE OREDI NEWSLETTER [Table of Contents]
To search for past items in the OREDI Newsletter, simply add the term ‘OREDI’ to your keywords when using a search engine such as www.google.com.
SUBSCRIPTIONS & COMMENTS [Table of Contents]
Please forward this newsletter to
anyone you think will find it of value. We look forward to collaborating with
you on this initiative. If you would like to comment on the content,
subscribe or unsubscribe, please contact us as onris.progris@utoronto.ca.
This newsletter is prepared by Tijs
Creutzberg.
Project manager is David
A. Wolfe
