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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]
Establishment of Language Technologies Research Centre
The NRC Institute for Information Technology (NRC-IIT) is a partner in establishing a new Language Technologies Research Centre (LTRC) in Gatineau, Quebec. The Centre will help develop new technologies in support of Canadian language industries with more than $1 billion in annual sales in Canada. Projects will be developed in partnership with industry, government and universities. A series of public consultations—i.e., a Technology Roadmap exercise and six round tables (Moncton, Montreal, Gatineau, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver)—have already been held to help determine the LTRC's specific research program.
Amendments to the Canadian Patent Act announced
The Government of Canada announced its intention
to amend the Patent Act to clarify the payment of certain patent fees.
These amendments are in response to recent decisions of the Federal
Court Trial Division and the Federal Court of Appeal. These amendments
will foster confidence in the
Canadian patent system and ensure that the patent regime in Canada
remains responsive and user-friendly. A strong patent system encourages
innovation and helps create a positive investment climate.
EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents]
Empowering Employees: A route to innovation
Pierre Therrien & Andre Leonard, Statistics Canada
This paper examines the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and the innovative performance of Canadian firms. The authors find that HRM practices play a positive and significant role in innovation performance across all industrial sectors. Moreover, using more HRM practices makes the relationship with innovation stronger. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of their findings and identifies issues for further research.
INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents]
New Challenges for Educational Research
OECD
Education policies and practices have an important bearing on the innovative capacity of a nation, yet unlike other areas such as health care research in education has been virtually unrecognized as a means of system improvement. Complex societies and education systems require a sound knowledge base for teachers and policy makers. This new OECD report examines the educational R&D system in the UK and New Zealand and shows that OECD countries are increasingly taking innovative research initiatives in order to improve the knowledge base in education for educators and policy makers.
Entrepreneurial Innovation in Europe
CORDIS
The European Commission's Directorate General for Enterprise recently released a series of reports on topics of current interest or concern to policy makers in Europe. These studies were designed to improve the understanding of innovation needs and the behavior of firms, assess the impact of current policy measures and explore options for future intervention. The book provides a summary of 11 reports which, taken as a whole, point towards the emergence of a new European model of "smart"innovation policy.
REGIONAL INNOVATION & CLUSTERS [Table of Contents]
B.C. to B.C.: A Brief History of Cluster Building
eSynapse
This issue of eSynapse presents the points of view of three experts working in British Columbia's economic development. Adam Holbrook (CPROST) defines clusters as they relate to British Columbia. The two other papers discuss potential for cluster building of two sectors of many sectors that have promising potentials for growth. Alan Winter (GenomeBC) provides a perspective on genomics and the life sciences cluster and Chris Campbell (an ocean and marine issue analyst) outlines some options for stimulating the growth of BC's ocean cluster.
Striking Similarities: Attitudes and Ontario's Prosperity Gap
Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity
This working paper explores the impact of the
attitudes towards competitiveness, innovation,
risk-taking and business held by Ontarians and their counterparts
in a peer group of US states. The results show that there is no discernible
difference between the attitudes of Ontario citizens and business
and those of their American peers. The study found no significant
attitudinal differences to explain the prosperity gap but does make
some observations on important differences between Ontario and peer
states perceptions of the value of university education and immigration.
EVENTS [Table of Contents]
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.
The Knowledge-based Economy and Regional Economic Development: An International Perspective
St. John's (Newfoundland), 3-5 October, 2003
This conference offers an opportunity for European and North American researchers and policy-makers to meet and debate the issues pertaining to regional economic development as these areas become increasingly exposed to the forces of the new economy. Sub themes include: the role of the education sector in facilitating economic development in the knowledge economy R&D; innovation and productivity; connectivity, ICT and economic development; e-governance and the role of government in facilitating economic development in a knowledge economy; and economic development and economic clusters in the knowledge economy.
Service
Industries and the Knowledge Based Economy 
Winnipeg (Manitoba), 16-12 October, 2003
To better understand the economics of the opportunities and challenges in the service sector in Canada and provide sound foundations for policy development work, Industry Canada is organizing this major policy research conference. A large number of internationally renowned experts will actively contribute to in-depth discussions on important policy research issues of service industries and the knowledge-based economy.
SSTI’s 7th Annual Conference: Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice
Seattle, 21-22 October, 2003
This year’s highly regarded SSTI conference on technology-based economic development features a range of topics, two of which - technology entrepreneurship and research universities’ contribution to local and state economic growth –involve multiple sessions that will explore the topics in depth. Other sessions will focus on the right tools to improve program performance and expand reach, financing life science firms, the future of manufacturing, and rural tech-based economic development.
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.
The New Rural Community: Problems and Prospects
Guelph (Ontario), 7 November, 2003
In the context of the challenges faced by rural communities as a result of the social, political and economic restructuring now underway, this conference addresses four sub-themes. These are the new rural landscape (how do we reconcile the built and ecological landscapes of our rural communities to achieve environmental sustainability); the new rural government (what impact does the restructuring of the nation state have on power relations and public accountability?); the new rural economy (what are the repercussions of re-defining economic relationships for rural communities); and the new rural resident (how do we build inclusive rural communities?).
Montreal, November 7-8, 2003
The Conference will bring together university and industrial decision makers and their municipal counterparts with a view to fostering debate and discussion about best practices with respect to the creation, management and development of technology clusters. Clusters 2003 will focus on municipalities: municipal or regional representatives will second the academics and business representatives in attendance. Clusters being by their very nature regional entities, the conference will afford an excellent opportunity to raise the interest of cities in the scientific and technological issues at stake.
The European City in Transition: The City and the Region (Third Euroconference)
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar (Germany) November 14-15, 2003
The relation between the city and the region has
been challenged inthe run of new patterns of urbanization. It seems
that the distinction between the "inside" and the "outside"
of the city has become unclear. A "city region" is developing
challenging our concepts of what urbanity might mean. Urban functions
are placed outside the core of the traditional city where a new social
life is developing. Some important questions to be addressed at this
conference include: How can we conceptualise, comprehend and analyse
the new spatial,
functional and social structures of the region and the city? What role
do regions play in the
world economy and how does globalization influence the forming of metropolitan
regions? What are the new opportunities for regional and urban governance?
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, 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.
The 4th Congress on Proximity Economics Proximity, Networks and Co-ordination
Marseilles, 17-18 June, 2004
This conference is geared towards all of the scientific community interested in the proximity concept, as it relates to everything from industrial organization to networks of public health. The call for proposals, which is open until October 31st, 2003, will give priority to either theoretical or empirical communications likely to produce a better understanding of the conceptual links between proximity, networks and co-ordination.
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This newsletter is prepared by Jen
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