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Ontario's Regional Economic Development and Innovation NewsletterIssue #79
March 1, 2004
Studies & Publications: Announcements | Editor's Pick | Innovation Policy | Regions & Clusters
Events
This newsletter is published by ONRIS at the Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto, and sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. The views and ideas expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Ontario Government. ANNOUNCEMENTS [Table of Contents] Canada's Technology Triangle Among the Most Competitive Waterloo Region’s business environment is
highly competitive according to a new benchmark report, the 2004 KPMG
Competitive Alternatives study released mid-February. The study shows
Waterloo Region is more competitive than all locations surveyed in
other G-7 countries: the US, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy,
and France. The report (posted in its entirety below)
is the most thorough comparison of business operations ever undertaken,
covering 121 international cities and 17 industry sectors. Waterloo
Region shows particularly strong cost advantages over locations outside
Canada, particularly in advanced software development, web/multi media
products and services, biomedical R & D, clinical trials, electronics
systems development and testing, and back office/call centre sectors. Northeast Ohio Foundations Pool $22M for Regional Economic Development The Fund for Our Economic Future, a new collaboration
of Northeast Ohio private, community and corporate foundations to
support regional economic development, has secured more than $22 million
in commitments and is expected to grow to $30 million. This fund is
believed to be the largest and most comprehensive philanthropic collaboration
of its kind in the U.S. By concentrating its resources on a small
number of programs and pursuing them as part of an overall plan, the
fund is expected to impact Northeast Ohio's economic revitalization
more significantly than any other organized philanthropic grantmaking
initiative to date. The fund will address issues such as business
retention and expansion, entrepreneurship, technology development
and workforce preparedness. Projects that strengthen the region's
core cities and demonstrate commitment to diversity in the community
and equality of opportunity will be given priority. EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents] Partnering for Investment in Canada's Prosperity Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity Canadians under invest and do not exploit the
full value of our natural, physical and human resources. These were
some of the findings in this report the Institute for Competitiveness
and Prosperity presented at the World Economic Forum earlier this
year. In this special report, Partnering for investment in Canada's
Prosperity, the Institute explains that while Canada is one of the
most successful world economies there remains a 15% prosperity gap
between Canada and the US. Canadian GDP per capita trails the US by
over $6000 (15% gap). To close the gap Canadians, businesses and governments
must become partners for investment. INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents] Impact of Government Support Programs on Innovation by Canadian Manufacturing Firms Petr Hanel, CIRST The report presents results of the Statistics
Canada Innovation Survey, 1999 regarding the use of Inventing a Better Future: A Strategy for Building Worldwide Capacities in Science and Technology InterAcademy Council In a world moving rapidly toward the knowledge based economies of the 21st century, capacity building in science and technology (S&T) is necessary everywhere. Though one of the goals of the report is to call for a global movement to address the S&T development needs of developing countries many of its recommendations and findings are relevant to policy makers everywhere. This report specifically engages the urgency of promoting worldwide S&T capacity, the links between S&T and society, methods for expanding human resources, the creation of world-class and networked research institutions, as well as strategies for engaging the public and private sectors to create coalitions for effective action.
REGIONAL INNOVATION & CLUSTERS [Table of Contents] North Carolina Biotechnology Center North Carolina's economy is in transition. As manufacturing jobs in traditional industries decline, new opportunities for job creation must be identified and aggressively pursued. Biotechnology is proving itself as a key economic sector offering sustained community development and job creation. This report provides a blueprint for supporting university spinouts along with the more mature companies. The plan offers 54 strategies to help fortify areas including workforce training and K-12 education to ultimately help position North Carolina to gain from biotechnology's economic and social benefits. The ultimate goal of the proposed strategies is to create 48,000 biotech-related jobs by 2013, 125,000 by 2023. Innovation for Regional Communities: A Research Framework Jerry Courvisanos, Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness (CRIC) This paper addresses issues of vulnerability and
inability in regional non-urban settings with respect to innovation.
The author presents a framework based on evolutionary theory and the
resource based firm analysis to identify competitive strengths of
non-urban regions. "Regional competitive strengths" are
argued as essential in generating innovation and long term sustainability.
Several implications for public and private sector strategic decision-making,
and the types of innovation in regional communities that need to be
developed, emerge from this framework. The concept of “regional
competitive strengths” is identified as the essential element
in any regional innovation strategy that attempts to generate long-term
competitiveness and ensure regional rejuvenation and sustainability. COMPETITIVE REGIONS [Table of Contents] Competitive Alternatives: The CEO's Guide to International Business Costs - G7-2004 Edition KPMG Consulting This report compares business costs in North America,
Europe, Asia-Pacific. It measures the impact of 27 cost components
(in four categories: business costs, business environment, cost of
living and quality of life) that are most likely to vary by location,
as applied to specific industries and business operations. These measures
reveal that Canada is the overall cost leader, followed very closely
by Australia. The report also evaluates the competitive environment
in 121 cities in 11 countries. Canadian cities -most notably the Waterloo
Region - generally rank well compared to their US counterparts. For
more detailed information on specific cities see city
profiles. EVENTS [Table of Contents] CITO InnoTalk: How to Turn Your Research Dollar$ into Profit$: A Workshop on SR&ED Tax Credits Kitchener ON, 2 March, 2004 This InnoTalk features experts from Canada Revenue Agency, KPMG and Deloitte. The workshop will focus on the requirements related to both the activities and expenditures that qualify under the federal SR&ED program. Canada Revenue Agency will outline the technical and financial requirements for a successful claim and will discuss recent developments in the program. KPMG and Deloitte tax specialists will provide case studies on how they have helped companies take advantage of SR&ED Tax Credits. CITO
InnoTalk: Finding Government Support for Industry R&D Ottawa, 30 March, 2004 In the search for funding, too many companies overlook the array of programs supporting R&D offered by the federal and provincial governments. This InnoTalk features Renato Bernardo, president of The RnD Team and former R&D cost auditor with Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency, who will provide a detailed overview of the government programs available to assist R&D efforts. The federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit Program is one of many programs and topics that will be covered.
Urban Impacts
of the Information Society: Facts, Fiction and Policies The "information revolution" and the emerging Information Society entail fundamental changes in social interaction and relationships, and modifications in the socio-economic and spatial organization of activities. The main driver in this process is the rapid development and application of Information Society Technologies (ISTs). The main inhibitors are the fictions that emerged from the discussion of the New Economy. Better knowing the drivers and inhibitors is crucial for contemporary urban management. This conference will explore the urban economic and social impacts of information society technologies (ISTs), as well as the way new technologies urge local governance in cities to change their policies. Academics and senior city managers, planners and researchers will discuss practical case studies, experiences and state of the art research under the following themes: urban policies for and patterns of IST adoption, spatial behaviour in the context of global IST developments, patterns of digital infrastructure and use, and the relationship between IST, productivity and competitiveness. Financing Innovation in the Regions Ostersund, Sweden, 25-26 March, 2004 The conference will present speakers from several
European regions, covering a critical mass of experience and background
in financing innovation at the regional level. The objective of the
conference is to bring together key European agents and stakeholders
in financing innovation and share knowledge from the Innovative Actions.
The conference will focus on financing innovation and on exchanging
knowledge and experience from the Innovative Actions in Europe. One
important aim is to initiate processes to develop European cooperation
between bottom-up regional initiatives for the promotion of integrated
systems and increased access to private seed capital in the regions.
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. The Europe of Knowledge 2020: A Vision for University-based Research and Innovation Liege (Belgium), 25-28 April, 2004 This conference will explore the issues raised by the Commission’s communication published in February 2003 on "the role of universities in the Europe of Knowledge". The conference will address in a series of parallel sessions that address the following issues: the creation and certification of knowledge, the changing nature of research teaching, P3s, the role of universities for research in the regions and the challenge of inter-disciplinary research. This conference aims to produce an agreed roadmap to help European universities to realize fully their ambitions in the 21st century. Ottawa, 27-28 April, 2004 The Smart City Summit combines Ottawa's Business and Technology Trade Show with a major business and technology conference that draws international attention from business and government. It is also Ottawa's premier mega-networking and business development event, catering to technology and business decision-makers and federal, provincial and municipal government attendees from across Canada. In just three short years, the Summit has evolved into a dynamic local and international marketplace for business innovators encompassing a major conference, trade show, keynotes, networking, and innovation awards. MERIT Workshop on Information Technology, New Industry and Labour Market Dynamics Maastricht, 3-4 June, 2004 The aim of the workshop is twofold. First, to develop a perspective on the changing way in which goods are being produced, production processes are being organised and jobs are being occupied as a result of the adoption of IT. Second, it aims to investigate the consequences of IT diffusion and the determinants of adoption empirically at the firm level, its impact in the labour market both from a theoretical and empirical point of view and its macroeconomic consequences. Regionalization of Innovation Policy - Options and Experiences Berlin, 4-5 June, 2004 Globalization leads to a greater relevance of regional factors for innovation processes. There is a growing consensus in the academic field, as well as among politicians, that innovation policy should include this regional dimension, i.e. regional innovation systems. But it is still not quite clear how this could or should be done in practice. In general, there are two approaches to the regionalization of innovation policy. One strategy is attempting to improve the quality of the innovation system in certain regions. The main questions here concern appropriate instruments for such a strategy and the selection of regions. A second strategy that may be complementary to the above-mentioned one is to scale down national innovation policies in such a way that they take into account the various regions (for example, by focusing measures on certain clusters). In some countries, interesting attempts at such a policy that are worthy of investigation have been made (for example, the BioRegio or the InnoRegio program in Germany). This conference will bring together scholars working in the field of innovation systems and policy at the national and regional level. DRUID Summer Conference on Industrial Dynamics, Innovation and Development Copenhagen, Denmark, 14-16 June, 2004 This conference aims to promote the general understanding of the interplay between industrial dynamics, innovation and development; investigate arrangements organized at various scales to enhance and utilize knowledge geared towards economic development; examine the role of entrepreneurship and innovation at various stages of economic development; the geographical reach and development consequences of knowledge spillovers; and to consider the implications for managerial strategy and public policy. Participation in the conference is restricted. Potential participants must supply a detailed abstract of at least 2 pages to summer2004@druid.dk no later than January 30, 2004. 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. Oslo, 20-24 June, 2004 This conference features academic papers and presentations
from industry plus workshops elaborating on the conference theme. Delegates
will have the opportunity to submit a poster on the conference theme
as part of their conference fee. Important deadlines are 25 February
2004 (extended from 11 February) for abstracts, 19 April 2004 for full
papers, presentations and posters. Patent Policy: Using, Abusing and Reforming Duke University, 17-19 September, 2004 It has long been recognized that the patent system
provides a unique means for trading off ex ante Hydrogen & Fuel Cells 2004 Conference and Trade Show Toronto, 25-28 September, 2004 As society shifts towards the Greener World, it is increasingly important that the team-work necessary to achieve and meet our challenges and objectives be effectively integrated, shared and understood across disciplinary and business boundaries. In planning for the September 2004 Meeting in Toronto seven such inter-related themes have been identified: Hydrogen technology progress, fuel cells, economics & policy, renewable hydrogen, demonstrations, investment & marketing options, and climate change. We invite you to submit abstracts for oral and/or poster presentations to be presented to an international audience of hydrogen and fuel cell industry leaders. Submission deadline: March 17, 2004. Ottawa, 27-29 September, 2004 Building on the success of OptoCanada, held in Ottawa in May 2002,
the Canadian Photonics Consortium and the Ottawa Photonics Cluster are
collaborating to sponsor Photonics North 2004. The Conference is chaired
by the CEO of Siemens Canada, Dr. Albert Maringer, and is being managed
by SPIE. Leading photonics experts from around the world will be participating.
Suggested topics for papers range from Biophotonics to Telecommunications
Networking. Among the special features of the Conference will be a parallel
program on the first day focusing on doing business with Germany, with
a variety of speakers from Germany, as well as a student program organized
by Photonics Research Ontario on the second day. The deadline for submission
of abstracts is March 15, 2004.
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