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Ontario's Regional Economic Development and Innovation NewsletterIssue #128
May 1, 2006
Studies & Publications: Announcements | Editor's Pick | Innovation Policy |Clusters
and Innovation 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] Toronto to Become the Largest WIFI Zone in Canada Toronto Hydro Telecom Inc.(1), a subsidiary of Toronto Hydro Corporation, will provide "a blanket of Wi Fi coverage within Toronto's downtown core making Canada's largest city also the largest Wi Fi zone in the country". Radio access points will be installed on streetlamp poles throughout the area from Jarvis Street west to Spadina Avenue and from Front Street north to Bloor Street. These access points will eliminate the sporadic or non-existent connectivity that plagues many WiFi areas. Canada to Play a Key Role in Biggest Science Experiment in History The biggest science experiment in history is currently underway at the world-famous CERN labs in Switzerland, and Canada is poised to play a critical role in its success. Thanks to a $10.5 million investment announced today by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), an ultra-sophisticated computing facility—the ATLAS Data Centre—will be created to support the ATLAS project at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The ATLAS Data Centre to be constructed in Canada will serve to filter, analyze and store data generated by the ATLAS project, a cutting-edge particle physics experiment set to take place at CERN’S LHC once construction is completed in 2007. The LHC will be the most powerful and sophisticated particle accelerator in the world, capable of reproducing ‘Big Bang’ like conditions by smashing particles together that have been accelerated to velocities just shy of the speed of light.
People and Excellence: The Heart of Successful Commercialization Joseph L. Rotman, Chair of the Expert Panel on Commercialization This is the first report of the Expert Panel on
Commercialization. The report covers a comprehensive package of 11
recommendations to provide a strong starting point for Canada to achieve
its full potential. At the core of these recommendations is the development
of a business-led Commercialization Partnership Board (CPB). The CPB
would create a new role for the private sector as a full partner in
charting the course for, and developing policy related to, commercialization. INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents] The Knowledge Filter and Economic Growth: The Role of Scientist Entrepreneurship David B Audretsch, The Kauffman Foundation This new study shows that the current reliance on publicly available modes for measuring the commercialization of university innovation – patents and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, along with figures provided by university Technology Transfer Offices -- is failing to capture the true number of business start-ups in which scientists are engaged. The study reveals that cancer scientists, in addition to commercializing their research through licensing, are starting new businesses which largely go unrecorded. While location of the university to a technology corridor such as Boston’s Route 128 or Silicon Valley contributes to the propensity of scientist entrepreneurship, the researchers found that having a good social network can more than compensate for not being located in a “hot spot”. Such social networks with other scientists or business executives often involve co-publishing of articles, co-patenting with other scientists, or being on the board of a company. Public Policy Forum In February 2005 the Public Policy Forum initiated a project to examine how Canadian governments can best maintain and strengthen Canadian competitiveness and maintain levels of prosperity as the country adjusts to the emerging global economy.Two fundamental economic forces are tugging at the core of Canadian society and its institutions, according to the Forum’s roundtable report. These two forces underpinned the discussions about the making of a more competitive Canadian economy: emerging markets in China and India, and the pressures of an ageing population.The roundtables raised issues related to such trends. How much, roundtable participants asked, should governments intervene in the economy in order to support a more competitive economy? Participants articulated three basic options: a laissez-faire approach, a government role to help market work better, or, to help markets work better plus supporting targeted sectors.
CLUSTERS & REGIONS [Table ofContents] Building Blocks for Place-Making Policy Judith Maxwell, CPRN In this presentation Maxwell argues that the national importance of communities – in the development of civil society, the economy, environment, culture and political institutions – is not reflected in current approaches to urban issues in Canada. If the goal is sustainable communities the current division of responsibilities for urban centres cannot deliver sustainable communities – no single actor has the capacity to act effectively alone. She reviews the requirements for success: local champions, community participation, adequate resources, joined-up government and decentralized delivery, and underlines the role of the non-profit sector as community broker and service agent, but stresses the need for new funding and accountability regimes to allow the sector to work effectively.
Problems and Prospects for Clusters in Theory and Practice Phil Cooke, Cardiff Cenre for Advanced Studies The cluster phenomenon still faces many critics. These clusters are based on relations may range from ‘preferred supplier’ contractual status at one end of the spectrum of economic interaction, to high-trust, non-contractual collaboration, exchanging of favours and non-monetary transactions at the other. So a question that is of undoubted and abiding interest to economic geographers and others is why, in a world largely characterized by utilitarian, unsentimental buying and selling, do clusters exist? They ought to have disappeared with the medieval guilds, the source that Marshall, in effect, gave as the ultimate origin of industrial districts. Certainly, they ought to have been replaced by the modern business corporation with its advantages in resource and administrative capabilities. Cooke argues that the inevitability of economic dominance by large scale production and ‘trading with strangers’ are mistaken assumptions. The military, or "M" form firm, characterized by a strong in-house organizational mentality, has reached the limits of innovativeness. Furthermore, the theory of economic relationships that stressed utilitarian anonymity in production and consumption has also proved to be correct only in special circumstances such as ‘spot markets’. But more general market relations are now understood to be based on varying, but often significant magnitudes of ‘social capital.’
BIOTECHNOLOGY [Table ofContents] OECD This publication examines the innovation system in pharmaceutical biotechnology in eight OECD countries - Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. The report summarizes the results of in-depth studies, providing a comparative analysis of participating countries' performance in science and innovation in biopharmaceuticals. It highlights specific characteristics of the national biopharmaceutical innovation systems in terms of their international openness and the specific role of demand-side factors in the innovation process. Major systemic failures affecting the functioning of the biopharmaceutical innovation systems are identified. Based on rich evidence, the report draws policy recommendations to foster innovation in biopharmaceuticals advocating an integrated policy approach.
STATISTICS & INDICATORS [Table ofContents] W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, Kleinhenz and Associates, the Universities Collaborative and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland This study of the Northeast Ohio economy provides a different way of analyzing and tracking the impact of economic development initiatives by mathematically analyzing economic data and determining there are eight key factors of regional economic growth. It establishes statistical correlations between economic growth in jobs, output, worker productivity and per capita income, and the eight key factors (skilled workforce, urban assimilation, racial inclusion, legacy of place, income equality, locational amenities, business dynamics, and urbanization/metro structure). The study demonstrates that when regional economies chart strong growth, they tend to score well in most or many of the eight categories, and when regional economies chart weak growth, they tend to score poorly in the eight categories. It also provides a different perspective than most indicator reports for measuring the impact of economic development activities. Other regions in the country have developed sets of factors to measure economic performance, frequently they are based on what seems interesting or useful. By contrast, this study is based on statistical analysis, not on anyone’s agenda or preconceived ideas. It allows public policy makers, business people, civic organizations and the general public for the first time to see beneath the surface of an economy and to understand the full range of factors figuring in a region’s economic performance. Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Sector Profile, 2005 The Government of Canada, Fuel Cells Canada ,
and PriceWaterhouseCoopers have released their 2005 Sector profile
providing industry revenues, research and development activities,
and employment statistics on Canada's growing hydrogen and fuel sector.
Notably, revenue, R&D expenditures, employment and demonstration
projects all experienced ~20% declines. EVENTS [Table of Contents] Digital Regions - Public Private Strategies for IT Cluster Development Technopolicy Seminar Austin, Texas, 1-2 May, 2006 Many regions focus on information technology as a key sector in their economic development strategies. This seminar will present informative case examples, from Asia, Europe and the Americas, of successful and challenged public-private strategies for cluster development in the Global Knowledge Economy. Special attention will be paid to the impressive growth model of the Austin IT-Cluster and Austin’s strategies for sustaining this in the future. Other topics that will be covered include the globalized economy and its meaning for IT-Clusters and the question of how to integrate an IT-Cluster with other economic sectors.
Toronto, 2-4 May, 2006 BioFinance 2006 will feature presentations by senior
management from over 100 life science companies from across Canada,
the US and Europe. The range of participating firms includes large publicly
traded and smaller listed companies and a wide range of private companies
from larger and established to early-stage opportunities. Attendance
of about 700 people is expected, including investment bankers, Canadian
and US portfolio managers, retail brokers, venture capitalists, seed
fund managers, angel investors, private equity managers, legal and consulting
industry leaders, pharmaceutical executives, biotechnology industry
service providers, and media. Boston, 7-11 May, 2006 The Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI)
is holding its 8th annual conference, promising to continue to provide
the world's largest gathering of experts in nanotech and bionano. In
addition to an enormous exposition, there are scheduled industry sessions
addressing the topics of: electronics, computation, design & modeling,
telecommunications, displays & optics, health sciences, nano biotechnology,
personal care, food, polymers, materials, surface science, coatings,
transportation, environment, and energy.
EURADA - Second World Forum on Regional Economic Development Madeira, Portugal, 15-17 May, 2006 In a global economy based on knowledge, regions can develop competitive advantages by relying on talent, entrepreneurship and innovation. Both in Europe and elsewhere in the world, regions implement strategies and measures aiming at : creating and attracting talent; supporting the creation and development of new enterprises: facilitating their access to support services and sources of finance; promoting the emergence of knowledge-based regions through the exploitation of research results and the setting up of key actors networks. The Second World Forum on Regional Economic Development is a unique opportunity for you to exchange ideas and best practice with experts and practitioners in local and regional development from countries and regions all over the world. Conference attendees also have the opportunity to register for the DIME training day on "Policy Platforms: The New Approach to Regional Innovation Strategies" announced separately below. Ottawa, 16 - 17 May, 2006 The Statistics Canada Socio-economic Conference
provides an annual forum for empirical research focusing on issues of
concern to Canadian public policy. The conference focuses on studies
discussing: emerging economic trends and their underlying causes;
DIME Training Day: Regional Innovation Strategies: Constructing Advantage through Platform Policies Madeira, Portugal, 17 May, 2006 It has become clear that there are three overwhelming areas of demand for training on the part of policy-makers with economic, innovation and regional development responsibilities . In broad terms, these are the following, in descending order of urgency: Regional Innovation Systems and Local Industry Clusters, Knowledge Economies, and Globalisation of Science, Technology & R&D. Put in simple language, policy makers are interested in understanding and becoming Technological Top Regions (TTRs) or ‘Hot Spots’ Accordingly, and in line also with EU DG Research’s recent commissioning of DIME and PRIME (a separate FP 6 NoE) advice on the construction of regional advantage (CRA) the program aims to assist policy makers to evolve policy mechanisms to facilitate the achievement of these regional aspirations.
Atlanta Conference on S&T Policy Atlanta, 18-20 May, 2006 Both the U.S. and Europe see innovation as central to the future growth and vitality of their economies. Policies to encourage innovation need to lead in institutional learning and change across sectors. This conference explores the research base that informs those policies, in current international context. It aims to stimulate dialog among policy makers, analysts, and scholars, covering both what we know and what we need to know to frame effective science and technology policies and to help advance the research agenda of the field. Proposals for papers and sessions are due February 1.
International Conference on Transnational Technology Transfer Darmstadt, Germany, 30-31 May, 2006 Innovation and technological change are the main drivers of economic growth and the key to competitiveness both on national and international level. Successful innovation depends considerably on the ability to efficiently exploit and commercialize knowledge. This is achieved today with growing transnational transfer and exchange of knowledge and technologies. However, there is still a lot that needs to be learned. This conference focuses on successful models of international knowledge transfer and networked innovation activities. Toronto, 5-6 June, 2006 The 2006 Ontario R&E Summit being hosted by ORION and MaRS and being held in the new MaRS Discovery District Collaboration Centre. This event is promoted as "Ontario's definitive annual gathering for the research and education community, inspiring innovation through collaboration technologies and expertise". MaRS is a non-profit corporation aimed at improving commercial outcomes from Canada's foundation of science and technology innovation. The Collaboration Centre, opened last May, is a "convergence innovation centre" located in Toronto's refurbished and hip Discovery District. Changing Foresight Practices in Regional Development: Global Pressures and Regional Possibilities Turku, Finland, 7-9 June, 2006 The future of regions is dependent on proactive interaction between companies, universities and public actors. The aim of the conference is to discuss the different strategic possibilities of regions under the rapidly changing pressures of globalizing world. The key questions are: How regional actors can cope in a global economy? What are the new ways to study and explore the future of regions? How to enhance regional co-operation and networking? What are the strategic keys to prosperous regional futures? Does creativity strengthen regions? How general foresight and development theories can strengthen regional development in practice? How companies can shape their regional strategies in globalizing economy? The conference will consist of several keynote addresses and parallel sessions.
Athens, Greece, 11-14 June, 2006 The 2006 International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) Conference will be held in Athens this summer. Many topics will be discussed such as: academic-industry networks for innovation, learning and the entrepreneurial mindset, managing knowledge, SMEs: opportunities & threats, public policy to stimulate networks. Deadline for submitting an abstract: January 27, 2006.
9th Uddevalla Symposium 2006: Entrepreneurship and Development - Local Processes and Global Patterns Fairfax, Virginia, 15-17 June, 2006 The conference organizing committee will be accepting
abstracts until the 28th of February, 2006. Keep checking the conference
website for more news and information. International Conference on Technology Policy and Innovation: Science, Society and Sustainability Santorini, Greece, 18-21 June, 2006 The choice of the ICTPI Greece 2006 theme, “Science,
Society and Sustainability” was based on the outcomes of the recent
national Technology Foresight (TF) exercise (Greece 2001-2021), emphasizing
these three key factors and their interactions as critical for the emergence
of a knowledge-based economy and society. Scholars interested in presenting
at this conference should submit a paper for consideration before March
15, 2006. Innovation, Competition and Growth: Shumpeterian Perspectives Sophia-Antipolis, 22-24 June, 2006 Recent developments in economics have gone from the recognition of the importance of innovation (early studies of innovation, exogenous growth models) to the exploration of innovation mechanisms (more refined microeconomic and sectoral studies of innovation) to the incorporation into economic models of the results of the previous research (endogenous growth, evolutionary models). An important lesson to be drawn from all this research is that a purely macro-based analysis of growth is not enough. The ISS 2006 conference aims at favouring dialogue amongst open minded researchers sharing a common interest in innovation and in the work of Schumpeter. The following subjects provide examples of topics about which the dialogue could be especially fruitful. The growing importance of knowledge and of human capital, increasing returns and path dependence, the role of variety in economic growth, the role of time and importance of business history, the co-evolution of technology and institutions, the economics of agglomeration are just some examples of subjects that will be discussed at this years event.
Saskatoon, 8-10 August, 2006 The World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations Biennial Congress – WAITRO 2006 – is an opportunity for the research and technology community worldwide to come together to learn from each other and from invited experts. WAITRO participants include potential collaborators from research and technology organizations in other parts of the world to develop projects of common interest. Representatives of International Finance Institutions and International Development Agencies will be present to assist in formulating projects that address the needs of the developing world. The Future of Science Technology and Innovation Policy Sussex, 11-13 September, 2006 This conference, besides celebrating the 40th Anniversary of SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research), offers the opportunity to engage in a critical evaluation of the present and future research agenda of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) field. This conference seeks to explore empirical, theoretical and applied policy approaches that can enable us to conceptualize the contradictory nature of modern science and technology and innovation, and thus provide practical policy guidance. Such a conference is particularly timely because many of the existing conceptual frameworks are apparently undergoing a period of what Kuhn called 'normal science' where their assumptions are rarely questioned, and where they are institutionally and academically isolated from criticism. We aim to identify fruitful new ways forward in the field of STI policy by subjecting these established frameworks to structured debate and critical evaluation. The conference will be organized in the form of plenary sessions, parallel sessions and set debates. It will cover a series of broad themes. These include: Ownership, Accountability and Relevance of Science - for example, the deficiencies of peer review, the pros and cons of patenting in universities, the shifting boundary between public and private knowledge, and processes for allocating resources between disciplines. Technology, Security and Sustainability - for example, the dual relationship between technology and security, changing environment and energy policy, the balance between sustainability and growth, and the role of technology in sustainable development. Dynamics of Innovation Interfaces - for example, the management and dynamics of innovation across different levels (such as individuals, groups, firms, sectors, networks and systems), user-centred innovation processes vs. producer-centered innovation processes, and the connection between innovation and entrepreneurship.
Blue Sky II: What Indicators for Science, Technology and Innovation Policies in the 21st Century? Ottawa, 25-27 September, 2006 This forum will examine new areas for indicator development and set a broad agenda for future work on science, technology and innovation (STI) indicators. Emphasis will be placed on indicators of outcomes and impacts in order to support monitoring, benchmarking, foresight activity, and evaluation, applied to policies and programs, and their economic and social impacts. The Forum is expected to provide ideas and guidance for indicators work in both OECD and non OECD countries, as well as in their international organizations. The Forum will include plenary sessions featuring invited guest speakers who are leading authorities in their fields. Break-out sessions will discuss papers on specific themes selected through a call for papers. New Generation Innovation: New Approaches and Policy Designs Atlanta, 27-29 September, 2006 Particular areas of interest include: new developments in university-industry relationships, new strategies for technology-based local and regional economic development, technology transfer to and from the public sector, trajectories for emerging technologies. All session proposals, paper proposals and abstracts should be submitted electronically not later than Friday, May 12, 2006.
The
9th Annual Conference of the Competitiveness Institute (TCI): The Role
of Cluster Governance and Companies' Involvement in Clusters Initiatives
The goal of this conference is to share ideas, build alliances and explore the best modes of economic development. Additionally information is offered about specific clusters, introductory courses on cluster theory and presentations given by an array of world experts (academics, businesses and institutions).The main topics include competitiveness, innovation, cluster initiatives, industrial organization and corporate change. The theme of the 9th conference will be "Governance and business involvement in cluster initiatives". 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, or contribute
to, the content, subscribe or unsubscribe, please contact us at onris.progris@utoronto.ca.
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