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China Gaining Ground in the Global Head and Brains Race

Global competition, once defined by the Cold War arms race, has evolved into a "head and brains race" where nations measure success through the development and application of technology. That was one of the conclusions from a Battelle-R&D Magazine report on international research and development trends. The report frames international competition as evolving from the arms race to a "hands race" based on lower-cost manual labor and now to the head and brains race driving the current escalation of R&D spending. ?With China leading the way, Asia continues to seize more and more of the international R&D market. Asia's share of global R&D grew from 34.9 percent in 2005 to 35.6 percent this year and should continue to grow to a projected 36.5 percent in 2007, according to the report. The U.S., over the same period, has declined from 32.7 percent to 32.4 percent this year and is projected to dip to 31.9 percent next year.

 

NRC Opens Cutting Edge Fuel Cell Research Facility

The NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI's) new 70,000+ square feet research facility provides a specialized and safe research
environment for NRC scientists, collaborative industry and university partners. The new building provides an excellent platform for NRC's
hydrogen and fuel cell technology demonstration activities as well as a home for the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program and BC's Hydrogen Highway™.

 

Dr. Chad Gaffield Appointed to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada (SSHRC), appointed Dr. Chad Gaffield as President of SSHRC. Dr. Gaffield, who holds a University Research Chair at the University of Ottawa, successfully launched the Institute of Canadian Studies at the University of Ottawa and served as the founding Director from 1997 to 2003.

EDITOR'S PICK                                                                            [Tableof Contents]

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The Organization of Work and Innovative Performance: A Comparison of the EU-15

Anthony Arundel, Edward Lorenz, Bengt-Ake Lundvall, and Antoine Valeyre, DRUID

It is widely recognized that while expenditures on research and development are important inputs to successful innovation, these are not the only inputs. Further, rather than viewing innovation as a linear process, recent work on innovation in business and economics literatures characterizes it as a complex and interactive process involving multiple feedbacks. These considerations imply that relevant indicators for innovation need to do more than capture material inputs such as R&D expenditures and human capital inputs. The main contribution of this paper is to develop EU-wide aggregate measures that are used to explore at the level of national innovation systems the relationship between innovation and the organization of work. In order to construct these aggregate measures the authors make use of micro data from two European surveys: the third European survey of Working Conditions and the third Community Innovation Survey (CIS-3). Although the data can only show correlations rather than causality they support the view that how firms innovate is linked to the way work is organized to promote learning and problem-solving.

The State of Science and Technology in Canada

The Committee for the State of Science and Technology in Canada

This report by The Council of Canadian Academies responds to a request in June 2006 from the Government of Canada, via the Minister of Industry, for advice as to Canada’s strengths and capacity in science and technology (S&T), specifically to help better understand: 1) The scientific disciplines in which Canada excels in a global context, 2) The technology applications where Canada excels in a global context, 3) The S&T infrastructure that currently provides Canada with unique advantages, 4) The scientific disciplines and technological applications that have the potential to emerge as areas of prominent strength for Canada and generate significant economic or social benefits.

Where Has the Money Gone?: Declining Industrial Support for Academic R&D

National Science Foundation (NSF)

A three-decades-long trend of increasingly strong ties between industry and universities may have ended. Between 1972 and 2001, industrial support to universities and colleges grew more rapidly than any other source of support for academic research and development . A 1996 National Academy of Sciences report stated that "The prevalence and vitality of research partnerships between industrial organizations and universities have increased dramatically over the last two decades" (NAS 1996:1). A decade later, at an April 2006 meeting held at the National Academies, prominent industry and university speakers indicated that negotiations of sponsored research agreements, particularly disagreements over the treatment of intellectual property (IP), were negatively affecting the entire industry-university research partnership in the United States. It was pointed out that U.S. companies increasingly choose to work with foreign rather than U.S. universities, encouraged by the more favorable IP rights that foreign universities offer and the strong incentives for joint industry-university research that foreign governments provide. Against this background, it is perhaps not surprising that, beginning in 2002, the absolute value of industrial R&D dollars to academic institutions—funds provided directly to academic institutions for the conduct of research—began to decline. This trend has continued through 2004, the latest year for which data are available

 

CITIES & REGIONS                                                  [Table ofContents]

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Sustainability and Cities as Systems of Innovation

Bjorn Johnson and Martin Lehmann, DRUID

Cities often constitute relevant environments for interactive learning and innovation potentially capable of tackling sustainability problems. This paper asks if the concept of systems of innovation can increase our understanding of city dynamics and help promoting the sustainable development of cities. Through a combination of the innovation system approach and the perspective of creative cities, the paper argues that a slightly modified concept – sustainable city systems of innovation – may be helpful in this context. To underline this, it discusses certain ‘city-traits’ of sustainability and conclude that the new concept may be of special use for urban quality development and management.

New Tools for New Times: A Sourcebook for the Financing, Funding and Delivery of Urban Infrastructure

Casey Vander Ploeg, Canada West Foundation

This report argues that Canada’s cities should have access to, and make use of, a much broader range of finance tools to meet their large and growing infrastructure needs. The report contends that the municipal, provincial and federal governments must work together to implement innovative approaches that will give cities the financial muscle they need to maintain and increase their supply of infrastructure. Vander Ploeg also argues that cities must do a better job of managing the demand for infrastructure.

 

Corporate Citizenship and Urban Problem-Solving: The Changing Civic Role of Business Leaders in American Cities

The Brookings Institution

Business-led civic organizations have historically played an important role in urban policymaking, planning, and renewal. However, shifting economic forces—including corporate consolidation, industrial decline, and the suburbanization of many businesses—have diminished the capacity of these organizations, potentially stripping cities of a significant advocate. This paper, along with two detailed case studies, traces the shifting landscape of business-civic organizations in 19 U.S. metropolitan areas.

 

Social Sustainability in Vancouver

Merrill Cooper, CPRN

A year ago The Economist named Vancouver "The World's Most Liveable City." It has features other cities can only envy: a breathtaking mix of ocean and mountain, a vibrant multi-ethnic population, and a culture of innovation and eco-sensitive practices and policies. And yet, too many residents are being excluded from enjoying, taking part in and contributing to everything Vancouver has to offer. CPRN was commissioned to study the population and begin the process of dealing with the challenges it faces.

 

STATISTICS & INDICATORS                                              [Table ofContents]

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Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization

The Milken Institute

In this study, Milken Institute researchers examine the biotechnology transfer process taking place at universities, from knowledge creation to technology transfer and early-stage commercialization. A key focus of the investigation is the role played by technology transfer professionals. Research is essential for commercial outcome, but the technology transfer professional is crucial in the successful conversion of knowledge to the private sector. The report includes rankings of the top universities based on the quality of their biotech research (Publication Ranking), the number and quality of their patents (Patent Ranking) and their ability to transfer this IP into commercial uses (Technology Transfer and Commercialization Index).