Ontario's Regional Economic Development and Innovation Newsletter



Issue #151                                                           June 1, 2007

  Studies & Publications: Announcements | Editor's Pick | Innovation Policy |Cities and Regions | Statistics and Indicators| Policy Digest | Events
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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 Research and 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]          

Waterloo Ranked Tops in World for its High-Tech Intelligence

Waterloo, Ont., the city that spawned the BlackBerry and Canada's leading computer-science university, has added some new bragging rights. It is now the world's top intelligent community, according to an international think tank. New York-based Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF) chose Waterloo from among seven finalists for its annual award as the community that best exemplifies the development of a prosperous economy based on broadband and information technology. Waterloo, a city of 115,000, edged out finalists that included a second Canadian entry, Ottawa-Gatineau, plus Dundee in Scotland; Sunderland, Tyne & Wear in England; Tallinn, Estonia; the Gangnam district of Seoul; and Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.

Alberta Invests $130 Million in Nanotechnologies

Investing in 'the science of small' will help generate huge returns for Albertans, said Premier Ed Stelmach, unveiling the province's strategy (see full report below) to capture a $20-billion market share of the world's burgeoning nanotechnology market. "Our $130-million investment today will help Alberta represent part of the competitive nanotech market by 2020," Stelmach said. "That investment can grow to an estimated $20-billion in new economic activity, helping build a stronger Alberta." Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, said the three-pillar strategy to grow new nanotech businesses, garner nanotech talent and build nanotech infrastructure will propel Canada to be among the top five countries in the world for nano-based economic activity.

Prime Minister Harper Releases National Science and Technology Strategy to Strengthen Canada's Economy

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently released Canada's new national science and technology (S&T) strategy, identifying more private research and development as key to strengthening Canada's economy. The Prime Minister noted that the new strategy is designed to reverse years of declining private sector investment in research and development and falling enrolment in university science and engineering programs. Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage focuses federal support for research and development in four key areas: natural resources, the environment, health, and information technology.

EDITOR'S PICK                                                             [Table of Contents]

The Geographical Processes Behind Innovation: A Europe-United States Comparative Analysis

Ricardo Crescenzi, Andres Rodriguez-Pose, and Michael Storper
The United States and European Union differ significantly in terms of their innovative capacity: the former have been able to gain and maintain world leadership in innovation and technology while the latter continues to lag. Notwithstanding the magnitude of this innovation gap and the political emphasis placed upon it on both sides of the Atlantic, very little systematic comparative analysis has been carried out on its causes. The empirical literature has emphasised the structural differences between the two continents in the quantity and quality of the major ‘inputs’ to innovation: R&D investments and human capital. The very different spatial organisation of innovative activities in the EU and the US – as suggested by a variety of contributions in the field of economic geography – could also influence innovative output.

This paper analyzes and compares a wide set of territorial processes that influence innovation in Europe and the United States. The higher mobility of capital, population, and knowledge in the US not only promotes the agglomeration of research activity in specific areas of the country but also enables a variety of territorial mechanisms to fully exploit local innovative activities and (informational) synergies. In the European Union, in contrast, imperfect market integration, and institutional and cultural barriers across the continent prevent innovative agents from maximizing the benefits from external economies and localised interactions, but compensatory forms of geographical process may be emerging in concert with further European integration.

INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY                                  [Table of Contents]

Strengthening Management for Prosperity

The Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity
Previous reports of the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity have shown how Canada lags behind the US in terms of innovation and productivity. Among the areas where Canada could improve are in attitude, investments, motivations and structures to encourage creativity and growth. This paper focuses on an important part of governance structures - management talent. It discusses the importance of management capabilities to the market structures necessary for innovation. It then reviews Canada's success in building this management capability. Finally, it compares achievements in graduating management talent versus other skills necessary for innovation, namely science and engineering. The report concludes that an important part of closing the prosperity gap is for Canada to broaden its approach to innovation to include a greater committment to strengthening management talent.

Modes, Challenges and Outcomes of Nanotechnology Transfer

Christopher Palmberg, TEKES
Nanotechnology has been proposed as the next general purpose technology and engine for growth for the 21th century. Increasing public R&D investments are foremost reflected in the growth of scientific publications, while nanotechnology still is in an uncertain phase of development with various directions of commercialization pending. This paper focuses on the challenge, modes and outcomes of nanotechnology as an emerging science- based field in Finland. The paper contributes by interrogating how challenges and modes of nanotechnology transfer differ across universities and companies and determine outcomes broadly defined. It uses an extensive survey data covering university and company researchers in the Finnish nanotechnology community. The results show significant differences in the perceptions of researchers across these organisations, and highlight specific challenges and modes as determinants of outcomes. The specificities of nanotechnology are also assessed in this context.



CITIES, CLUSTERS & REGIONS                                          [Table of Contents]

Alberta Nanotechnology Strategy: Unleashing Alberta's Potential

Alberta’s success in applying science, research and technology has put the province at the forefront in energy, forestry, agriculture and medical advances. The province leads Canada in most economic indicators, including growth, employment, productivity, average family income and standard of living. To continue to prosper, Albertans must fully participate in the
opportunities that nanotechnology offers, as Alberta’s primary industries will need to embrace nanotechnology applications to remain on the leading edge and stay competitive. The vision for Alberta in nanotechnology is that: Alberta will be a leading contributor in placing Canada amongst the top five nations in the world by helping it produce 10 per cent of the world’s nanotechnology based economic activity. Alberta’s mission is that: By 2020, Alberta will achieve a two per cent share of the global nanotechnology market – generating an estimated $20 billion of new economic activity – by developing nano enabled products and applications specific to industries in the energy and environment, health and medical technologies, and agriculture and forestry sectors. This strategy lays out these goals and the processes to achieve them

 

STATISTICS & INDICATORS                                                 [Table of Contents]

Mapping the US Nano-Metro Economy

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
With nanotechnology poised to be the globe’s next big economic driver, five U.S. cities have emerged as the country’s top “Nano Metro” locations—areas with the nation’s highest concentration of nanotech companies, universities, research laboratories, and organizations. Three leading “Nano Metro” centers—San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland—are in California, the state emerging as the domestic frontrunner in nanotechnology competition. The other two—Boston and Middlesex-Essex—are in Massachusetts. This information is on view as part of a new interactive map displaying the growing “Nano Metro” landscape. The map and accompanying analysis—presented by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies—depicts and ranks cities and states by numbers of companies, nanotechnology academic and government research centers, organizations, business sectors, and much more.

 

POLICY DIGEST                                                                  [Table of Contents]

Restoring Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities

The Brookings Institution
With over 16 million people and nearly 8.6 million jobs, America's older industrial cities remain a vital-if undervalued-part of the economy, particularly in states where they are heavily concentrated, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. They also have a range of other physical, economic, and cultural assets that, if fully leveraged, can serve as a platform for their renewal. Many cities have exploited these assets to their advantage; the moment is ripe for older industrial cities to follow suit. But to do so, these cities need thoughtful and broad-based approaches to foster prosperity. This report aims to mobilize governors and legislative leaders, as well as local constituencies, behind an asset-oriented agenda for reinvigorating the market in the nation's older industrial cities. The report begins with identifications and descriptions of these cities-and the economic, demographic, and policy "drivers" behind their current condition-then makes a case for why the moment is ripe for advancing urban reform, and offers a five-part agenda and organizing plan to achieve it.

Overall this report underscores two basic messages:

The time is ripe for urban revitalization

  • Major demographic shifts—robust immigration, an aging population, and changing family structures—are altering the size, makeup, and locational choices of the nation’s households, to the benefit of the cities that offer the opportunities and amenities these groups seek;
  • Economic trends—globalization, the demand for educated workers, the increasing role of universities—are providing cities with an unprecedented chance to capitalize upon their economic advantages and regain their competitive edge.
  • Forward-thinking political leaders and constituencies—businesses, local and state elected officials, major foundations, and key environmental and community organizations—are speaking more eloquently and more often about market-based urban development, reflecting these groups’ growing awareness of the nexus between city revitalization and competitive, sustainable metropolitan growth.

States have an essential role to play in the revitalization of older industrial cities
In order for cities to reach their true economic potential, their states must engage—on multiple fronts.

  • Fix the Basics: First and foremost, states need to ensure that older industrial cities are safe, fiscally healthy communities where children are provided the same opportunities as their suburban counterparts. This means implementing policies and programs that help lower prison recidivism rates and reduce crime; improve neighborhood schools and the instruction that takes place within them; and create a competitive cost climate for families and businesses;

  • Build on Economic Strengths: Second, states need to do their part to help older industrial cities understand and cultivate their unique economic attributes so as to foster a “high road” economy. To this end, states should help cities reinvigorate their downtowns; invest in industries—eds and meds, culture and entertainment, advanced manufacturing, small businesses, and others—that play to cities’ and metropolitan areas’ strengths;

  • Transform the Physical Landscape: Third, states need to recognize and leverage the physical assets of cities that are uniquely aligned with the preferences of the changing economy, and then target their investments and amend outmoded policies so as to help spur urban redevelopment. States should focus their resources on upgrading crumbling infrastructure in cities and older areas; provide support for major projects—such as waterfront redevelopment or improving large public parks—that have the potential to catalyze reinvestment in the core;

  • Grow the Middle Class: Fourth, states need to improve the economic condition of low-income older industrial city residents. This requires that states invest in state-of-the-art vocational training systems that give residents the skills they need to compete; give low-wage workers ready access to the work benefits they deserve to make work pay; and help low-income families to build wealth and assets through programs and legislation that reduce the costs of being poor;

  • Create Neighbourhoods of Choice: States need to ensure that cities have strong, healthy neighborhoods that are attractive to families with a range of incomes. This requires that state housing subsidies be flexible enough to be used to build a mix of unit types at varying prices throughout metropolitan areas; that they appropriate resources to help localities leverage the marketpotential of under-served urban neighborhoods;

Though these points speak to the American context specifically, due to institutional similarities between Canadian and American jurisdictions these lessons also apply north of the border.

EVENTS                                                                               [Table of Contents]

Toronto Technology Week

Toronto, 28 May - 1 June, 2007

Toronto’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry cluster will come together to celebrate being the largest high-tech hub in Canada and the third largest in North America. During this event a series of activities will be undertaken to showcase the depth and breadth of Toronto’s high technology sector. These will include trade associations’ events such as seminars and business networking functions, job fairs, collaboration demonstrations, an ICT business open door program, school projects, educational seminars, special exhibits showcasing innovation & excellence and other ICT sector- related activities. An organizing committee formed by ICT industry stakeholders representing a cross-section of this industry, in both the private and public sectors, has been formed to implement this initiative

2007 Ontario R&E Summit

Toronto, 4-5 June, 2007

The Ontario Research and Education Summit is Ontario’s premier conference bringing together leaders and innovators in research and education, showcasing achievements and exciting capabilities made possible through global advanced networking and new collaborative tools and technologies. Meet and learn from experts, leaders and colleagues as they share insights on how they explore new ways of using next-generation collaborative technologies supporting scientific discovery, innovation, teaching and learning. Presented in partnership with MaRS Discovery District, the Summit is a unique opportunity to network with industry experts and learn more about advancements in research and learning technologies.

Photonics North 2007 - Closing the Gap Between Theory, Development and Application

Ottawa, 4-7 June, 2007

Conference topics include, but are not limited to: biophotonics, fiber lasers and amps, guided wave devices, industrial applications, new optical materials and nanophotonics, optical sensors and detectors, optics and photonics in defence and security, photonics design and simulations, photonics devices and networks, and ultrashort pulse lasers.

 

The Americas Competitiveness Forum

Atlanta, 11-12 June, 2007

This conference will provide a venue for government ministers from the Western Hemisphere to come together with leaders from the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations, to explore cutting edge ideas and best practices in several key areas of competitiveness. The ACF’s main tracks are sparking and sustaining innovation; creating solutions in education and workforce development; designing successful global supply chain strategies; and fostering small business development and growth. This forum will be more than a discussion; it will serve as a launching pad for a continued, practical dialogue on competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Innovation, ICT and Creativity: Knowledge-Based Regions for a Competitive Europe

Bilbao, Spain, 13-15 June, 2007

The IANIS+ 2007 Conference in Bilbao will address the importance of transformative uses of ICT to achieve competitiveness, the ways in which regions can contribute to the Lisbon Agenda and their own development, the challenges that regions will face, and the new priorities they will need to adopt so as to become creative regions better adapted to today’s global competitive environment.

 

The DX National Design Conference - Outopias: Ideal Cities and the Role of Design in Remaking Urban Space

Toronto, 14-16 June, 2007

This interdisciplinary conference, the second presented by the Design Exchange, Canada's National Design Centre, seeks to explore
the varied and future states of cities. Papers are invited that address such related and relevant topics as green space in cities,
infrastructure, technology, environmentalism, and sustainability, Brownfield rehabilitation, ex urban growth, public transportation, universal design, street furnishings, climate change and disaster preparedness. Several themes of interest : mass media, technology, infrastructure and policy and social responsibility.

Regional Innovation in Traditional Industries

Volterra, Italy, 23 June, 2007

This workshop is part of the Structural Activity Line 3 of the DIME Network of Excellence and focuses particularly on the impact of diversification within various sectors ranging from previously highly industrialized regions to agri-food regions. The workshop will assess the way in which global competition from emerging markets is challenging traditional industries, what their responses are and how innovative and how successful such responses may be. Taking a regional innovation systems approach, the workshop will explore how network interactions can reshape a region, the effects the transformation has on the regions, and the challenges to economic growth accompanying the changes.

ECKM 2007: The 8th European Conference on Knowledge Management

Barcelona, Spain, 6-7 September 2007

This conference invites researchers, academics and people from business who are involved in the knowledge management and intellectual capital initiatives to come together debate ideas and present their latest findings and ongoing research. In its 8th year, the conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona is the economic, cultural and administrative capital of Catalonia. Strategically located in the Mediterranean and acting as the hub of a polynucleate metropolitan region with 4.6 million inhabitants, it is a plural, multicultural and growing space of exchange in which individuals and organisations can devote to their own projects in a climate of dynamism, harmony and creativity.

NRC Connections 2007: The Technology Cluster Advantage in Canada

Toronto, 24-25 September, 2007

Cluster stakeholders from the private sector, all levels of government, universities and industry associations will convene in Toronto to discuss: SMEs - Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years; Innovating to Succeed - Making R&D Collaborations Work; Making Things Happen, Staying Focused and Steering the Cluster - Together; Building Networks - Across the Street, Around the World; Cluster Marketing and Brand Building to Attract Investment; Leadership Strategies for Cluster Success; And More...
Please join us for two days of dialogue, problem-solving and networking, to promote the nurturing and growth of technology clusters.

3rd International Conference on E-Government

Montreal, 27 - 28 September, 2007

Alongside the rise in e-Government provision comes a greater interest in the study of e-Government, from both a practical and a theoretical point of view. As controversy rages around issues such as e-Voting and identity cards, so academics and practitioners pick up the gauntlet of supporting or attacking these issues. Service providers too have their opinions to share. Much time and money is being spent in considering the best way forward and in examining what has been done well and what lessons can be learnt when things go wrong. This conference aims to bring evidence of the research being undertaken across the globe to the attention of co-workers and the wider community for the purposes of helping practitioners find ways to put research into practice, and for researchers to gain an understanding of additional real-world problems. The advisory group for ICEG 2007 therefore invites submissions of papers on both theory and practice in respect of the conference themes outlined below, from academics, government departments and practitioners in the public and private sector. The closing date for paper submissions has been extended to 11 May, 2007.

 

Atlanta Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2007
Atlanta, October 19-20, 2007

The landscape of global innovation is shifting, with new problems and actors emerging on the scene. National governments are looking for new strategies, and they are turning to the science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy research community for models and research results to tell them what works and what doesn’t, under what circumstances. The Atlanta Conference provides an opportunity for the global STI policy research and user communities to test models of innovation, explore emerging STI policy issues, and share research results.

 

Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Organizations of the Future new

Cambridge, 7-8 December, 2007

Creativity is an essential element of success in contemporary organizations, yet much remains to be discovered about how creativity happens in the minds of individuals, in group processes and in entrepreneurial organizations. The conference will draw on scholarly work from multiple disciplines to deepen our understanding of creativity and entrepreneurship, and the ways in which their intersection might impact organizations of the future.


>SUBSCRIPTIONS & COMMENTS                                                 [Table of Contents]

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This newsletter is prepared by Jen Nelles.
Project manager is David A. Wolfe.

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