Issue #195
July 8, 2009
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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]
Ubisoft Opens a Toronto Office
One of the world's leading game developers — Ubisoft — is coming to Toronto to establish a major video game studio and create 800 high-quality jobs over 10 years. Ubisoft chose Ontario because of our talented workforce, competitive tax environment and strong ties with the film industry. The McGuinty government is investing $263 million over 10 years in the company. Ubisoft will invest over half-a-billion dollars in the new studio, which will begin operation in late 2009.
Ontario's Commercialization Leaders Join Forces to Bring Promising Technologies to Market
Two of Ontario's leading organizations for the commercialization of research are joining forces to accelerate the development of promising discoveries by the province's researchers and entrepreneurs. The Centre for Commercialization of Research (CCR) - launched in November by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and the Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada - and PARTEQ Innovations, the technology commercialization office of Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, have signed an agreement to work together to advance exciting technology innovations across Ontario.
Government of Canada Helps Colleges Get Research Results Out into Their Communities
Four colleges and one CEGEP will work with their communities and local businesses to get new innovations from the campuses into the marketplace where Canadians can benefit from them. The Canadian government recently announced funding for the projects under the College and Community Innovation Program (CCI). Today's $11.5 million in funding is provided through the CCI Program, a joint initiative of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Established as a permanent program by the Government in Budget 2007, CCI enables colleges and CEGEPS to develop or expand research transfer activities in their communities through partnerships with local companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework Under Public Review
The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology recently released for public review a report that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a U.S. Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources. The nearly 300-page report is part of the first phase of NIST’s three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid.
Recommendations Update for Innovation Nation and Economic Stimulus: Review Commentaries
Sir Terence Matthews, CATA National Spokesperson, delivered a keynote address at the Industry Canada Conference on "Canada's Digital Economy: Moving Forward". He stated that "Canada had significant early success with its "Connecting Canadians" agenda, including putting in place the necessary policy and statutory provisions to encourage digital commerce and protect citizen privacy...But more recently, we seem to be standing still ---- parked on the side of the information highway, while other nations pass us by, at a time when the underlying technologies that make the 'Digital Economy' possible are changing and growing faster than ever before. Clearly, we need to 'get back in the race', if this country is to maximize its benefits from the 'Digital Economy'".
EDITOR'S PICK [Table of Contents]
2009 Interim Report on the OECD Innovation Strategy: An Agenda for Policy Action on Innovation
OECD
The 2009 Interim Report is an important step towards developing an OECD Innovation Strategy for the 21st century. It examines the contribution of innovation to growth, and to addressing key global challenges. It takes account of the new landscape and dynamics of innovation: the important linkages between traditional and new forms of innovation; its changing geography; and the challenges of governance. In examining these shifts, the report pinpoints the areas where the policy framework may need to be reassessed, or new policies and indicators developed. Analysis underway will result in a set of policy principles to harness innovation in the 21st century. This comprehensive strategy will be delivered to Ministers in 2010.
INNOVATION & RELATED POLICY [Table of Contents]
Globally Advantaged Manufacturing: Winning in the Downturn and Beyond
The Boston Consulting Group
Decisions about where to manufacture should be driven by more than just cost. For companies seeking a strategic edge over the competition, the far more complex—and critical—questions are where to manufacture what products and how to set up a globally advantaged production network. These questions are the focus of this report, which also explores the stages a company typically goes through as its offshore operations evolve and the characteristics of a globally advantaged manufacturing network.
DRUID 2009 Summer Conference Papers Available Online
More than 200 papers from this conference are available on line such as “When Do Firms Use Public Research? The Determinants of Knowledge Flows from Universities and Government Labs to Industrial R&D”, “Decline and renewal of high-tech clusters: The Cambridge case”, and “The Greening of Innovation Systems for Eco-innovation - Towards an Evolutionary Climate Mitigation Policy”.
The Role of Communication Infrastructure Investment in Economic Recovery
OECD
The recent economic downturn has led policy makers in OECD countries to consider fiscal policies to help return their economies to growth. Most of these plans involve large government expenditures to support demand for goods and services while simultaneously increasing the longer-term productive capacity of the economy. Investments in network infrastructures such as electricity, gas, water, transportation and communications are key elements of most packages due to their immediate impacts on demand and employment as well as their strong potential to expand future supply. Broadband infrastructure, in particular, can be a good target for economic stimulus spending because many projects can be initiated relatively quickly, are labour-intensive, can minimise economic leakages, and may promise stronger marginal impacts on supply and productivity than investing in established networks such as electricity, gas, water and transportation. The strongly pro-cyclical nature of communication network investment also means that skilled labour and equipment may be left idle and planned projects shelved until the economy improves. This labour and equipment could be quickly shifted to government-sponsored projects. At the same time, governments must ensure that interventions do not interfere with properly functioning markets or displace private investment.
CITIES, CLUSTERS & REGIONS [Table of Contents]
Lessons from European Union Policies for Regional Development
Raja Shankar and Anwar Shah, World Bank
This paper reviews the impact of EU policies for regional development to draw lessons of interest to other countries pursuing similar goals. The paper concludes that policies that serve to create an internal common market by creating a level playing field that enables poorer regions to integrate with the broader national and global economies have the best potential to advance regional income convergence. In this context, removal of barriers to trade and factor mobility and providing enhanced access to information and technology to the lagging regions should be main policy priorities for regional development
The Maturing Metropolis: Governance in Toronto a Decade on from Amalgamation
Andre Cote, Institute on Municipal Finance and Government
Amalgamation was not recommended by experts, it was spurned by residents, and it largely failed to meet its primary objective of increased efficiency. Yet, it unleashed a tidal wave of reform that continues to be felt a decade on. The complexity of governing the 'Megacity' - now North America's 5th largest - forced a significant reshaping of Toronto's system of government. But there has been little appraisal of these reforms, and it remains unclear whether the City and its residents are better off today. The central question is: on balance, have the changes of the past decade produced a maturing metropolis - on that can now represent residents more effectively, representatively and accountably? This paper evaluates this question using four governance criteria: (1) effectiveness and responsiveness; (2) consensus orientation; (3) transparency, accountability and participation; and (4) maturity.
The Complementarity Between Cities and Skills
Edward L Glaeser and Matthew G Resseger, NBER
There is a strong connection between per worker productivity and metropolitan area population, which is commonly interpreted as evidence for the existence of agglomeration economies. This correlation is particularly strong in cities with higher levels of skill and virtually non-existent in less skilled metropolitan areas. This fact is particularly compatible with the view that urban density is important because proximity spreads knowledge, which either makes workers more skilled or entrepreneurs more productive. Bigger cities certainly attract more skilled workers, and there is some evidence suggesting that human capital accumulates more quickly in urban areas.
STATISTICS & INDICATORS [Table of Contents]
Design, Creativity and Innovation: A Scoreboard Approach
Hugo Hollanders and Adriana van Cruysen, Pro Inno Europe
Creativity and design are important features of a well-developed knowledge economy, not only for having a favourable impact on people’s well-being and business performance, but also on innovation. The importance of creativity for innovation is perhaps best reflected by the fact that 2009 will be the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. Design is a structured process that transforms creative ideas into concrete products, services and systems, and as such links creativity to innovation. As part of the innovation process, design has the potential to substantially contribute to improving the brand image, sales and profitability of a company. The authors of this paper try to quantify countries performance in creativity and design using proxy indicators to build composite indicators. These composite indicators are then used to examine the link with the innovation performance data from the 2008 European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS).
MetroMonitor: Tracking the Recession and Recovery in the 100 Largest Metro Areas
The Brookings Institution
The Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings has initiated the MetroMonitor, a quarterly, interactive barometer of the health of America’s 100 largest metropolitan economies. The monitor looks “beneath the hood” of national economic statistics to portray the diverse metropolitan trajectories of recession and recovery across the country. Each quarter, the MetroMonitor examines a series of metropolitan-level indicators regarding changes in employment, wages, output, and housing conditions. It aims to enhance understanding of the particular places and industries that drive national economic trends, and to promote public- and private-sector responses to the downturn that take into account metro areas’ unique starting points for eventual recovery.
How Regions Grow: Trends and Analysis
OECD
Regional differences within OECD countries are often greater than those between countries and much inequality remains. This report explores what generates growth at the regional level. Based on in-depth econometric modelling and analyses, this report reframes the debate on regional policy and development, emphasising that opportunities for growth exist in all regions.
EVENTS [Table of Contents]
12th Annual Conference on Technology Policy and Innovation - ICTPI09
Porto, Portugal, 13-14 July, 2009
The theme and motto of the 12th ICTPI Conference - Science, Technology and Knowledge Networks – long term growth strategies to face the financial crisis – will seek to challenge the participants in developing strategic responses to the crisis that integrate long-term concerns, by involving research and development, higher-education and science-based innovation.
Research and Entrepreneurship in the Knowledge-Based Economy
Milan, Italy, 7-8 September, 2009
Knowledge creation and management has been widely recognized as the main driving force for the economic growth of advanced economies. In the knowledge-based economy, learning, knowledge, research and human capital are key variables in the development of firms, sectors and countries. The increasing importance of the knowledge-based economy leads to a growing number of challenges for the actors involved: the need to integrate and coordinate research, a better definition of actions and the search for the right instruments to tackle the cognitive and management aspects of the processes and to evaluate outcomes and effects. Within this framework, the conference aims to create an opportunity for presentation of current research in the field and to open a space for debating on the impact of investments in research and human capital on firms, sectors and countries in the knowledge-based economy, and on the role for public policy. Keynote speakers include: Giovanni Dosi, Dominique Foray, Franco Malerba, Pascal Petit and Rehinilde Veuglers.
Linz, Austria, 9-10 September, 2009
Beginning in September 2006 eleven regions of old, new and associated European Member States came together in the European project “Central & Eastern European Cluster and Network Area”. All the members - Austria (Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol), Hungary (West Pannonia), Czech Republic, Italy (South Tyrol), Poland, Slovenia (Podravje Region), Slovakia and Croatia – cooperate in developing jointly our future innovation and cluster policy in the areas of economic strengths. The final conference of the Inno-Net project "CEE-ClusterNetwork" will take place in Linz, Austria. Many topics will be addressed, such as the role of clusters in times of economic changes, European innovation policy for a prosperous Europe, strategic framework and implementation of trans-regional Cluster Collaboration, and recommendations for the future challenges of cluster policies.
4th European Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Antwerp, Belgium, 10-11 September, 2009
n the light of the European Lisbon goals, the importance of the conference topics cannot be underestimated. Entrepreneurship and innovation should be the driving force in the transition of the Western economies towards knowledge-intensive economies – a necessity to maintain our current living standards. Knowledge creation and dissemination to society are indispensable to advance into the next era. The conference welcomes academics, researchers and industrial delegates to join this innovative program.
Atlanta, 2-3 Oct, 2009
Science and innovation are aimed at change—new knowledge, new techniques, and fresh approaches to addressing the major challenges facing humanity. The 2009 Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation policy will focus on ways that science and innovation policies can shape the future by setting goals such as safety, economic security, improved health, and environmental quality and by designing programs to reach these goals.
Learning Clusters: 12th TCI Annual Global Conference
Jyvaskyla, Finland, 12-16 October, 2009
Can clusters be learning organizations? How can learning clusters promote competitiveness for businesses and the regional economy in times of constant change? What are the disciplines of successful and dynamic clusters in the knowledge economy and network society? The 12th TCI Annual Global Conference aims to raise awareness and stimulate discussion of these issues in order to inspire sustainable clustering actions and better futures in clusters, businesses and regions.
Global Recession: Regional Impacts on Housing, Jobs, Health and Wellbeing: Call for Papers 
London, UK, 27 November, 2009
In recent years, issues of health and wellbeing have come to the fore in much public debate and policymaking. These related topics appear across a number of agendas and are significant elements in employment, housing, social inclusion, and social policy fields as well as under their own strategic and delivery areas. Not only do health, health service delivery, deprivation, happiness, incomes and wealth vary across countries and national boundaries, but also there are often strong regional and indeed local and neighbourhood differences. Although there is an established and well developed research landscape in these areas, they are often bound within particular disciplines so that other related interests are unaware of their existence and relevance to their own needs. As the global economy has entered a period of prolonged recession and uncertainty, it is timely to ask questions about the implications for people’s lives and livelihoods. The Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2009 on Health, Housing, Jobs and Wellbeing presents an opportunity to discuss and debate these issues, to establish the research requirements and to address the concerns of practitioners and policymakers. The conference is keen to attract papers and sessions which address a broad active research and policy agenda, including contributions from any discipline which can offer insights at local and regional levels.
Entrepreneurship and Growth: The Role of Policy Reforms
Washington, DC, 19-20 November, 2009
This conference will address several topics such as the causal effects of institutional, regulatory, and fiscal reforms on entrepreneurial activity; the effects of financial, operational, and management constraints on entrepreneurship and policies that help alleviate these constraints; and the role of entrepreneurship in economic growth and development.
Stimulating Recovery: The Role of Innovation Management
New York, 6-9 December, 2009
Organised by ISPIM and hosted by The Fashion Institute of Technology this symposium will bring together academics, business leaders, consultants and other professionals involved in innovation management. The symposium format will include facilitated themed sessions for academic and practitioner presentations together with interactive workshops and discussion panels. Additionally, the symposium will provide excellent networking opportunities together with a taste of local New York culture.
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