OCRI Blogs » Clusters

Policy development to strengthen innovation in Canada

guestblogger — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:37:45 +0000

by An Thien Ngo, Ph.D.

I had the opportunity to witness policy development in action at the recent Medical Devices Summit co-organized by OCRI and the Medical Devices Innovation Institute.

Representatives from across the medical devices sector had gathered at the Summit on October 13-14 to assemble recommendations and strategies to achieve this sector’s potential for growth. The speakers, moderators, and audience included representatives from funding agencies, research institutes, venture capital, local and multinational companies, universities, and technical colleges. From among this variety of perspectives, the session moderators facilitated a balanced dialogue resulting in eight key recommendations supported by action steps. Topics included encouraging research investment, enhancing the education of young researchers and technology transfer professionals, identifying barriers to commercialization, and improving access to global & domestic markets.
The final report arising from the Summit promises to be a valuable resource for policymakers at all levels who seek to understand the many factors that are necessary to support innovation.

So how is it possible to take this discussion further? What’s going on in other sectors? How might strategies for strengthening the medical devices sector fit into a national science & technology strategy for Canada?

Opportunities for this type of dialogue are becoming more numerous, especially in Ottawa.

Just around the corner on November 18, the Chemical Institute of Canada is hosting a panel entitled “Drivers of Innovation in the Chemical-Related Industry Sector”. Representatives from the Ontario BioAuto Council, the Forest Products Association of Canada, DuPont Canada, and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers will give their perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of national and provincial policies that attract or hinder research investments in Canada’s largest chemical-related trade sectors.
Genome Canada’s GPS Series: Where Genomics, Public Policy, and Science Meet, facilitates dialogue on policy issues arising at the interface of genomics and its ethical, enviromental, legal, and social aspects. It includes a November 17 panel, open to the public, on “Genomics and Regulatory Science” which explores the evaluation of scientific and technological applications resulting from advances in genomics, and where the audience will be invited to participate in a plenary discussion to refine the policy brief.

The Canadian Cleantech Summit, which just took place on Oct 27 & 28, was another such forum, including three days of policy discussion relevant to environmentally friendly technologies.

These are just a few examples of how and where to learn about the current state of science & technology policy in Canada, and participate in discussions that help to shape it.

The Chemical Institute of Canada and Genome Canada events are both part of the Canadian Science Policy Conference, Nov 16-18 in the Ottawa Convention Centre. Conference highlights also include a special keynote address by Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) as well as presentations by chief scientists, a university president, three MPs, and two provincial legislators. OCRI members are eligible for a special discount on General registrations with promo code OCRI2011. For more information and to register, visit www.cspc2011.ca

An Thien Ngo, Ph.D. is the Ottawa outreach coordinator for the Canadian Science Policy Conference. The opinions expressed here are entirely her own. Contact her at an.ngo@sciencepolicy.ca

On the Environment, the Private Sector in China Begins to Step Up

mdarch — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:35:20 +0000

Our second set of visitors during Thanksgiving week came from the China Association of Environmental Protection Industries (CAEPI). The Association management has come to Canada with ten of its members. The difference with this group from our usual groups from China is that they are all companies and principally owned by individuals.

Our introduction to the group was made by Minister Counsellor Jiang from the Embassy of China in Canada. We first visited the group in Beijing in June of this year. From that meeting, at which we were also accompanied by Majid Dellah from our Embassy in Beijing, the commitment was made to visit Canada, including Ottawa. We were amazed how fast they acted on that commitment: here they are talking business in early October.

Presenting company representatives from the from the China Association of Environmental Protection Industries (CAEPI) visit on October 14, 2011

Du Lin, the Secretary General of the Association, makes four key points. First, environmental management remains a fundamental component of China’s five year plans, and the resources dedicated to the sector will continue to grow under the 12th plan. Second, the industry continues to grow, with over 1000 companies now in the Association. This point is furthered echoed during the individual company presentations with all outlining the continued growth of their businesses. Third, the industry is increasingly dominated by companies from the private sector. Fourth, the requirements in China are enormous. There is a real need for technologies that are available in Canada. Canadian companies can best participate by approaching their members, concentrate on developing the technology, and leave the interface with government at all levels to them.

Each of the Chinese companies had the opportunity to give a brief overview of their company and the opportunities that they see for Canadian companies. The companies talk specifics and have obviously done their homework on Canada and the companies in the room. Smiles break out amongst the Canadians as they realize that first the Chinese companies need their technologies and do not have time to wait for them to be developed in China. Second, the companies are seeing that my favourite line about China is true, think of the size of the opportunity and then add six zeros.

One on one sessions with Chinese and Canadian company reps during the CAEPI visit

The afternoon one on one meetings demonstrated the value of these visits. Sophie, my Asia Project Manager, was to get the Ottawa companies to rotate through the companies from China according to a pre-arranged schedule. As Sophie sounds the bell for the first changeover, companies remain in heated discussion. We hit the classic dilemma, do we turn an obvious home run into a single, or do we let them go. After hurried discussions with the Association leadership, the decision is made not to stop the obvious success of the one on one meetings. Our well planned afternoon turns into organized chaos as Sophie struggles to ensure that all one on one meetings are held, but not by cutting short solid business exchanges.

Was it worth it? The organizer of the Chinese delegation sent us an email stating: “It was the best meeting I have ever seen, congratulations”. Danmei Yang from CHFour Boiogas added “The event provided a platform for Chinese and Canadian companies to know each other’s needs, and promoted the opportunities for cooperation…It was an excellent workshop!”.

Participants in the CAEPI visit on October 14, 2011

The day ends for our Chinese guests with a windshield tour of Ottawa. I started the morning session by welcoming them to the greenest, most sustainable Capital city on the planet. It is only fitting that our guests get the opportunity to see and enjoy the proof.

Bringing the World to Ottawa Companies

mdarch — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:47:11 +0000

It is often said that Ottawa’s technology sector is one of Canada’s greatest secrets. The week following Canadian Thanksgiving is an example of how we are changing that.

Tuesday saw a visit from our digital media and film consultant in California, Gathers Strategies. Wednesday, we hosted our first private sector association visit from China, The China Association of Environmental Protection Industries. On Thursday and Friday, we were the co-sponsors with the Medical Device Innovation Institute of the 2011 Medical Device Summit. On Friday, we welcomed the Guangdong Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation.

Through the Ontario Technology Corridor (Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo, London and Niagara in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade) Ottawa has participated in a multi-year effort to increase the profile of our digital media industry in California. Working through Gathers Strategies, a company with strong connections in the digital media and film industries, we identified several investment opportunities in the region, as well as established relationships with numerous companies in the digital media industry.

Dwayne Gathers is in Ottawa to help define our 2012 program. We used the opportunity to have Dwayne deliver a seminar to several companies in the sector. Key take-aways are:

The market in Los Angeles alone is $13.6 billion annually
Companies there are on a constant search for new pools of talent
Cost competitiveness is a major driver
Increasing challenges in Asia are resulting in a shift back to North America

More important to Ottawa companies was an extended discussion on the needs of specific companies in California. In a market like California, key decision makers are constantly bombarded by requests from companies claiming to be the best in the world, with the most competitive prices and the fastest delivery. Companies without an “in” in the region are allocated quickly to the trash bin. Even with an introduction, you better have a solid value proposition and presentation, or once again, into the trash bin.

Several potential opportunities are identified and discussed. Were our companies satisfied, here is a quote from David Fortier of PIP Animation “This was a great opportunity for the industry to get together and talk about our collective needs, and to have immediate feedback into the LA market through Dwayne was fantastic. It is good to know we have OCRI pushing for businesses like ours, and your efforts are greatly appreciated. To have them turn into direct connections with potential contracts so quickly is simply phenomenal.” OCRI and Gathers Strategies have done their job, bringing real opportunities to the companies. Now, they have to close.

In 2012 we are launching a full on (former California Governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger assault of the digital media and television and film industry in Los Angeles and San Francisco, but our weapons are talent and technology!

Shaping Canada’s Clean Technology Future: 2nd Annual Canadian Cleantech Summit

mmcarthur — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:48:02 +0000

Canada’s diverse clean technology industry is broad and deep, comprised of over 600 technology companies spanning nine sectors. In 2010 Canadian clean technology revenues were $9.1 billion with the potential to reach $18 billion in the next five years, and $60 billion in the next ten years. However, 40 percent of those revenues were generated by companies with fewer than $100 million in revenue. While the potential for the sector is vast, there is no clearly defined roadmap that will guide Canadian companies to global success.

Building on the momentum generated by the inaugural Canadian Cleantech Summit, this year’s summit (October 27-28 at the Ottawa Convention Centre) brings together leading entrepreneurs, executives, investors, international trade representatives, corporate partners and policy makers to generate discussion to help determine the future direction for Canada’s globally competitive stance on clean technology.

Keynote speakers include: Dr. David Keith, Canada Research Chair in Energy and the Environment; Chuck Szmurlo, Vice President, Emerging Technologies, Enbridge Gas; Don Roberts, Vice-Chairman of CIBC Wholesale Banking, and Managing Director Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Sectors; Marc Stoiber, Brand Innovation and Sustainability Specialist; Nicholas Parker, Executive Chairman, Cleantech Group, Chairman of the Board, WaterTAP; Chris Weston, President and CEO, Direct Energy; and Dr. Ian Potter, Vice-President, Engineering, National Research Council Canada.

Panel discussions will focus on emerging technologies and research, markets, financing and funding and policy and will tackle topics in oil, gas and mining, transportation, waste to energy, China, market entry, strategic procurement, short and long-term funding trends, and provincial programs to support the sector.

Given the huge potential for this sector and the amazing opportunity that this summit represents to initiate real dialogue to move forward, the summit is a must attend. Visit canadiancleantechsummit.com for full details.

Turning the spotlight on the Medical Devices Sector

alex pugh — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:38:14 +0000

Last year, OCRI and the Medical Devices Innovation Institute (MDI2) brought together over 150 senior officials (Presidents, CEOs, Directors, etc.) from more than 80 Canadian organizations engaged in the medical devices sector to promote discussion and the exchange of ideas with the intent to create the framework for a national medical devices strategy. Building on the outcomes and recommendations from last year’s event, the 2011 Medical Devices Summit will continue to move forward down that path.

The 2011 Summit opens with a keynote presentation from Manny Villafaña, Chairman, CEO, and Founder of Kips Bay Medical, Inc. Every year, 250,000 Americans receive life-saving medical devices developed by companies founded by Mr. Villafaña, who has been designated a Living Legend of Medicine by the International Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons and been named a National Master Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. Drawing from years of experience in starting and growing companies, Manny will share his insights on what it means and what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

Following what promises to be an insightful and inspiring keynote session is a “can’t miss” panel discussion on the importance of medical devices for Canada. Sector leaders and experts, representing industry, academia and the research community, will take the stage to explore this $330B worldwide market that is growing at a rate of 8-20 per cent a year and expected to quickly reach a trillion dollars. Growth in the sector has been so strong, that the medical devices sector is now outperforming the pharmaceutical sector in terms of overall growth rate.

Breakout sessions will cover: policy to enhance R&D; commercialization; interdisciplinary skills training; access to domestic and global markets; venture funding for medical devices companies; and more. Carla Ubrich, a singing, songwriting humorist known as “The Singing Patient” will provide laughs with some entertaining healthcare humor at the banquet dinner.

Your opportunity to join this important discussion on the medical devices sector in Canada and take an active part in building a national medical devices strategy is here on October 13-14 at the 2011 Medical Devices Summit.

Bringing the world to Ottawa and Ottawa to the World – in just one month!

alex pugh — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:53:46 +0000

While farmers make hay, when the sun shines at OCRI we choose to host international delegations. Between incoming and outgoing visits, June will be the busiest month ever for the OGM team. There are plenty of opportunities for companies in the life science, wireless, security and telecom sectors to meet with our visitors.

Ottawa will partner on seven international delegations this June, representing Mexico (2), Peru, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Brazil. We kick start the month with a delegation from Mexico (partner EDC) interested in meeting with medical technology and life sciences companies. The next week, the Mexican Embassy brings in a delegation to celebrate Mex Day in Canada. Between our Mexican visits, we have partnered with Wavefront for a video conference with Japanese wireless carriers. Mid-month sees us teaming with MEDT to welcome Nextel Peru buyer’s mission. Working with the DFAIT Office in London, BAE UK comes to town seeking technology partnerships with young innovative companies in the security space. MEDT is back again later in the month with a delegation from Brazil to explore opportunities around the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 RIO Olympics. And finally, a life sciences delegation from Saudi Arabia will be in Ottawa on June 23 focused on medical device technology, telehealth and pharmaceuticals. Details on these international visits, and how your company can get involved, can be found at http://www.ottawaregion.com/_news/news_1992.php.

In addition to the visiting delegations, OCRI is also on the road to Asia selling Ottawa. Michael Darch, Managing Director, Global Marketing, and Sophie Chen, Director, China Program, Global Marketing, will be in Asia June 17-29. The Singapore leg opens by representing Ottawa at the Canada ICT Partnership Forum and Marketplace 2011 hosted by the Canadian High Commission in Singapore. Tuesday sees visits to OGM’s equivalent organization in Singapore and Singapore’s commercialization and acceleration centres. Wednesday is set aside to visit CommunicAsia and to co-host with Ottawa’s partner in Beijing (the Z-Park), a networking lunch for Ottawa, Beijing, Malaysia and Singapore companies at the show.

The second leg in Taipei is short, but just as busy. Mike and Sophie will meet with officials at the Canadian Trade Office Taipei (CTOT) to follow up initiatives underway in Taipei as well as the potential role for Ottawa in Canada ICT month (October) and Innovation month (November). The Executive Director of CTOT will host a luncheon for Ottawa with senior Taiwanese business and government officials. Squeezed between these meetings will be a follow up to the visit by the Vice Minister of the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs in April. Participating in these meetings will also be Corel’s VP of Asia Pacific as well as key experts from the wireless and green building sectors in Taiwan. Canada Day is being celebrated by CTOT on 25 June and will give us some relaxation time.

Finishing off in Beijing will be the further strengthening of the Ottawa-Beijing relationship begun 11 years ago by Ottawa Mayor Watson. Tony Balletti from Carleton University will be with the team delivering the first executive development seminar under our expanded agreement with the Z-Park. The seminar will be given to investment ready technology companies in the Park looking to enter the North American market. The other two days will involve follow up with officials in the Z-Park, the Beijing government, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

If you’ve never taken the time to participate in one of these international visits, you should. These visiting delegations are interested in finding out what our companies have offer and exploring opportunities to do business. Find out more at ottawaregion.com.

Canadian Cleantech Summit Postponed

guestblogger — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:08:51 +0000

It is with regret that the organizing committee of the 2011 Canadian Cleantech Summit has decided to postpone the summit to a later date.

This decision was not taken lightly but was influenced by several mitigating factors. The May 2nd federal election has certainly had a negative impact on the participation of both speakers and attendees.

We believe that the summit is a key forum for a national discussion on this strategic sector and we remain committed to hosting this discussion at a later date. The organizing committee is currently exploring options for the Fall of 2011.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused but trust that you understand that we could not, in good faith, proceed with an event that would not meet its objectives.

Heads up for IMPACT! A new Canadian magazine dedicated to Canada’s cleantech sector

mmcarthur — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:42:03 +0000

I hold in my hands the first issue of Impact Magazine, a magazine that profiles the cleantech sector in Canada in all its diversity and promise while taking a realistic look at the sector’s challenges, assets and opportunities.

Much like the Canadian Cleantech Summit it took the hard work of dedicated sector experts from all across Canada to become a reality and I am personally thrilled to have been involved in such an important project in support of the Canadian cleantech sector! Canada has great assets in cleantech including over 400 clean technology companies, globally recognised engineering and project management expertise, unique policies and agencies that support research, commercialization and deployment and an abundance of natural resources that position Canada well for demonstration and deployment. It is my personal hope that through sharing of information and raising the profile of the sector these and other assets can be linked together to deliver economic and environmental benefits globally.

Copies of Impact Magazine will be distributed across Canada this week and is published in both official languages. I hope that you enjoy this inaugural issue and look forward to your comments and feedback. If you have not received a copy by mid-April and would like to receive one please contact me via email at mmcarthur@ocri.ca

Increasing demand for IT-enabled technologies in the healthcare sector is only good news for Ottawa companies.

krobb — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:41:15 +0000

Most recently, Vocantas, an Ottawa-based provider of interactive voice response solutions for numerous sectors including healthcare, had the opportunity to interact with tens of thousands of professionals engaged in IT and healthcare at the Health Information Management Systems (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando Florida, February 20^th to 24^th. Vocantas is. Click here to read more about Vocantas’ exhibit at HIMSS.

In a second indication of the increasing convergence of IT and healthcare, Vocantas also announced on February 17 that they had increased their team to meet growing demand. “We’re excited to again be growing our development team as the need for our Interactive Voice Response Solutions continues to increase,” said Gary T. Hannah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vocantas “. Click here to read more about the newest members of the Vocantas team, Antonio Prado and Erick Cardenas-Mendez.

Thirdly, another Ottawa health IT company, PatientWay, announced on January 12 that Southlake Hospital in Newmarket became the first Cancer Centre to introduce a patient-friendly symptom and registration kiosk developed by PatientWay. Click here to read more.

Of course, we also have a great forum right here in Ottawa for those looking to learn more about opportunities in IT and healthcare/life sciences: OCRI’s IT in Healthcare luncheon series. Click here to view videos of recent sessions and be sure to register for the next session on April 19, 2011 at www.ocri.ca.

Given Ottawa’s strong health/life sciences base and existing IT strengths, new things are happening every day! Keep posted for more news about convergence of IT with healthcare.

OCRI Launches ICT in Cleantech Series

mmcarthur — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:51:23 +0000

Ottawa sits atop an enviable infrastructure for information and communications technology rivalled only by a tremendous amount of resident talent. Recent changes in the landscape of this sector locally has placed these resources in a unique position in Canada and perhaps North America to capitalize on emerging global opportunities in niche markets such as the intersection with the cleantech sector, a sector that is projected to grow to $1.3T by 2017. There is a growing recognition that there are many significant opportunities where these two sectors intersect. A growing focus on carbon intensity, energy pricing and sustainability more broadly are creating market conditions that favour clean technology innovation. Smarter buildings, energy management and distribution (such as Smart Grids), community energy are just a few examples of potential applications of the ICT sector’s capacity.

In order to explore the applications of ICT in the cleantech sector, global trends, growth opportunities and the relationship to capabilities in the Ottawa region in order to leverage our resources towards new, profitable ventures, OCRI is launching a new monthly event series. The series begins on February 28 with Nick Parker, Chairman of Cleantech Group LLC and Parker Venture Management Inc., on hand to outline the world of opportunity that lies in the convergence of ICT and Cleantech. Full details are available here http://ocri.ca/events/ict-cleantech-upcoming

Join us in this effort to prepare the region’s talent and infrastructure to take advantage of these growing opportunities.