It is the morning after a devastating earthquake here in New Zealand.  I would like to extend my condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who were killed or injured in powerful earth quake that struck Christchurch.  My family and I are safe but it is a harsh reminder to always live life to its fullest and to not take anything for granted.

We are in Auckland (North Island) until Friday when we fly back. The quake and the many aftershocks were very close to downtown Christchurch on the South Island. At 6.3 this was lower intensity than the 7.0 in the fall but was closer to the surface and closer to the city center. Death toll sits officially 38 but is expected to be higher since about 200 people are still missing in the rubble. It hit at 12:50 pm so office buildings were full. They have just pulled out six people without injury so everyone is hopeful for the rest. We did have the chance to visit the South Island earlier in our trip when we stayed three nights in the hotel across the street from Christchurch Cathedral which has now lost its tower in the quake.

While sombered by the news of the quake we continue exploring this amazing country. 

……….

There have been several comments and questions since my first post and I’ll attempt to answer them here or in the third part next week. Please see my first blog about entrepreneurism and innovation.  While on vacation I couldn’t resist creating an opportunity to find out more.

Lord of the Rings hype is increasing since filming of “The Hobbit” starts next month. Peter Jackson has apparently recovered enough to get the production underway. During the visit to Queenstown, to sample some of the best Pinot Noirs in the world, I took time out to visit a few of the filming locations for Lord of the Rings and other films. Visiting some of sites via narrow roads clinging to the sides of the mountains gave me a hint about the Kiwi approach to risk and danger, more on this later.

I was asked why New Zealanders, or Kiwis, are more entrepreneurial than Canadians. While I’m still not sure that I’ve found the complete answer, there are a few items of note. First, NZ is a frontier country; second, it has been relatively recently settled by people from afar; and third, it missed the smoke and grime of the industrial revolution. The post-secondary institutions in NZ are excellent and they attract students from many countries. At this stage I’m not sure that this contributes to the innovative environment but I suspect that it does by bringing in people from different cultures, experiences and new ideas at a minimum. New Zealand spends 6.2% of GDP on education (Canada 4.9% and USA 5.5%).

Although some parts of New Zealand have been settled for more than 150 years, most areas have been settled during the past century. The total population was only 100,000 in 1850 and less than 800,000 in 1900. This gives the country, and especially the South Island, a feeling of a new frontier. In contrast, Canada had 3.5 million people in 1867 and four times the current New Zealand population back in 1950. Of course, the Canadian west was developed in a significant way over the past century and explains why some parts of NZ feel like parts of BC and Alberta. This “cowboy” mentality brings a risk taking, get-the-job-done approach to life. Just try making a living raising 20,000 less than intelligent four-legged animals at a sheep station in Central Otaga.

New Zealand, like Canada, was founded by people from other lands. First, by the South Pacific warriors, the Moari, and then by the English, Scots, Irish, Dutch, Germans and Scandinavians. Later, by the Chinese and Indians and more recently by people from around the world. This melting pot of cultures and languages brings an innovative spirit. Often the most enterprising people are those who have chosen to move their families to seek a better life in a new world. Although 91% list English as their first tongue, many different languages are spoken here.

Finally, New Zealand seems to have missed most of the industrial revolution that blighted many centres in Europe and North America. The country was predominately agrarian while we built our traditional industries in Canada. This leaves the country with a pristine environment and a wonderful place, with the highly educated and international population, to excel in this world of innovative solutions and a service-oriented economy.

I’ve set the following questions for my informal survey:

• Why do so many people own their own businesses and are there government incentives?
• Are tech businesses encouraged in any specific ways and what influences local innovation?

Stay tuned for Part 3, where I will discuss innovation in wine production before getting on to technology pursuits.

Claude

So what are these companies looking at doing?  Well, it’s everything from R&D to manufacturing.  Lucky for us we have we cover the full gamut in Ontario. Couple this with the fact that Ontario has one of the best Feed In Tariff (FIT) programs in the world and you have a recipe for investment attraction.  Out of the 21 companies we visited, three are already considering a first visit to Ontario.  Hard to believe someone is visiting Ontario for the first time….who knew??  Two of the three will likely come directly to Ottawa. And why wouldn’t they…this is the Nation’s Capital with over 1,800 advanced technology companies and whole bunch of highly skilled workers, not to mention our city ROCKS!! 

Our job at OCRI is to facilitate meetings with industry leaders, academia and, of course, the government.  This triple helix, as I call it, will give them a holistic view of city and our selling attributes.  Hopefully this is the icing on the cake that gets them to locate in our great city!

In the early 90s, a film called Six Degrees of Separation built its story around the idea that we are all separated by six degrees from everybody else on the planet.  Everyone is an open door into another world and knows the people you are looking to meet or companies you want to work with.  Everyone is connected by a trail of only six people, whether you are famous or not.  If you find the right people to make the connection with, distance vanishes and the right opportunities will come your way.

It is all about relationships. Build them and keep them strong. Working together is much easier than going it alone. The more diverse your network is the better.  Build your network within clusters or groups and your opportunities will grow.

Networking can be one of the most powerful ways to grow your business and raise your level of professionalism and visibility.  Don’t treat networking as something you do occasionally and forget about.  Networking, for a successful business professional, is a way of life.  If you’re good at it, you will do it without thinking and without being false.  Offer yourself in alliance to others, create a net of people who know you and trust your expertise, and keep building that net. That is what builds success. Passion, tenacity, and follow-through help build your business, and connections with mentors, peers, and clients keep it moving.

No two networking groups are the same – some have less than 10 people, some over 100, some have a structured, rigid agenda whilst others are just an informal gathering. Different group will have their own aims and culture. Even two groups running to the same agenda will be different depending on who is attending, determining the dynamics within the group.

What is networking? It is simply the process of expanding your contacts with people.

What is membership?  A channel to voice your opinion and support your community.

Ottawa tied for 3^rd position in the world and also in the America’s in the ranking of best Eco-city.
(Source: Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey, 2010) 

A study by Canadian Business ranked Ottawa as Canada’s 2^nd best place to live and 3^rd best place to retire among the 154 cities ranked in 2009.
(Source: MoneySense, Canadian Business, 2009)

 Ottawa ranked 14^th in the world in 2009 in a survey of the best places to live in the world (quality of living) and 3^rd in the America’s out of 215 cities that responded to the survey by the Mercer Company. Ottawa is among the top 10 per cent cities globally.
(Source: Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey, 2010) 

Ottawa leads all cities in Canada in knowledge occupations with 26.4 per cent of employment in the knowledge field.(Source: City Magnets II: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of 50 Canadian Cities, The Conference Board of Canada, January 2010)

Ottawa rated as the best overall city in Canada on a creative class index based on the 3Ts of economic development -technology, talent and tolerance. Ottawa also tops other major metropolitan cities including New York, Boston, Washington, San Jose and London, England.
(Source: Who’s Your City? (2009), Richard Florida, Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute)

Ottawa was named to the Smart21 as a finalist in the Intelligent Community of the Year awards program, as a community that actively uses broadband and ICT to excel in today’s global economy.
(Source: Intelligent Community Forum, October 2009)

Ottawa was named to the Top 7 Intelligent Communities of the Year by the Intelligent Community Forum in January 2010.
(Source: Intelligent Community Forum, January 2010)

Ottawa was nominated for the 3^rd consecutive year as a Knowledge Metropolis in the annual Most Admired Knowledge City (MAKCi) Awards for the year 2009.
(Source: MAKCi Awards, The World Capital Institute & Teleos, 2009)

Ottawa was awarded first place in the Knowledge City-Region Category in the annual Most Admired Knowledge City (MAKCi) Awards for the year 2010.
(Source: MAKCi Awards, The World Capital Institute & Teleos, 2010)

In a ranking of Canada’s smartest cities conducted by the Canadian Council of Learning, an Ottawa-based non-profit corporation, Ottawa ranked 4^th among more than 4,500 communities across the country.
(Source: The Canadian Council on Learning, Maclean’s Magazine, May 2009)

Ottawa-Gatineau ranked second in a ranking of Canada’s most active cities in 2009 by the Canadian Council of Learning.
(Source: The Canadian Council on Learning, Maclean’s Magazine, May 2009)

Ottawa was recognized as a world-class festival and event city by the International Festivals and Events Association 
(Source: IFEA, September 2010)

This list is an excerpt from the 2010 Ottawa Report. the entire report can be accessed online.

Since the start of the year 2010, economic indicators are showing signs of strength and the economy appears to be on the road of recovery. However, a federal government departmental spending freeze is expected to constrain growth in the public administration sector and thus, have a significant impact on the region’s overall economy by slowing down its projected growth over the next fiscal year. Despite this, the dynamic local labour market continues to show strength and is expected to further mature with the increase in the private sector activity. Notably, Ottawa enjoys diversity and resilience in its employment base. Its dominant public administration sector and a large knowledge-based industry, among others, generate unlimited opportunities for its residents and for businesses and individuals from around the world, and will continue to do so in the future as well. The post-economic downturn restructuring within the knowledge-based industry clusters, may also provide the opening for surplus knowledge assets from established firms to be recombined to create new, innovative companies and novel employment opportunities in the region.  Ottawa’s inclusive and tolerant environment and openness to talent, creativity and new ideas from around the globe makes it a truly diverse region and gives it a unique competitive advantage.

Ottawa has a highly educated population, with 51 per cent of its residents, having at least a college education and 43 per cent of its workforce employed in creative occupations . It also has a strong and growing arts community. Due to the presence of the federal government institutions as well as sizeable knowledge-based industry, Ottawa leads all Canadian cities in knowledge occupations with 26.4 per cent of its total employment in the knowledge field. With 72 per cent of its employed population working in natural and applied science, Ottawa has one in seven people working in the field of science or high-technology . This is in part a consequence of the exceptional education system, modern educational facilities and the state-of-the-art research infrastructure provided by the region’s academic institutions and the public and private sectors. Ottawa’s academic institutions will continue to play an important role in the region’s economic growth by developing talent and skilled knowledge workers for its private and public sector, by spawning its future entrepreneurs and by undertaking significant research activities. The presence of a dynamic local labour market complemented by these world-class post-secondary institutions and diverse employment base is creating opportunities for attraction and retention of highly educated and skilled knowledge workers into the region.

Ottawa is a recognized research and innovation leader on the global stage. Even during the weak economic period, the research activities at Ottawa’s post-secondary institutions were well funded. The overall sponsored research income for the universities grew by 5.14 per cent in 2008. Research funding during fiscal 2009 also remained stable since the government, which contributes about 70 to 80 per cent of all university research income, continued its research support in an effort to keep the research activity stable during the period. Ottawa also accounted for almost 76 per cent of the Corporate R&D spending in the province during 2008 . Overall, it grew by 2.22 per cent. However, since companies were tightening their belts during 2009, it is likely to have impacted their R&D budgets. The expected slowdown in the R&D activity will be compounded by the fact that for years Nortel was not only Ottawa’s but Canada’s biggest R&D spender. With it absent from the scene, the total Corporate R&D spending for the region most likely decreased substantially during 2009, though  the full-effect of the deteriorating global economy on Corporate R&D spending is yet to be seen.

The prevailing economic conditions provide an opportunity to the regional companies and the universities to rethink their R&D strategies to keep Ottawa within the ranks of innovation leaders. The main limiting factor in the past year for innovation and commercialization in the region has once again been a lack of venture capital investments. This trend is not unique to Ottawa, but globally shared by all major technology centres. The sluggishness in investment can be overcome by developing linkages between universities, private sector and government research institutions, by developing mechanisms to rebuild investors’ confidence and by developing financial support networks, including but not limited to a network of venture capital firms, for infusing capital into the local startups, public R&D facilities and other research-intensive organizations. With renewed commitments from the government and the local economic development agencies, the region has the potential to create a strong financial backbone for its research, innovation and commercialization activities.

On its part, the public sector also made its contribution to the development of the local economy in the past year through initiatives targeted at enhancement of the region’s research infrastructure and knowledge assets, renewal of its aging physical infrastructure and building capacity for the future. Government programs to build infrastructure; investments in building research and knowledge capacity for the knowledge-based industry of the future; long term investment in education at all levels, with particular emphasis on post-secondary education; and emphasis on workforce development and re-skilling of its workforce, bears signs of capacity building for the future. Such initiatives will contribute to the regional development by attracting foreign investment in the region to tap into its specialized knowledge base and its well trained and highly qualified labour force.

During 2009, the City also undertook initiatives to make the region a better place to live. This included, among others, initiatives to develop five new community gardens in 2009 to keep the city green; approval to build a new recreation complex, Kanata North Recreation Centre, at a cost of $43 million, as a new hub for physical activity and recreation in Kanata; approval to build Light Rail Transit extension; construction and improvements in cultural facilities and cultural infrastructure such as 11 City and community-operated museums, construction of a new Central Archives and the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, and so on . The region is deriving direct and indirect social and economic benefits from these public infrastructure projects aimed at not only increasing the attractiveness of the region to outsiders, but also at improving the quality of life for its residents.

Ottawa is a major economic centre and a technology hub, and one of the best places to live. It provides abundant high quality amenities; world-class research, physical and cultural infrastructure; excellent academic institutions; a dynamic labour market with diverse employment base and abundant professional opportunities; an enviable knowledge-based industry with the likes of IBM, Ericsson, Adobe, Cisco and RIM; an inclusive and diverse environment; and proximity to nature. This makes it a strong, resilient and diverse economy that has all the right elements for the convergence of knowledge, talent, innovation and entrepreneurship. If anything, the global economic downturn was a test of the true character of the region. Though we are still far from a complete economic recovery, and in all likelihood there will be more road-bumps on the way, Ottawa appears to be far more prepared and equipped to meet the challenges and emerge as a dominant player in the global market.

This content is an excerpt from the 2010 Ottawa Report. The entire report can be found online.

Ottawa is expected to face shortages of skilled knowledge workers in specific sectors in the relatively near future. By generating interest in science and technology opportunities throughout the entire education experience including kindergarten through to Grade 12, increasing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) participation and implementing retention strategies we will be able to meet the demands for knowledge workers in the long term.

The technology sector in the region has recovered from the telecom collapse of 2001 and is now emerging from the global economic recession. Registration for computer and technology related programs in 2009 at post-secondary institutions did increase but remains dangerously low overall. It is important to note that early indicators in 2010 indicate that registration is down dramatically, with roughly only one quarter of the registrations seen four years ago.  In an effort to restore interest in computer engineering and computer science programs and establish entrepreneurship as viable career options in the minds of students, a number of programs and initiatives have been created that develop the city’s next generation of business leaders, skilled talent and entrepreneurs.

OCRI believes strongly in restoring the connection between entrepreneurism and traditional business skills among youth and the economic reality of our society. In an economy where eight of 10 net new jobs   are created by SMEs, Ottawa has an opportunity to promote entrepreneurism and teach business skills as a workforce asset since the majority of graduates will either be asked to contribute to the success of, or startup their own small or medium-sized enterprises. Our vision is that students have access to a broad array of entrepreneurship and business programs from the earliest grades through to post-secondary studies.

Junior Achievement, Summer Company and TalentBridge are all in place to help develop the entrepreneurial skills of students and aid their pursuit of careers in Ottawa’s diverse knowledge-based industry. The High School Technology Program is designed to introduce technology careers as viable options for students in Grades 10 through 12. All programs leverage community and industry mentors to help deliver them.

In order for Ottawa to maintain its position as an innovative technology leader, it is imperative that we have a sustainable talent pipeline. In 2009, OCRI introduced more tools and resources that help develop the skills of our future business leaders. OCRI assumed responsibility of the Junior Achievement programs in Ottawa, a mainstay in the lives of many young entrepreneurs. As part of the TalentBridge initiative, the new Ottawa Innovation Challenge gave teams of students an opportunity to address real life business challenges facing local SMEs, over a period of only 48 hours. From this successful project another seed was planted for the Ottawa Community Challenge (OCC) which will give students an opportunity to work on social enterprise-based projects for nonprofit organizations and community associations. OCC will be implemented in 2010. Satellite kiosk offices of the Entrepreneurship Centre have been opened in two more suburban communities expanding the reach of advisory services. Two new Entrepreneur’s Edge professional development programs were also introduced in 2009.

The strategic combination of technical skills and entrepreneurial ability feeds our diverse knowledge-based industry and furthers Ottawa’s position as a leading creative economy in today’s world of limitless opportunities.

Creating an environment that is attractive to skilled talent anywhere in the world who are considering career options or relocation is a crucial element of the city’s talent recruitment approach. The city must continue to foster strong retention of new recruits to the area, as well as existing, homegrown talent. Integration, access to challenging and meaningful projects and jobs, like-minded peers and a sense of community are key elements of a broader decision to “stay” or “leave” the city. These success factors also help in the individual’s promotion of the city as a destination of choice. Rather than merely marketing Ottawa abroad, the city is well served by creating the right conditions once new talent arrives, as it is likely that individuals well established in Ottawa will be far more influential for others considering Ottawa because of their own personal experience.   

OCRI is a champion for education, working with the school boards, the universities, and the colleges to help make education more accessible to students and to improve the education experience from Kindergarten through to PhD. No other element of the local infrastructure is as integral to the ongoing growth and future success of Ottawa’s economy as the education system.  By providing critical links between the local business community and entrepreneurially-minded students eager for real-life work experience while supporting initiatives that enable students to learn at their highest potential, OCRI is helping to ensure that Ottawa is well equipped with generations of skilled and enthusiastic talent.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are Ottawa’s key advantages. Our deep talent pool and keen eye for opportunity has enabled this generation to create a diverse and resilient economic foundation that combines the buoyancy of the federal government with our strong tourism industry and renowned knowledge-based industry to create a global technology centre that is supported by a network of specialized industry clusters – all of which contribute to balanced employment growth and the creation of new wealth.

OCRI’s annual Knowledge-based Industry Survey of 2010 shows a 4.8 per cent growth in the number of companies in Ottawa but 3.8 per cent decrease in the number of employees in the knowledge-based industry. While the sale of Nortel assets meant the region lost a major tenant, it was balanced by the ongoing growth of many large multinationals including RIM, IBM and Huawei. The companies that purchased Nortel’s assets, Ericsson, Avaya and Ciena, are all in a position to expand and contribute to the successful growth of the region. Local companies across all clusters continue to gain global recognition for successfully penetrating their respective market spaces.

The cluster approach to economic development delivers significant results for the region and the individual companies within the clusters. It enables Ottawa, our companies and associations to focus development efforts in specific areas of strength to leverage global opportunities for success. The region’s traditional clusters include: photonics, ebusiness, software, life sciences, wireless, and security. 

Emerging sectors such as communications enabled applications, digital media, cleantech and virtual education are starting to gain traction and attention here in Ottawa and abroad for our home-grown base of companies, technologies and innovators. GENERATOR, Ottawa’s new digital media cluster, was launched in December 2009, and the 2010 survey indicates that the digital media sector experienced the greatest growth in the number of companies (up 54 per cent) and the number of employees (up 50.9 per cent).

The Ottawa region welcomes new companies to the economic landscape and is fuelled by a strong entrepreneurial spirit that is innovative, resilient and able to identify opportunities in the global market. Ottawa has undergone a transformation from a knowledge-based industry dominated by a few large players accounting for the bulk of employment to a more balanced mix of multinational companies and hundreds of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Ottawa has crossed the threshold to a new economy in which innovation is the driving force of wealth creation. 

Programs that facilitate growth, foster innovation and attract investment in Ottawa will fuel innovation in our community. OCRI is in tune with the needs and objectives of Ottawa’s emerging and established businesses and its community leaders. OCRI is optimistic that the city, with its strong technology base and diverse economy, can continue to attract and retain critical talent and assume a position as a global leader and one of the most desirable cities in the world.

Through OCRI, Ottawa’s knowledge-based companies have access to a full range of commercialization and investment resources to accelerate their growth in the global marketplace, including startup support and facilitating investment in high-potential emerging technology leaders in Ottawa. The Investment and Commercialization group at OCRI provides comprehensive business advisory services including: access to Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, which brings successful entrepreneurs and local business leaders in-house to assist local startups and growing companies with the strategic development of their companies; access to market research that provides young companies with the critical information they need to fully analyze their market potential and positioning; and access to a global network of potential investors, customers and partners. In 2009, 125 companies benefited from OCRI’s business advisory services, of which 61 per cent represented the ICT sector. An additional 90 companies called upon OCRI for market intelligence and business analysis. 

With OCRI’s support, an impressive list of high-potential emerging technology companies have been accelerated through the commercialization process, secured early financing and established themselves in their respective markets. These companies and other more established players have leveraged OCRI’s linkages to the international marketplace that OCRI has developed through its strong relationships with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and the C100, through direct contact with a strong network of multinational enterprises and investors worldwide, and through participation in targeted commercialization and investment oriented events. 

OCRI presents a variety of events and opportunities that can help companies and individuals accelerate their paths to success. The Ontario Venture Summit (OVS), eastern Canada’s premier risk capital event, hosted by OCRI, puts pre-evaluated early stage companies in front of qualified investors, providing unique and fast tracked routes to potential investors and strategic partners. Companies that presented at OVS in 2009 raised over $11M in investment money. While in the same year, a venture capital boot camp coordinated by OCRI and DFAIT showcased 20 of Ottawa’s best emerging technology companies to U.S. investors.

A series of early-stage entrepreneur development programs are available through OCRI and other Ottawa-based organizations. OCRI’s TalentBridge and Entrepreneurs’ Edge as well as other community programs including Lead to Win, Exploriem, and Wesley Clover’s Affiliate Program help to develop entrepreneurial expertise and improve the success rate of new and future companies. 

OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre is dedicated to helping Ottawa entrepreneurs make informed decisions regarding starting and growing their businesses.  Demand for these services continues to grow and many of these clients will create viable businesses with the assistance from OCRI. In the very near future, these companies can become economic drivers in Ottawa – creating jobs and contributing to the local economy.

Ottawa has an enviable innovation system which includes a series of private and public research labs and facilities complimented by strong linkages to the Ottawa Technology Transfer Network (OTTN), university-based Technology Transfer and Business Enterprise (TTBE) offices and Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

Certainly, there are areas that require improvement in the region. The most urgent issue remains the lack of early stage capital.  OCRI is looking at opportunities to attract and build early-stage funds in the region which can co-invest alongside the Investment Accelerator Fund and the Ontario Emerging Technology Fund in the regional startups and which bring other value to these early stage companies through a local investment partner. There is also a need for proven Go-To-Market programs that can meet the demand in the community and bring potential customers and channels directly to high potential Ottawa companies, in order to speed up the go to market process. 

An Innovation Strategy Working Group, comprised of local representation, was formed in mid-2009 to assess the current state of the region in order to stimulate and champion innovation, enable acceleration of innovation through alliances, attract talent to Ottawa, attract sufficient capital for local companies, provide metrics and celebrate innovation in Ottawa.  Late 2009, OCRI established the Ottawa Technology Roundtable (OTR) which includes federal and provincial cabinet ministers, university and college presidents, and industry CEOs and presidents. The OTR, chaired by OCRI, has addressed five key themes: emerging sectors and innovation; marketing of the region’s capabilities; talent development, funding for companies and collaborative partnerships.

Overall, venture capital investment has decreased over the past several years and fallen far behind investment in other cities and regions.  Despite that fact, the average deal size in Ottawa fared well against the national average in 2009, where three Ottawa-based companies secured sizable venture investments and global recognition for their commercialization efforts. In 2010, there were seven disclosed VC investments in Ottawa-based companies. The number of deals and average deal size continues to lag dramatically behind other major centres in Canada. Angel investment remains small. However, the launch of the Capital Angel Network in Ottawa shows promise of bringing angel investors across the region together to co-invest in a more organized fashion.

OCRI continues to work diligently on behalf of Ottawa’s knowledge-based community to ensure that public policy is put in place to spur private sector investment into the innovation space. Such initiatives include identifying new pools of risk capital; stimulating angel investment and venture capital funds to seed innovation at the early stage of company development; and encouraging the federal and provincial governments to create and stimulate risk capital programs that demonstrate their support for these strategic initiatives.

Increased investment combined with a sustainable business environment that supports emerging companies and entrepreneurs, will enable Ottawa to develop a healthy and diverse economy with a strong international profile and global success.

This week, members of the C-11 are here in Ottawa, hosted by OCRI, to discuss current issues and opportunities.  It will be interesting to know if the discussions reveal the issues to be more common than unique and that the ideas roll easily when more than one city concentrates on identifying solutions.  This week also serves as the platform from which they will launch the considercanada.ca brand.  This coordinated brand gives the 11 cities a consistent rallying point and a destination on the Web where trade organizations and companies from around the world can seek C-11 information, success stories, and get answers about investment opportunities.

Mike Darch, Executive Director, OCRI Global Marketing, one of the founding members of the C-11 and ConsiderCanada team, has learned from his years of experience promoting Ottawa and Ottawa-based companies around the world that even our largest city centres are viewed as “small” in the big picture.  He knows that Canada’s large cities have much more to gain from banding together than competing against each other for growth opportunities.

There is a lot interest in what is being done to attract investment to Canada.  The task isn’t without its challenges but there is a compelling list of reasons why investing in Canada is a good idea and each of the member cities contributes to this list….

• World’s soundest banking system, according to the World Economic Forum
• Fastest economic growth among G7 countries for 2011, according to the IMF
• The highest proportion of post-secondary graduates in the OECD
• Lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7
• Lowest taxes on new business investment in the G7
• Lowest R&D costs in the G7, with a 12.9% advantage over the U.S.
• High quality of life featuring publicly-funded healthcare
• A commitment to the rule of law and a strong justice system

Visit www.considercanada.com for the bigger picture.

The recent global economic crisis left its mark on every country. However, as a result of: Canada’s stable financial system; low corporate taxation; business-friendly immigration laws and legal system; and  presence of the best educated workforce in the OECD; abundant natural resources; excellent incentives for research and development; and consistently high quality of life, Canada has emerged as one of the strongest survivors of the downturn.  

In fact, Canada was identified as the most stable economy during the recent crisis by the OECD. When Ottawa is compared to economic trends in Ontario, Canada as a whole, and to other major cities in North America, you can see how well our city performed. 

Ottawa was fairly well insulated from the tumultuous year and entered 2010 relatively unscathed in comparison with other major metropolitan cities here in Canada and abroad. Although the residual impact may emerge in the 2010 economic indicators, we are proud of Ottawa’s predominantly positive economic profile.

Here in Ottawa, despite the recent economic challenges, enrollment in post-secondary science and technology programs grew in 2009; the research intensity of our universities increased; venture capital in Ottawa, although continuing its downward trend, had an average deal-size that was better than the national average; and employment across our knowledge-based sectors remained stable experiencing only a slight decrease.

As the lead economic development agency for the City of Ottawa, OCRI is committed to working with companies, research institutions, technology clusters, business leaders and educational partners to move our economy forward. Together, we are able to identify and capitalize on valuable ways to propel Ottawa forward in terms of R&D, commercialization and investment as well as developing our future leaders and connecting skilled talent with meaningful careers in the knowledge-based sector. 

Over the past few years, we have witnessed incredible growth in the number of small (less than 50 employees) and medium sized businesses (between 50 and 500 employees). We see this trend continuing as the entrepreneurial community in Ottawa identifies new and compelling business opportunities and technologies that will spur the region’s innovative developments.

The profile of Ottawa’s knowledge-based industry has changed, grown and evolved. From one dominant telecom sector, many have emerged. Today, there are several mature sectors – wireless, photonics, software, security, and life sciences. But we are also seeing younger sectors emerge – cleantech, digital media, and virtual education.

We remain committed to the cluster approach to economic development and continue to identify emerging sectors that will benefit from a coordinated effort that increases the sector’s profile and expands the reach of Ottawa-based companies. Our organization’s strengths lie in our ability to make connections, enable strategic partnerships and nurture relationships that deliver beneficial results for the entire community through the enhancement of our knowledge-based industry.

This is an exerpt from the 2010 Ottawa Report. The entire report can be found online.