Canadian Innovation Research Articles

Artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation viewed through the context of the previous four decades.

Computers and applications of computers into our world have changed dramatically during the past five decades, from early days of minimal central processing unit capacity, limited memory and without advantage of global networking. In this article, the author highlights the application of predictive artificial intelligence in use globally over the last 40 years in process industries. It discusses the novel application of process automation and robotics in health clinical high-volume laboratory use that began as a Canadian innovation initiative and followed by similar innovation extending to other countries.

Next Generation

Alstom’s new Canadian innovation hub will draw on Québec's environmental leadership to develop green mobility solutions suited for the North American rail market

Sustaining Innovation Capabilities Beyond COVID

The innovation achievements and momentum of the COVID-19 pandemic present an opportunity for Canadian polytechnics to sustain their unique and distinctive role in the post-secondary landscape. The authors contend that if polytechnics collaborate with workplace partners to research and to advance Employee-led Workplace Innovation capabilities, polytechnics can better equip learners for the future of work, foster innovation in the workplaces of partners, and contribute meaningfully to innovation-based growth in Canada. Drawing on Breznitz’ critique, the authors advance the idea that Canadian innovation will grow if it focuses on ‘agents of innovation’, specifically the individual. Then the paper briefly outlines the traits of individual ‘serial innovators’ before honing in on the research and the work underway globally in the area of Employee-led Workplace Innovation. After establishing its value, the authors contend that if the work of polytechnics is to continue to have relevance for industry and to be differentiated from other types of post-secondary institutions, then the integration of Employee-led Workplace Innovation can play a key role. Its successful integration, however, requires an epistemological shift from the status quo, a shift which is described by way of a historical analogue and an example of curricular implications. The authors then explore the opportunity to build instructional capability for innovation in polytechnics themselves, both as a way to improve learning and as topic in its own right. Finally, the paper concludes with a summary of the opportunity polytechnics now have to sustain and possibly to evolve their unique role in strategic workforce development.

Invented here but owned elsewhere: The widening gap between domestic and foreign patent ownership in Canada

Using Canadian-invented patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office during the period between 1995 and 2014, we investigate how ownership of Canadian inventions varies across time and by technology, geographic region, quality of invention, and the presence of superstar firms. Our findings show that the gap between Canadian-invented and Canadian-owned technologies has grown since 1995, and that an increasing number of Canadian-invented patents are owned by foreign, primarily US, firms. In terms of technical areas, Canadian-owned patents in biotechnology have declined and there has been sharp growth in both Canadian- and foreign-owned patents in information technology and telecom. Approximately 60% of Canadian-invented patents originate from Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal, Vancouver, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (KCW), and Calgary. The quality of Canadian-invented patents increases over time, in part because the number of unassigned patents declines. The quality of foreign-owned patents is higher than the quality of Canadian-owned patents in all CMAs except KCW. At the firm level, while Blackberry and Nortel are responsible for a disproportionate number of Canadian-owned patents, the ownership of foreign-owned patents is more widely distributed. Our findings point to where Canadian innovation vulnerabilities are most severe, where they are worsening, and where there is cause for hope.

Readiness for scale-up: lessons learned from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Innovation Strategy.

The Public Health Agency of Canada Innovation Strategy (PHAC-IS) funded the development and delivery of interventions that addressed priority population health issues over a 10-year period between 2009 and 2020. The design of the PHAC-IS funding program integrated the intentional effort of scale-up to increase the reach and impact of proven population health promotion interventions towards long-term, sustained impact benefit at individual, community, and systems levels. Recognizing that social innovation and adaptive cycles are necessary for effective scale-up, the PHAC-IS developed and applied a Scale-up Readiness Assessment Tool (SRAT) to assess the level of scale-up readiness of a funded project. Development of the SRAT included identifying predictors of success for the scale-up of effective population health interventions, organized into eight common characteristics among projects that indicated scale-up readiness: (1) intervention evidence and evaluation, (2) reach and scale, (3) organizational capacity, (4) partnership development, (5) system readiness, (6) community context, (7) cost factors, and (8) knowledge development and exchange. Although the SRAT was not a standalone decision-making rubric, it was a key part of a framework for review, consideration, and assessment for scale-up along a phased approach to funding. The development and application of the SRAT to measure readiness for scale-up provides insights into domains that can be used by funding organizations to inform scale-up decisions or for community organizations to assess their own readiness for scale-up.

Informing Canadian Innovation Policy Through a Decolonizing Lens on Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Innovation

While Indigenous entrepreneurship is associated with significant economic promise, Indigenous innovation continues to be invisible in Canadian policy contexts. This article examines how Indigenous entrepreneurial activities are framed in government policy, potentially leading to another wave of active exploitation of Indigenous lands, peoples, and knowledges. The article first discusses the concepts of Indigenous entrepreneurship and innovation through a decolonizing lens, drawing links to education. Then, it provides a set of rationales for why governments need to re-think and prioritize Indigenous entrepreneurship. Next, it maps the current federal government initiatives in this policy sector. Drawing from the Indigenous entrepreneurship ecosystem approach (Dell & Houkamau, 2016; Dell et al., 2017), the article argues that a more comprehensive policy perspective guiding Indigenous entrepreneurship programs should inform Canadian innovation policy. Individual voices from 13 Indigenous entrepreneurs in Manitoba point to three core issues: (a) relationships with the land and the community; (b) the relevance of (higher) education and training; and (c) the importance of cultural survival and self-determination. The article makes an argument for a systemic decolonizing change in how Indigenous innovation is approached in government policyand programs, supported by the work of higher education institutions.

Exploring innovation and export interplay in Canadian firms

ABSTRACT We propose that there exists a virtuous circular relationship between firm exports and firm innovation whereby they drive and reinforce each other. We analyse two key elements which support this relationship, namely policy initiatives and firm-level strategies for innovation and exports. We use data from Canadian innovation surveys, and the two-stage least squares technique to explore the interplay between innovation and exports. Our results confirm our hypothesis; however, the effect of policies and firm-level strategies are not uniform or predictable across sectors and time.

Evaluation of Canadian innovation policy: locating innovation policy among other policies

The objective of government innovation policy is to improve the living standards and prosperity of citizens through boosting innovation and productivity. In order to succeed, innovation policy needs to address the overall innovation climate, which goes beyond traditional science and technology policy, and utilise various economic and social policies. Specifically, the success of innovation policy depends on its relationship and coordination with other government economic and social policies. Considering the low performance of Canadian innovation policies in the past, this study reviews and evaluates the innovation policies of the Canadian federal government since 1963 with respect to the best practices suggested in the literature. The focus of the paper is whether the relationships between innovation policy and other economic and social policies are taken into account in the development of federal government innovation policies, and whether the government moves beyond science and technology policy in the design of innovation policy.

Evaluation of Canadian innovation policy: locating innovation policy among other policies

The objective of government innovation policy is to improve the living standards and prosperity of citizens through boosting innovation and productivity. In order to succeed, innovation policy needs to address the overall innovation climate, which goes beyond traditional science and technology policy, and utilise various economic and social policies. Specifically, the success of innovation policy depends on its relationship and coordination with other government economic and social policies. Considering the low performance of Canadian innovation policies in the past, this study reviews and evaluates the innovation policies of the Canadian federal government since 1963 with respect to the best practices suggested in the literature. The focus of the paper is whether the relationships between innovation policy and other economic and social policies are taken into account in the development of federal government innovation policies, and whether the government moves beyond science and technology policy in the design of innovation policy.

'Innovation policy is a team sport' - insights from non-governmental intermediaries in Canadian innovation ecosystem

Policy-makers and practitioners alike have increasingly embraced the innovation ecosystem approach to support the flow of knowledge within the Triple Helix framework. This approach focuses on the collaborative and interdependent nature of innovation, which is based on social aspects of knowledge transfer supporting relationships, partnerships, and connections. The important role of intermediary stakeholders that help to facilitate such partnerships is under-researched. This paper examines the work of three intermediary stakeholders in the Canadian innovation ecosystem—the Canadian Science Policy Centre, the MaRS Discovery District, and university Vice Presidents Research. By interviewing 40 experts from the federal and provincial governments, non-governmental organizations, industry, and the higher education sector in Ontario, this study examines how innovation ecosystems are created and what factors influence the success of bringing diverse stakeholders together. The findings suggest that strong political vision and leadership, an inclusive approach to recognizing the needs of diverse stakeholders, and clarity on ways to measure and fund innovation serve as important factors in the Canadian innovation ecosystem.

Tools for Rational Development: The Canada Land Inventory and the Canada Geographic Information System in Mid-twentieth century Canada

From the 1960s through the 1980s, Canadian scientists, resource managers, and computer experts collaborated on two linked undertakings: the Canada Land Inventory (CLI) and the Canada Geographic Information System. CLI was an extensive project that assessed the state of key resources across much of the country, while CGIS was a pioneering effort at computerizing CLI data to support decision-making about resource use. Fundamental components of the Agricultural Rehabilitation and Development Act, CLI and CGIS reflect Canadian innovation in new information-management tools designed to facilitate state goals. This paper examines the production and affordances of CLI and CGIS, and considers the renewed optimism and collaborative relationships that emerged from them. It also examines historical concerns over the limitations of these technologies and explores how CLI and CGIS were oriented to change over space, not time. Ultimately, these technological innovations served to naturalize patterns of inequality and normalize urban-industrial modernity.

Movers and shakers of Canadian innovation policy – recognizing the influence of university vice-presidents as policy advocates

This paper examines the growing influence and impact of university Vice Presidents (VPs) Research on coordinating Canada’s innovation policy. As universities have become increasingly entrepreneurial, the institutional responsibilities go beyond policy implementation and have shifted towards shaping national level policy debates. By utilizing multi-level governance framework, the paper demonstrates how non-governmental stakeholders navigate the multi-level, multi-actor and multi-issue landscape of innovation policy. The findings provide evidence on the role of VPs Research in advocating and mediating complex inter-jurisdictional relationships between the private sector, and the federal and provincial governments. Policy coordination is viewed as an issue-driven functional process that assumes individual learning capacity and is influenced by the interdependence of stakeholder interests.

Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: The Innovation Economy and Society Nexus

Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: The Innovation Economy and Society Nexus

Rural Canada and the Canadian Innovation Agenda

There are a unique set of economic development challenges faced by rural Canadian communities. The launch of the federal government’s Canadian Innovation Agenda in 2016 provides an exciting vision for national economic growth and prosperity, but what does this mean for rural Canada? This paper examines both challenges and opportunities for rural Canada based on areas of focus in the Innovation Agenda and discussed the importance of including rural Canada in national innovation efforts.Keywords: innovation, rural, technology, partnerships, Innovation Agenda, population

Promoting equitable global health research: a policy analysis of the Canadian funding landscape

BackgroundRecognising radical shifts in the global health research (GHR) environment, participants in a 2013 deliberative dialogue called for careful consideration of equity-centred principles that should inform Canadian funding polices. This study examined the existing funding structures and policies of Canadian and international funders to inform the future design of a responsive GHR funding landscape.MethodsWe used a three-pronged analytical framework to review the ideas, interests and institutions implicated in publically accessible documents relevant to GHR funding. These data included published literature and organisational documents (e.g. strategic plans, progress reports, granting policies) from Canadian and other comparator funders. We then used a deliberative approach to develop recommendations with the research team, advisors, industry informants and low- and middle-income country (LMIC) partners.ResultsIn Canada, major GHR funders invest an estimated CA$90 M per annum; however, the post-2008 re-organization of funding structures and policies resulted in an uncoordinated and inefficient Canadian strategy. Australia, Denmark, the European Union, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America invest proportionately more in GHR than Canada. Each of these countries has a national strategic plan for global health, some of which have dedicated benchmarks for GHR funding and policy to allow funds to be held by partners outside of Canada. Key constraints to equitable GHR funding included (1) funding policies that restrict financial and cost burden aspects of partnering for GHR in LMICs; and (2) challenges associated with the development of effective governance mechanisms. There were, however, some Canadian innovations in funding research that demonstrated both unconventional and equitable approaches to supporting GHR in Canada and abroad. Among the most promising were found in the International Development Research Centre and the (no longer active) Global Health Research Initiative.ConclusionPromoting equitable GHR funding policies and practices in Canada requires cooperation and actions by multiple stakeholders, including government, funding agencies, academic institutions and researchers. Greater cooperation and collaboration among these stakeholders in the context of recent political shifts present important opportunities for advancing funding policies that enable and encourage more equitable investments in GHR.

Key Conditions for Successful Serial Entrepreneurship in Healthcare

As a serial entrepreneur in the medical device industry, the author embraces Snowdon's (2017) effort to create and stimulate dialogue among experts in health system innovation in an effort to define and support Canada's innovation agenda. In this paper, he outlines some of the attributes and skills that companies need to launch their products and scale their companies. He also identifies the main conditions of an innovation ecosystem that create the necessary infrastructure to enable and support highly successful companies while allowing them to accelerate their growth.

Public Event: CPROST seminar: Canadian Science Technology and Innovation Policy

The Centre for Policy Research on Science and Technology hosted Dr. Peter Phillips for a seminar on on his recent work on Canadian science, technology and innovation policy. He is currently part of a nation-wide study on the digital industries in Canada, titled “Creating Digital Opportunity.”The event took place at Harbour Centre, on September 19. Please see the attached poster for details.

Offload zone patient selection criteria to reduce ambulance offload delay

Emergency department overcrowding is a widespread problem and often leads to ambulance offload delay. If no bed is available when a patient arrives, the patient has to wait with the ambulance crew. A recent Canadian innovation is the offload zone—an area where multiple patients can wait with a single paramedic–nurse team allowing, the ambulance crew to return to service immediately. Although a reduction in offload delay was anticipated, it was observed that the offload zone is often at capacity. In this study we investigate why this is the case and use a continuous time Markov chain to evaluate how interventions can prevent congestion in the offload zone. Specifically we demonstrate conditions where the offload zone worsens offload delay and conditions where the offload zone can essentially eliminate offload delay.

Canadian Innovation

This article presents a brief historical review and survey of the current landscape of online graduate psychology programs within the Canadian context. Specific focus is given to outlining the establishment and evolution of the first Canadian online professional specialization program in school psychology. The article argues that given the virtual absence of online graduate school psychology programs until recently, there have been limited opportunities to critically examine such approaches to teaching professional psychology. With the establishment in 2007 of the University of Calgary’s online graduate school psychology program, among the first in the world, a critically significant analysis is now possible. The purpose of this article is to document both the history of the program and to highlight the possible significance of this event to the profession. The article is intended to foster much-needed discussion at the national level concerning the future development and implementation of online graduate programs.

Classification Models Via Tabu Search: An Application to Early Stage Venture Classification

We model the decision making process used by experts at the Canadian Innovation Centre to classify early stage venture proposals based on potential commercial success. The decision is based on thirty seven attributes that take values in (-1; 0; 1). We adopt a conjunctive decision framework due to Astebro and Elhedhli that selects a subset of attributes and determines two threshold values: one for the maximum allowed negatives (n) and one for minimum required positives (p). A proposal is classified as a success if the number of positives is greater than or equal to p and the number of negatives is less than or equal to n over the selected attributes. Based on data of 561 observations, the selection of attributes and the determination of the threshold values is modeled as a large-scale mixed integer program. Two solution approaches are explored: Benders decomposition and Tabu search. The first was very slow to converge, while the second provided high quality solutions quickly. Tabu Search provides excellent classification accuracy for predicting commercial successes as well as replicating the experts' forecasts, opening the venue for the use of Tabu Search in scoring and classification problems.