Technology Triangle Research Articles

Enabling real time big data solutions for manufacturing at scale

Today we create and collect more data than we have in the past. All this data comes from different sources, including social media platforms, our phones and computers, healthcare gadgets and wearable technology, scientific instruments, financial institutions, the manufacturing industry, news channels, and more. When these data are analyzed in a real-time nature, it offers businesses the opportunity to take quick action in business-development processes (B2B, B2C), gain a different perspective, and better understand applications, creating new opportunities. While changing their sales and marketing strategies, businesses are now able to manage the data they collect in real-time to transform themselves, to record them in a healthy way, to analyze and evaluate data-based processes, and to determine their digital transformation roadmaps, their interactions with their customers, sectoral diffraction, application, and analysis. They want to accelerate the transformation processes within the technology triangle. Thus, big data, recently called as small and wide data, is at the center of everything and becomes an important application for digital transformation. Digital transformation helps companies embrace change and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. The value of big data in manufacturing, independent from sectoral variations, comes from its ability to combine both in an organization’s efforts to both digitize and automate its end-to-end business operations. In this study, the current digitalization and automation applications of one of the plastic injection-based manufacturing companies at scale will be discussed. Presented open-source-based big data analytics platform, DataCone, that increases data processing efficiency, storage optimization, encourages innovation for real time monitorization and analytics, and support new business models in different industry segments will be demonstrated and discussed. Thus, development and applied ML solutions will be discussed providing important prospects for the future.

About the Contributors

About the Contributors

Foot in the door or double-edged sword: the construction of Indian hi-tech immigrants in Canada's Technology Triangle

This article investigates the labour market experiences of Indian hi-tech professionals in the Waterloo tech cluster (Ontario), also known as Canada's Technology Triangle. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's theorisations, I show how Indian technology workers, although disadvantaged to some extent by their embodied social attributes and their ‘lack of Canadian experience’, exercise their agency to strategically convert their capitals to enter and progress in the labour market. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with Indian immigrants, technology companies and relevant organisations and immigrant-serving agencies in the Waterloo Region, I argue that the stereotypical association of Indian nationals and technology work contributes to their transnational habitus that yields some advantage in Canada's technology labour markets; a foot in the door. This stereotypical association, however, simultaneously contributes to new forms of oppression and restrictions to labour market entry for Indian nationals seeking to enter occupational sectors other than IT; a double-edged sword.

Challenges of Transformation: Innovation, Re-bundling and Traditional Manufacturing in Canada's Technology Triangle

Bathelt H., Munro A. K. and Spigel B. Challenges of transformation: innovation, re-bundling and traditional manufacturing in Canada's Technology Triangle, Regional Studies. This paper develops a perspective of regional re-bundling in overcoming economic crises. It does this by focusing on the effects of the recent global financial crisis on traditional manufacturing. It analyses the structure of innovation processes and their development over time in Canada's Technology Triangle – a region known for university-related spin-off processes and successful modernization. What is less well known is that this region has been strongly influenced by traditional manufacturing industries. It is shown that these industries have been well prepared to deal with the effects of the crisis due to ongoing innovation and diversification stimulated by prior economic crises. Bathelt H., Munro A. K. and Spigel B. 转型的挑战：创新、再绑定以及加拿大技术三角中的传统制造业， 区域研究。本文提出了区域绑定视角来应对经济危机。文章通过集中于目前传统制造业全球金融危机效应，对此问题进行了考察。文章分析了创新过程的结构以及加拿大技术三角的发展。人们普遍认为加拿大技术三角的成功源自与大学相关的脱离过程以及现代化。但是对于该区域受传统制造业影响较大这一点较少研究关注。文章认为，这些产业足以应对由于持续的创新及前经济危机导致的多样化所引发的危机。 加拿大的技术三角 制造业 全球金融危机 再绑定 创新实践/策略 Bathelt H., Munro A. K. et Spigel B. Le défi de la transformation: l'innovation, le refusionnement et l'industrie manufacturière traditionnelle dans le triangle canadien de la technologie, Regional Studies. Cet article cherche à développer une idée du rôle du refusionnement quant à la résolution des crises économiques. On met l'accent sur les retombées de la dernière crise financière mondiale sur l'industrie manufacturière traditionnelle. On analyse la structure des processus en matière d'innovation et leur développement au fil du temps dans le triangle canadien de la technologie – une région bien connue pour les retombées universitaires et la modernisaion réussie. Ce qui est moins bien connu c'est la forte influence sur cette région des industries manufacturières traditionnelles. On démontre que ces industries ont été bien équipées pour faire face aux retombées de la crise en vertu de l'innovation en cours et de la diversification stimulée par les crises antérieures. Triangle canadien de la technologie Secteur manufacturier Crise financière mondiale Refusionnement Pratiques et Stratégies en matière d'innovation Bathelt H., Munro A. K. und Spigel B. Herausforderungen der Transformation: Innovation, Neubündelung und traditionelle Industrien in Canada's Technology Triangle, Regional Studies. Der Beitrag entwickelt eine Perspektive regionaler Neubündelungs (Re-bundling-) Prozesse zur Überwindung ökonomischer Krisen. Der Fokus der Studie liegt bei den Auswirkungen der globalen Finanzkrise Ende der 2000er Jahre auf traditionelle Industrien. Untersucht werden die Struktur von Innovationsprozessen und ihr Wandel am Beispiel von Canada's Technology Triangle – einer Region, die durch universitätsbezogene Spin-offs und ökonomische Modernisierungsprozesse bekannt geworden ist. Weniger bekannt ist dagegen, dass die Region ebenso durch traditionelle Industriesektoren geprägt ist. Die Ergebnisse der durchgeführten Unternehmensbefragungen zeigen, dass die betreffenden Industrien überraschend gut auf die Wirtschaftskrise vorbereitet waren und darauf reagieren konnten. Dies hing mit andauernden Innovationsprozessen und Diversifizierungsbemühungen zusammen, die durch vorhergehende Krisen ausgelöst wurden. Canada's Technology Triangle Traditionelle Industrien Globale Finanzkrise Neubündelung (Re-bundling) Innovationspraktiken/-strategien Bathelt H., Munro A. K. y Spigel B. Retos de transformación: procesos de innovación, recombinación y manufactura tradicional en el Triángulo Tecnológico canadiense, Regional Studies. En este artículo desarrollamos una perspectiva de recombinación regional en la superación de las crisis económicas. Para ello nos centramos en los efectos de la reciente crisis financiera mundial en la manufactura tradicional. Analizamos la estructura de los procesos de innovación y su desarrollo con el paso del tiempo en el Triángulo Tecnológico canadiense, una región conocida por los procesos spin-off universitarios y sus avances en modernización. Lo que es menos conocido es que esta región ha estado muy influenciada por las industrias manufactureras tradicionales. Demostramos que estas industrias han estado bien preparadas para tratar los efectos de la crisis debido a la continua innovación y diversificación estimuladas por las crisis económicas anteriores. Triángulo Tecnológico canadiense Sector manufacturero Crisis financiera mundial Reconstrucción Prácticas/estrategias de innovación

Social Foundations of Regional Innovation and the Role of University Spin-Offs: The Case of Canada's Technology Triangle

The goal of this paper is to explore the social foundations of regional innovation by analyzing the role of universities in promoting technology transfer and the creation of innovation networks. The argument put forward is that regional innovation benefits from, and is stimulated by, horizontal and vertical knowledge flows and trans-regional networks, enabling firms to benefit from wider knowledge transfers between old and new establishments, large and small operations, and within and across sectors. The empirical study focuses on the Kitchener and Guelph metropolitan areas, referred to as Canada's Technology Triangle (CTT), where a larger number of firms related to information technology (IT) have been successfully launched since the 1970s in the area surrounding the University of Waterloo. This research investigates to what degree these university spin-offs and start-ups have established regional networks in innovation, their level of dependence on global knowledge networks, and whether this dynamic has produced spillovers to other regional industries.

The management of technological innovation in Lebanese industry

Technology and innovation are two important elements in improving efficiency, productivity and competitiveness in organisations. Therefore, what differentiates successful organisations from others is their management of technology and innovation. The objective of this paper is to investigate how Lebanese firms in different economic sectors manage technology and innovation. Information was collected through a survey questionnaire. Forty Lebanese companies operating in the financial, manufacturing, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), food and software technology sectors were surveyed. The collected data were analysed in order to identify the different technology management strategies across each sector and in the country as a whole. The results reflect on the level of appreciation and importance of technology management and innovation in Lebanese firms. The paper concludes with recommendations on the steps that need to be carried out by the different sectors, including the government, private and education sectors (Technology Triangle), to improve the management of technology and innovation in Lebanon.

High-technology cluster evolution: a network analysis of Canada's Technology Triangle

Clusters of high-technology firms are a significant influence on the competitiveness and innovativeness of regional economies. Knowledge transfer, interfirm networking and collective learning processes form the underlying dynamics that drive high-technology clusters to evolve over time. This research examines the evolution of the Waterloo Region Canada's Technology Triangle (CTT) by analysing its TechMap™, a genealogical chart of the development of the cluster. The findings about the key characteristics of the evolution process of the CTT cluster have implications for theories of high-technology clusters, economic development policy and the managerial practices of firms in such clusters. They are also an important adjunct to understanding the internationalisation processes of the knowledge intensive start-ups that form the cluster.

Institutional Barriers to Associative City-region Governance: The Politics of Institution-building and Economic Governance in 'Canada's Technology Triangle'

It has been argued that collaborative and associative forms of governance can enhance the economic competitiveness of cities and regions. Institutionalist approaches to urban and regional economic development have been particularly influential in emphasising the potential role that collaboration between firms, governance agencies, labour and supporting institutions can play in enabling communities to promote progressive competitiveness. At the same time, there has been relatively little discussion and empirical analysis of the actual process of institutional change and institution-building that characterise city-regions situated in liberal political economies that are not historically endowed with 'pre-existing' stocks of social capital and associative governance. In addition, institutionalist perspectives on urban and regional economic change have produced economistic explanations, while underplaying the importance of political factors. This paper offers an analysis of the various institutional barriers to associative governance by examining the case of 'Canada's Technology Triangle', a city-region which has experienced several attempts to develop associative governance institutions since the early 1990s. The evidence from this case study suggests that the experience of institution-building in this city-region has been intertwined with a struggle to create a regional scale of engagement for a range of governance actors. The analysis in this paper demonstrates the importance of paying careful attention to the factors that shape the political mobilisation of actors into associative institutional structures.

Local-Global Partnerships for High-Tech Development: Integrating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Models

Advocates of high-tech development use conflicting top-down and bottom-up models to respond to the challenge of the increasing knowledge intensity of the global economy. The trend for policies in the United States, Canada, and Australia is to shift the emphasis from federal government and external resources to increased state and local responsibility. The competing top-down and bottom-up approaches are reviewed and then illustrated with case studies. Canada’s Technology Triangle and Australia’s Multi-Function Polis were both initiated in 1987 and then transformed in 1997. The evaluation of these case studies identifies weaknesses in the original models and calls for the integration of the two development approaches into a model of local-global partnership for high-tech development based on the building of local capacity through partnerships with local and external actors.

Strategies for industrial and technological development of Middle Eastern countries

Manufacturing sectors in Middle Eastern countries are facing many challenges when competing in local and world markets. These challenges include global and regional trade agreements, the creation of economic superpowers around the globe (North America, Europe, and East Asia) and higher standards to meet international quality requirements. Therefore, many countries in the region will have to rely on industrial and technological development in order ensure sustained economic development and face the above mentioned challenges. This paper discusses the important role of the Technology Triangle (partnership and cooperation between government, private sector, and education sector) in such a development. Issues that insure the effectiveness of the Technology Triangle are considered such as operational factors, financial responsibility, and implementation and monitoring. The paper also lists possible obstacles that can hinder industrial and technological development of Middle Eastern Countries. Finally, the paper will highlight the industrial and technological development of Lebanon after 15 years of civil strife. It reviews the impact of the reconstruction process on the development of a strong industry and Science and Technology institutions. Strategies are proposed for improvements.

Employment Changes and Input–Output Linkages in Key Technology Industries: A Comparative Analysis

BATHELT H. (1991) Employment changes and input-output linkages in key technology industries: a comparative analysis, Reg. Studies 25, 31–43. In order to achieve a better understanding of employment changes and input-output linkages of key technology firms, it was considered necessary to undertake a survey among key technology firms (identified by three-digit SIC codes) from five key technology regions in North America. The regions of Boston (Massachusetts), Research Triangle (North Carolina), Atlanta (Georgia), Ottawa (Ontario) and Canada's Technology Triangle (around Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario) were included. A total of 160 interviews was conducted among key technology firm executives/managers with a rejection rate of only 10%. Overall, significant growth activities were identified in each of the regions resulting in a total of about 40,000 new jobs during the 1980s within the firms surveyed. Employment in key technology industries was found to be extremely concentrated in large firms and specific secto...