In the February 22, 2002 Issue:
- Canada Launches National Innovation Strategy, $125M in Scholarships
- Index, White Paper Offer Foray into Silicon Valley
- California Doubles Number of RTAs
- Advanced Study Math, Science Programs Deserve Boost, Report Says
- Stimulus Package Designed to Boost Orange County (Fla.) Economy
- Tech-talkin' Govs: State of the State Addresses and Budget Requests
- People
- Highest Recommendation: OREDI Newsletter
Copyright State Science & Technology Institute 2003. Information in this issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest was prepared under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. Redistribution to all others interested in tech-based economic development is strongly encouraged — please cite the State Science & Technology Institute whenever portions are reproduced or redirected. Any opinions expressed in the Digest do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Subscription to the SSTI Weekly Digest is free. If you are reading a forwarded copy of this issue and would like to receive your own copy each week directly, please subscribe at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/digform.htm Requests to unsubscribe should be sent to sstiwd@ssti.org.
Canada Launches National Innovation Strategy, $125M in Scholarships
During the 1970s, Canada routinely topped the U.S. in terms of real growth in gross domestic product per capita. As recently as 1990, Canada enjoyed the fourth highest standard of living in the world but slipped to seventh by 1999.
The two long-term initiatives launched in the last two weeks by the Canadian National Government — a National Innovation Strategy and the Trudeau Scholarships — and the $2.7 billion (CND) Fuel Cell research program created last year reflect the country's commitment to reversing these trends.
Canada's Innovation Strategy
Unveiled last week by Industry Minister Allan Rock and Human Resources Development Minister Jane Stewart, Canada's Innovation Strategy has two strategic thrusts that are expected to drive economic growth and social development in Canada over the next decade.
Federal expenditures on science and technology in 2001-02 are estimated at $7.4 billion, according to the Strategy. The report recognizes that a long-term national commitment and partnership is required to achieve make Canada's future economic potential in the global economy and performance even better and build a stronger, more inclusive society for all Canadians.
The specific economic and social goals of the Strategy are outlined in two separate papers.
"Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity" examines the role of innovation in the Canadian economy and proposes specific targets and federal priorities in four key areas:
- Knowledge performance — create knowledge and bring the ideas to market more quickly, as well as increase investment by all sectors in research and development.
- Skills — ensure Canada has enough highly qualified people with the skills for a knowledge-based economy;
- The innovation environment — modernize business and regulatory policies to support and recognize innovation excellence while protecting the quality of life; and
- Strengthening communities — support innovation at the local level so communities will continue to attract investment and opportunity.
"Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians" calls for a collaborative approach among all sectors of society to keep Canada economically strong and socially sound. The paper outlines a series of national goals and milestones for children and youth, post-secondary education, the adult labor force, and immigration:
- ensure children and youth get the best possible start in life;
- ensure all qualified Canadians have access to high-quality post-secondary education;
- ensure Canada's current and emerging workforce is more highly skilled and adaptable; and
- ensure Canada continues to attract highly skilled immigrants and help them achieve their full potential in Canadian society and the labor market.
"Canada must become more innovative if we are to continue to build on our economic and social foundation," said Minister Rock.
The Government of Canada has begun meeting with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to discuss the national goals and actions steps outlined in Canada's Innovation Strategy.
Minister Stewart will pursue a national dialogue with partners in the provincial and territorial governments, business, labor, academia, Aboriginal leaders, the voluntary sector and individual Canadians through ongoing federal/provincial fora, as well as at least five expert roundtables on the core areas of "Knowledge Matters," and approximately 10 best practice workshops over the course of the next year.
In addition, a series of regional and sectoral meetings will culminate in a National Summit this fall, where further ideas, opportunities and partnerships can be identified.
The Trudeau Scholarships
What may serve as one of the first steps to achieving these goals is a newly-created $125 million endowment to encourage young students to undertake advanced research in the humanities and the human sciences.
The fund will be administered by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, an independent, non-profit corporation, and will support up to 100 fellowships for doctoral and post-doctoral students in the humanities and the human sciences. The fund also will help establish a knowledge network to support these students, in part by funding mid-career achievement awards for eminent scholars and encouraging mentor relationships in the humanities.
Up to 25 fellowships of up to $50,000 will be awarded for doctoral and post-doctoral students each and every year, renewable for up to four years. A further five mid-career awards of up to $75,000, renewable for up to four years, will recognize eminent scholars at Canadian universities whose work in the humanities and human sciences is internationally recognized. Up to 15 mentors will be appointed in any one year to provide advice, counsel and reflection to the scholarship winners. Each mentor will receive up to $35,000. Appointments will be renewable for up to three years.
A minimum of 75 percent of all awards will be made to Canadian citizens.
To obtain a copy of either "Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians" or "Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity" or the Executive Summary of the strategy, visit http://www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca or call 1-800-622-6232.
More information on the Trudeau Scholarships is available on the Industry Canada website.
Return to the top of this page
Index, White Paper Offer Foray into Silicon Valley
While Silicon Valley lost jobs last year — the first decline since 1992 — value added per employee, a measure of productivity, increased 4.6 percent to $170,000 compared to $56,000 nationally, according to the Index of Silicon Valley 2002 released in January by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network.
The above figures and other economic data contained in the Index measure annual progress toward the long-term goals of an innovative economy, livable environment, inclusive society and regional stewardship established by Joint Venture in Silicon Valley 2010.
The Index suggests that while the Valley faces short-term economic challenges, its long-term prospects remain strong, given continuing innovation and productivity gains. Important progress also is being made on long-term goals.
Though the slowing economy has eased some pressure, people are still under strain, the Index observes. The gap between high income and low income households narrowed for the first time in seven years, although the standard of living for the region's poorest households has not increased over 1993 levels. Since then, the cost of living has increased 20 percent. Annual average pay in Silicon Valley fell an estimated two percent but remains the highest in the nation.
Innovation continued with the awarding of 6,800 patents to Silicon Valley inventors, eight percent of those awarded to U.S. residents. Though venture capital investment tumbled from a record high of $21 billion in 2000 to $6 billion last year, 2001 investment still topped the 1998 level.
The Index follows the December 2001 release of the Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network White Paper Next Silicon Valley: Riding the Waves of Innovation. The paper highlights several challenges facing Silicon Valley as it deals with a short-term impact of the boom/bust cycle, longer-term requirements of adjusting to new waves of innovation, and economic shocks from the September 11 terrorist attack.
Understanding opportunities presented by new innovation waves will be critical for the Valley's future success, according to the paper. Areas highlighted include:
- deepening information and communication technology in the economy and society as the U.S. moves past the first phase of the Internet toward the mobile Internet, productivity tools and new applications in education, government and the community;
- major advances in biotechnology that will converge with information technologies and lead to new opportunities in bioinformatics, biomaterials and biochips; and
- commercialization of nanotechnology, which has the potential to revolutionize chip and computer manufacturing.
Copies of the Index of Silicon Valley 2002 are available at http://www.jointventure.org/resources/2002Index/index.html The White Paper Next Silicon Valley: Riding the Waves of Innovation is available at http://www.jointventure.org/nsv/summary.html.
California Doubles Number of RTAs
Last week, Governor Gray Davis announced the award of three grants to support the creation of new Regional Technology Alliances (RTA) for the Inland Empire, San Joaquin Valley, and Sacramento/Capital regions. The three new non-profit organizations join existing RTAs in Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay area to provide decentralized business support services for innovative, California-based technology firms.
Because the RTAs are designed by the tech community within the particular service area, each RTA offers regionally-customized approaches to technical assistance, securing financing, and other business support.
The three new RTAs, expected to open by May, will receive $200,000 in state matching grants from the California Technology Investment Partnership (CalTIP). The RTA and CalTIP programs are administered by the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation.
More information is available from the Division's website. An eight-page SSTI Program Brief focusing on the California RTAs also is available at: http://www.ssti.org/Publications/online.htm
Advanced Study Math, Science Programs Deserve Boost, Report Says
High school courses for advanced study in mathematics and science should focus on helping students acquire in-depth understanding rather than the more superficial knowledge that comes from covering too much material too quickly, according to a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council.
Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools concentrates on biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in U.S. secondary schools. Although AP and IB have raised the level of mathematics and science education in the U.S., the report says, their efforts to emphasize the key concepts in science disciplines have not been realized because of the excessive number of topics covered in each subject.
Accelerated classes covering topics and final examinations that devote insufficient attention to important ideas cannot produce superior learners, according to the report. Furthermore, advanced study is almost the norm for secondary students seeking admission to the most competitive colleges — which view enrollment in demanding courses as an indication of a student's willingness to work hard — but access to such programs is limited for many students who are poor or minorities.
In addition to recommending that courses be designed for in-depth learning and numerous other recommendations, the report calls for several changes to boost quality and expand access:
- Advanced courses in mathematics and science should not be designed primarily to replicate typical introductory college classes, which may not take into account the best current practices in education.
- The way many advanced courses are taught does not reflect the recent explosion in scientific understanding about how people learn, and rote memorization of facts, one of the least effective approaches to learning, is stressed in many advanced classes. Research indicates that encouraging students to learn by engaging in active problem solving and discussion, as scientists do, is a more effective teaching tool. And,
- Teachers should work harder to build on students' prior knowledge and address misconceptions.
Developed by the College Board in 1955, AP is now the country's predominant program for accelerated high school courses. It offers 11 separate classes in eight areas of mathematics and science alone, and is built around voluntary, end-of-course exams. IB was developed in the late 1960s to provide an international standard of secondary education for the children of diplomats and others stationed outside their home countries. The International Baccalaureate Organization must endorse participating schools.
Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Printed copies are available to read online or for purchase from the National Academy Press website.
Stimulus Package Designed to Boost Orange County (Fla.) Economy
An economic diversification package recently approved by officials in Orange County, Florida, is intended to offset some of the post-September 11 difficulties experienced by the local economy.
More than $1 million for the Orange County Economic Stimulus Package was approved in late January by the Board of County Commissioners. The initiative provides funding for five measures, including:
- $100,000 per year for three years ($300,000) for the University of Central Florida Business Incubator to assist in creating and expanding businesses in Central Florida.
- $50,000 for the Economic Development Commission of Mid-Florida for a digital media initiative to help merge the strength of the area's tourism industry with high-paying, high-tech jobs. And,
- $100,000 per year for three years ($300,000) to support the creation of Academies of Information Technology at all Orange County public high schools.
The funding approved for the stimulus package represents about four one-hundredths of 1 percent of Orange County's $2.9 billion budget, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Orange County spends more than $4 million a year on economic development, the newspaper recently reported.
Return to the top of this page
Tech-talkin' Govs: State of the State and Budget Addresses
This is the final installment in this year's coverage of the Governors' State of the State and Budget Addresses highlighting issues of importance to the tech-based economic development community.
Illinois
George Ryan, State of the State/Budget Address and Supporting Press Materials, February 20, 2002
- Funds will be earmarked for a new post-genomics institute at the University of Illinois, a new chemical sciences building at UI's Chicago campus, a cancer research center at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, and a new facility for the treatment of juvenile diabetes at the University of Chicago.
- Continued support for a new biomedical research building and a nanotechnology center for Northwestern University.
- Citing a federal government commitment of $1 billion, a nearly $100 million per year operating budget, and employment of 400 highly skill engineers and scientists, the Governor calls for $13 million in support for the Rare Isotope Accelerator. Scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory in the Chicago area are trying to land the new research project that will advance physics and nuclear astrophysics to the next level of understanding.
- A new $5 million Digital Divide Elimination Fund to increase access to computers and
telecommunications technology for residents in low-income communities.Key technology projects noted in the supporting press release include:
- $5 million for the Advanced Research Building at the University of Chicago;
- $17 million for the nanotechnology research institute at Argonne;
- $5 million for the Biomedical Research Building at the Illinois Institute of Technology;
- $15 million for a grant to Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center for the Bohn Bio-Medical Research Building
- $10 million to fund the Energy Efficiency Investment Fund which supports development of technologies that use wind, solar, and biomass power.
- President Bush has nominated Major General Charles F. Bolden, U.S. Marine Corps to serve as NASA's next Deputy Administrator. A former astronaut, Bolden currently serves as the Commanding General, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
- Last week, David Allen began his tenure as Assistant Vice President for Technology Transfer at the University of Colorado. Allen was the Assistant Vice President for Technology Partnerships at the Ohio State University.
- On April 1, Jerry McGuire becomes the first director of technology transfer for the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. McGuire currently is the director of technology transfer and licensing for the University of Buffalo.
- Telecommunications entrepreneur R. Chadwick Paul Jr. has been hired as chief executive officer of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Editor's Note
Highest Recommendation: OREDI Newsletter
We read a lot of e-mail for the Digest. A lot of e-mail. We know that e-mail boxes are getting fuller all the time, so even thinking of recommending that you increase your reading load takes a lot of nerve, or a very good reason. This one is the latter.
For anyone interested in cultivating the fullest understanding possible of the wide world of tech-based economic development, I believe one of the best newsletters/websites is Ontario's Regional Economic Development and Innovation (OREDI) Newsletter, a free biweekly e-publication of the Ontario Network on the Regional Innovation System (ONRIS) at the Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto.
Jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology, every issue of the OREDI Newsletter is packed with links to quality articles, academic research papers, reports, proceedings, and events. The content selection is a good balance between Canadian, U.S. and other international perspectives on this field.
For example, this week's OREDI issue tipped us off for two of this week's Digest stories: Canada's Innovation Strategy and the newest Silicon Valley Index. I also wanted to look into the Guide to Developing Technology Roadmaps prepared by the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources, but time and space in the Digest didn't permit it.
If I have to have criticism, it's that the brief e-mail alert simply tells subscribers that the new full issue is posted on the ONRIS website. The email provides no headlines, no descriptions, no teasers as to what may be inside. Others may find the clean e-mail alert desirable, but there is the risk of setting the e-mail aside until one has time to spend on the web and then forgetting about it.
We appreciate the repeated comments from readers that the SSTI Weekly Digest is an e-mail that gets opened as soon as it arrives. The OREDI Newsletter is one of those for me. I encourage you to investigate it further and see if you agree. The latest issue and subscription information is available at: http://www.utoronto.ca/onris/newsletterlink34.htm— Mark Skinner
Return to the top of this page
State Science & Technology Institute
5015 Pine Creek Drive
Westerville, OH 43081
Phone: (614) 901-1690
Fax: (614) 901-1696
Email: ssti@ssti.org© 2003 State Science and Technology Institute. All rights reserved.