Guest Blog: New Brunswick IBED Strategy is on the Right Track

Guest Blog:  Rich Bendis

President  and CEO of Innovation America and is the Founder and Publisher of Innovation Daily. He currently  is also serving  as President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation Inc. ,a Central Maryland  Innovation Intermediary  which he created in 2011.

One of the predominant themes in innovation strategies around the world in recent times has been a concerted effort to fully integrate “innovation” in a state or region’s economic development efforts.  The approach has been variously described as “science-based economic development”, “technology-based economic development”, and more recently ‘innovation-based economic development” or IBED.  If you look at the most innovative economies in the US, Canada and abroad, you will probably find IBED at the heart of that region’s economic policies and strategies.  The core objectives of an IBED approach are:

• Improving the competitiveness of key industrial sectors
• Strengthening a region’s R&D capacity
• Integrating technology policies into overall economic development planning 
•  Promoting the development of strategic sectors
• Establishing the business conditions attractive to both domestic and foreign investment in strategic technologies and sectors 
•  Accelerating commercialization of relevant research
• Identifying gaps in the Innovation Ecosystem and creating programs and financing vehicles to address the gaps

Another key aspect of IBED strategies is having clearly defined roles for the various actors – government, academia, research, industry and not for profit foundations.  In my experience working with many jurisdictions in the US and internationally, the most common attributes in successful strategies include: longevity / sustainability; continuous reinvention; strong private sector involvement and leadership; independent organizations or intermediaries; shared vision and goals; and coordinated efforts among the many stakeholders.

Having had the opportunity to spend some time with the working group that prepared the recently-released New Brunswick innovation strategy report, I am impressed with both the level of detail and strategic thinking around their IBED approach, and also with their efforts to study and understand how other jurisdictions have developed their IBED strategies.  The report makes reference to numerous exemplary practices around the world, and in fact I last met the working group during their mission to Finland last year where they not only were undertaking a very detailed examination of that country’s approach to innovation, but also engaging delegates from countries around the world at a conference that was focused on these types of strategies.  One of the delegations they met with was from the state of Iowa which was just coming through the very same process.

In the end, I think what leaders in New Brunswick should take note of is that, while taking the time to examine some of the very best approaches out there, the working group has clearly defined a strategy which reflects the assets, conditions, challenges and opportunities that exist in the province. The recommendations are thorough and necessarily touch a broad spectrum of issues and moving parts in New Brunswick’s innovation eco-system.  In this regard, it is most notable that the group has recommended an independent innovation intermediary to play the critical coordination role in the provincial system and also ensure the delivery of essential innovation support services to companies and entrepreneurs in the priority industry sectors.  In conjunction with the intermediary, they have also identified centres of expertise aligned with key sectors.

The working group appears to have provided the province a thorough and well thought out set of recommendations for an IBED strategy. This report puts New Brunswick on the right track. The key to success now, as it has been in all the successful jurisdictions I have studied and advised around the world, is that everybody has to get on board and begin the implementation process.  All the key stakeholders have to take ownership of the strategy and embrace it as their own.  A collective will to succeed and to work in a coordinated fashion over the long haul is critical.

Rich Bendis

President  and CEO of Innovation America

In pursuit of a culture of inquiry (Le français suite)

Recently our friends at the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies at Mount Allison launched a new speakers series aimed at bringing business thought leaders to the campus.  And they really hit one out of the park with their inaugural session featuring CBC news senior business correspondent and co-host of the Lang and O’Leary Exchange Amanda Lang. Most of you will have seen enough of Amanda over the years to know the calibre of her work and the passion and knowledge she brings to it.  And she certainly did not disappoint on this occasion.  Lang is working on a new book, due to be published later this year, which will focus on the importance for Canada to up its game in innovation and productivity.  Nothing new in that you might say, but I think there is much to take seriously in some of the points she is raising about what has to change in Canada if we are finally going to crack this one.

For Amanda, while there were a range of issues she brought up in her talk, she really emphasized two things:  fundamentally overhauling much of our education system; and being more confident about embracing failure.  I find it hard not to agree with these assertions.  Canada is not alone in having an education system that was designed in and for another time.  At an innovation conference last fall in Tampere, Finland, this was a topic of much interest with speaker after speaker ringing the alarm bells over the outdated nature of education systems, and how ill-equipped so many of our young people are for the challenges that follow school, whether in post-secondary education or in the workplace.  I think one of the key messages there, and in Lang’s talk, was the need for our education systems to be more open to inquisitiveness, to experiential learning, to encouraging our children not to be afraid to ask why, or why not. And for parents to reinforce that cultural shift at home.  Embrace and encourage curiosity.  As Lang said, the purest scientists are perhaps our youngest citizens, the pre-schoolers for whom every day is an adventure in exploration and asking why.  And in relation to this, she suggested we have to put our scientists, our researchers, and our entrepreneurs up on the same pedestal we so naturally put our favourite hockey star or musician. Embrace and celebrate science and the simple act of inquisition.

And secondly, we have to get past our tendency to frown upon or avoid the unpleasantness of failure.  This is something that Lang suggests may in part be a Canadian thing, just as we tend not to be very bold about celebrating success.  One of the qualities typical of the workshop and seminar speakers Tech South East has brought in is that most of them can speak from the perspective of having both succeeded and failed in tech start-up ventures. And of course we know from statistics (and they never lie) that the majority of tech start-ups, in the order of 8 out of 10, don’t last the first year. The reality is probably not quite that scary, especially with the growing number of tech-oriented incubators and related mentoring and advisory services popping up across North America.  But the point Lang makes is that instead of shunning failure, we should embrace it (a badge of honour if you will), respect it, and learn from it. 

Amanda made some very sound points in her talk and I for one look forward to her book in the fall. At the very least, its focus is one that Canada really needs to address and start making more significant progress on.  In the meantime, congrats to the team at Mount Allison and the Ron Joyce centre.  This was a terrific beginning to a really good initiative.     

Doug Robertson

President & C.E.O. of Tech South East Inc.

À la poursuite d’une culture d’information

Récemment nos amis au Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies du Mount Allison ont lancé une nouvelle série de conférences visant à apporter des leaders d’opinion d’affaires au campus.  Et ils ont vraiment frappé fort avec leur session inaugurale mettant en vedette Amanda Lang, correspondante affaires du CBC News et coanimatrice de Lang & O’Leary Exchange.  La plupart d’entre vous ont vu suffisamment d’Amanda au cours des années pour connaître le calibre de son travail ainsi que la passion et les connaissances qu’elle lui apporte.  Et elle ne nous a certainement pas déçus à cette occasion.  Lang est présentement à l’écriture d’un nouveau livre, prévu pour être publié plus tard cette année, lequel portera sur l’importance du Canada de tirer son épingle du jeu en innovation et productivité.  Rien de nouveau direz-vous, mais je pense qu’il y a beaucoup à prendre au sérieux dans certains des points qu’elle soulève au sujet de ce qui se doit de changer au Canada si nous allons finalement résoudre ce problème.        

         

Pour Amanda, alors qu’elle a soulevé un large éventail de problèmes durant son discours, elle a vraiment mis l’emphase sur deux choses: remanier fondamentalement la majeure partie de notre système d’éducation; et être plus confiant quand vient le temps d’embrasser l’échec.  Je trouve difficile de ne pas être d’accord avec ces affirmations.  Le Canada n’est pas le seul à avoir un système d’éducation à avoir été conçu dans et pour une autre époque.  Lors d’une conférence sur l’innovation à Tempere en Finlande l’automne dernier, ce sujet a suscité beaucoup d’intérêt auprès du conférencier après qu’il ait sonné l’alarme sur la nature dépassée des systèmes d’éducation, et comment plusieurs de nos jeunes sont très mal équipés pour faire face aux défis qui se présenteront une fois sorti de l’école, que ce soit en éducation postsecondaire ou en milieu de travail.  Je pense qu’un des messages clé ici, et dans le discours de Lang, est le besoin pour notre système d’éducation d’être plus ouvert à la curiosité, à l’apprentissage expérimental, à encourager nos enfants de ne pas avoir peur de demander pourquoi, ou pourquoi pas.  Et pour les parents de renforcer ce virage culturel à la maison.  Embrassez et encouragez la curiosité.  Comme l’a indiqué Lang, les scientifiques les plus purs sont possiblement nos plus jeunes citoyens, les enfants d’âge préscolaire pour qui chaque jour est une aventure d’exploration et de demande de pourquoi.  Et en lien avec ceci, elle suggère que nous mettions nos scientistes, nos chercheurs et nos entrepreneurs sur le même piédestal dont nous mettons de façon si naturelle notre joueur vedette de la ligne nationale de hockey ou musicien préféré.  Embrassez et célébrez les sciences et le simple geste d’inquisition.           

Deuxièmement, nous devons aller au-delà de notre tendance à désapprouver ou éviter le sentiment déplaisant de l’échec.  Lang suggère que ceci peut être en partie une habitude canadienne, tout comme nous avons tendance à ne pas trop oser lorsque vient le temps de célébrer une réussite.  Une des qualités typiques des conférenciers invités lors des ateliers et séminaires de Tech Sud-Est est que la plupart d’entre eux peuvent parler de la perspective d’avoir réussi et échouer en entreprises de démarrage tech.  Et bien sûr les statistiques nous démontrent (et elles ne mentent jamais) que la majorité des entreprises en démarrage tech, dans l’ordre de 8 sur 10, ne durent pas plus d’un an.  La réalité n’est probablement pas si effrayante, surtout avec le nombre croissant d’incubateurs et services de mentorat et de conseillers orientés vers les technologies apparaissant partout en Amérique du nord.  Le point que soulève Lang par contre est qu’au lieu de fuir l’échec, nous devrions plutôt l’embrasser (une médaille d’honneur si vous voulez), le respecter et apprendre de celui-ci.         

    

Amanda à soulever quelques points très solides lors de son discours et pour ma part, j’anticipe l’arrivée de son livre cet automne.  Comme point final, son focus en est un dont le Canada se doit vraiment d’adresser et commencer à y apporter des progrès plus significatif.  Entre-temps, félicitations à l’équipe du Mount Allison ainsi qu’au Ron Joyce Centre.  Ceci fut un extraordinaire début d’une très bonne initiative.              

Doug Robertson

Président & PDG de Tech Sud-Est Inc.

 

Guest Blog: South Eastern New Brunswick Information Communications Technology Industry - Great Careers to be had. -Pierre Battah

My son is a self-avowed computer geek, he eats sleeps and dreams about computers and networks and their potential to cure all that ails humankind. He is under the mistaken assumption that in order to do challenging, a.k.a. cool work in emerging technologies he will need to leave southeastern New Brunswick for a large Canadian city or to the US. He is sadly mistaken.

As I recently witnessed firsthand in working with some of our region’s leading IT sector companies both big and small, our region has an impressive technology brand to promote.

Employment branding experts remind employers they need to do four things to promote employment in a sector, company, industry or region:

1.     1. Southeast NB’s technology employment Identity. Our region’s employers are diverse and offer a multitude of great opportunities. Some echo the Microsoft mould of wanting the wizards of detailed processes, other flaunt Apple like work cultures that value creativity. There is something for everyone from well-established institutional employers to the freewheeling on the edge start-ups and everything in between. And they all offer the most sought after thing of all: challenging work on emerging technologies within an environment of world class technology infrastructure.

2.      2. The Promise. This region’s promise to potential employees is second to none: Work on world class gear, with really bright people on really cool projects. Then throw in a low cost of living and a phenomenal quality of life.

3.      3. The takeaway. Potential Employees need to be reminded of what they will take away from their experience with our region’s technology employers. As I came to find out, the experience gained here is world class and will open many future doors within an ever increasing cluster of high tech companies locally or, heaven forbid, outside our region.

4.      4. Promote all of the above ‘til the developers come calling. Being a best kept secret is not helpful. The entire sector benefits when individual employers promote themselves aggressively with the government, academic, business and technology communities and especially online to potential applicants. Even better still when sector representatives convey the message loudly to all concerned.

So there is hope for my kid being able to grow his technology career in our region. Our technology sector has an excellent employment brand to convey in order to help our region better leverage the ICT sector, stem emigration and continue to innovate and contribute our economy and our communities.

Pierre Battah mba chrp cmc

Battah & Associates HR Management Consulting 2012
http://www.battahassoc.com/

2011 – How Cool Was That!

The start of a new year is always a time for reflection.  Not just on the 14 new ways you discovered to use leftover turkey, but when looking back on innovation and technology in New Brunswick this past year, you can’t help but get  excited.  Simply put, we had a year that was wall-to-wall full of cool developments in innovation ... from hot start-ups to major league acquisitions.  Everywhere you turned it seemed there was tech buzz in the air.  Now to take a look back.

“The eyes of the world are upon you.”

The New York Times announced that Moncton-based Lymbix’s Tone Check was considered to be one of the most innovative ideas in 2010.

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF)  announced that Saint John has joined the ICF Most Intelligent Community global network of smart cities, joining fellow NB ICF alumni Fredericton and Moncton.

The Radian 6 and Q1 Labs deals, the largest in New Brunswick since Spielo, attracted national and international attention and notoriety.

World-renowned technology guru and author Geoffrey Moore delivers keynote luncheon address in Moncton and puts on an exclusive “Crossing the Chasm” workshop.

Gururaj Deshpande, a co-chair of United States President Barak Obama's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and former UNB alum, teamed up with NB’s own tech guru Gerry Pond to launch the Pond-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“Got my mojo working ...”

Certainly there were lots of exciting developments in the Tech South East community.  We saw our membership and partnership roster grow to over 80, initiated our education and community outreach  programs, and began celebrating both National Biotech Week and National Science and Technology Week with a variety of activities.

The real action though was with our companies ... from the breakthrough technologies of health and life science firms like Soricimed and Picomole… to the emergence of many hot new tech companies like Vinvox and Vidcruiter… to strong growth years for firms such as Vimsoft, PropertyGuys.com, Sentinel Systems, Gogii Games, and Lymbix. 

Plus we saw some local M&A activity as Elite (Thomson Reuters) acquired both Sackville-based Kleinmundo and Moncton’s Oracle division (formerly Whitehill).  Then, as the year closed, we had the announcement of another tech start-up with Clarity.fm. Add to the mix the launch of iCommunications’ “Gingle” app for smart phones. And there is more coming!

 

Lots of exciting developments across the province ...

New cancer research chairs at UdeM and UNBSJ were announced.  Cisco funded a new advanced technology chair at UNB and IBM is working with UNB to further develop its JAVA platform. Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick added Moncton, Fredericton and Miramichi to its distributed education program that will allow doctors to be trained closer to home. 

A dedicated tech fund in the Miramichi region was launched.  Exciting new tech prospects emerged from NBIF’s Breakthru competition.  The NBIT Council launched its Class of 2011 program. The Aboriginal Workforce Development Initiative launched their ICT skills development partnership program. Our colleagues at propel ICT rolled out their Launch 36 strategy.

There were important changes in our community college system that should position NBCC and CCNB to be even more effective players in innovation across New Brunswick. The province and the premier took a leadership role in the i-Canada initiative.  And we had signals in the province’s Throne Speech of work on an innovation strategy for New Brunswick.

“Please, may I have some more??”

This captures some of the highlights of what truly was a big year in innovation for our region and our province.  Building on this momentum, you cannot help but get a little jazzed about the prospects for 2012.  We know we have some important challenges ahead, but at the same time I also see a growing sense of confidence and spirit of “working together” here in the south east and throughout New Brunswick.

So here’s to 2012 ... may it be every bit as cool as the year past…. and then some.

Doug Robertson

President & C.E.O. of Tech South East Inc.

2011 – Quelles belles occasions!

Le début d’une nouvelle année est toujours un temps de réflexion.  Pas seulement sur les 14 nouvelles façons que vous avez découvert pour utiliser vos restes de dinde, mais quand on regarde en arrière sur l’innovation et la technologie de la dernière année au Nouveau-Brunswick, on ne peut faire autrement que d’être excité!  Simplement dit, nous avons eu une année remplie mur-à-mur de supers développements en innovation... de fabuleuses entreprises en démarrages jusqu’à des acquisitions de ligues majeures.  Partout où vous regardiez il semblait y avoir un bourdonnement technologique dans l’air.  Jetons maintenant un regard en arrière.   

“Les yeux du monde sont sur vous.”

Le NewYork Times a annoncé que le Tone Check de Lymbix, basé à Moncton, fut considéré comme l’une des idées les plus innovatrices en 2010.

Le IntelligentCommunity Forum (ICF) a annoncé que Saint-Jean a rejoint le réseau communautaire mondial de villes intelligentes du ICF joignant ainsi ses compatriotes du NB, les anciens de l’ICF Fredericton et Moncton.

Les contrats de Radian 6 et Q1 Labs, les plus grands au Nouveau-Brunswick depuis Spielo, ont attiré une attention et notoriété nationale et internationale. 

Le gourou des technologies et auteur de renommée mondiale Geoffrey Moore a livré un discours lors d’un dîner-causerie à Moncton et à mis en place un atelier exclusif portant sur “Crossing the Chasm”.

Gururaj Deshpande, un des co-président du Conseil consultatif national du Président des États-Unis Barak Obama sur l’innovation et l’entrepreneurship, et ancien de l’UNB, à fait équipe avec notre gourou des technologies du NB Gerry Pond afin de lancer le Centre pour l’innovation etentrepreneurship Pond-Deshpande.

“Ça m’a titillé ...”

De toute évidence, il y a eu beaucoup de développements passionnants dans la communauté de Tech Sud-Est.  Nous avons vu notre registre d’abonnements et partenariats passé à plus de 80, initié notre programme d’éducation et d’engagement communautaire, et commencé à célébrer la Semaine nationale des biotechnologies et la Semaine nationale des sciences et de la technologie avec une panoplie d’activités.

La véritable action fut au sein de nos entreprises... des technologies de fine pointe des firmes de sciences de la santé et de la vie telles Soricimed et Picomole... aux émergences de plusieurs nouvelles entreprises technologiques ferventes telles que Vimsoft, PropertyGuys.com, Sentinel Systems, Gogii Games et Lymbix.   

De plus, nous avons vu quelques activités de M&A alors qu’Elite (Thomson Reuters) a fait l’acquisition de Kleinmundo et de la division Oracle de Moncton (anciennement Whitehill).  Ensuite, alors que l’année tirait à sa fin, nous avons eu l’annonce d’une nouvelle entreprise en démarrage en technologie avec Clarity.fm.  Ajoutez au mélange le lancement de l’application pour téléphones intelligents “Gingle” de iCommunications.  Et il y en a d’autres à venir!

Plusieurs développements passionnants à travers la province...

De nouvelles chaires de recherche à l’UdeM et à l’UNBSJ furent annoncées.  Cisco a financé une nouvelle chaire de technologie de pointe à l’UNB et IBM travaille avec l’UNB afin de développer davantage sa plateforme JAVA.  Dalhousie Medecine New Brunswick a ajouté Moncton, Fredericton et Miramichi à son programme de distribution d’éducation qui permettra aux médecins d’être formés plus près de chez-eux. 

Un fond de financement dédié aux technologies dans la région de Miramichi fut lancé.  De nouveaux prospects excitants ont émergé de la compétition Percée de la FINB.  Le conseil du NBIT a lancé son Programme Classe de 2011.  Le Aboriginal Workforce Development Initiative a lancé son programme de partenariat de compétences en TIC.  Nos collègues chez propel ICT ont déroulés leur stratégie Launch 36.

Il y a eu d’importants changements dans notre système de collège communautaire qui devrait positionner le NBCC et le CCNB de façon à être des joueurs en innovation encore plus efficaces à travers le Nouveau-Brunswick.  La province ainsi que le Premier Ministre ont pris un rôle de leadership dans l’initiative i-Canada.  Et nous en avons eu le signalement lors du discours du Trône de la province sur le travail d’une stratégie d’innovation pour le Nouveau-Brunswick.

“Puis-je en avoir plus svp??”

Ceci capture quelques uns des moments forts de ce qui fut définitivement une grande année en innovation pour notre région et notre province.  En bâtissant sur ce momentum, vous ne pouvez faire autrement que d’être un peu fébrile en songeant aux prospects pour 2012.  Nous savons que nous avons d’importants défis à venir, mais en même temps je vois un sentiment grandissant de confiance et d’esprit de “travaillons ensemble” ici au sud-est ainsi qu’à la grandeur du Nouveau-Brunswick.

Levons donc nos verres à 2012... Qu’elle soit aussi super que la dernière année... et plus encore.

Doug Robertson

Président & PDG de Tech Sud-Est Inc.

On Clusters and Magic Formulas

If there is one thing you are guaranteed in South East New Brunswick, it’s a warm welcome. Enjoying balmy September weather and fantastic landscape, my feeling was that the Greater Moncton area also appeared home to a gem of potential growth of a life sciences cluster. 

Catalysed by Tech South East, stakeholders from the area came together recently to progress discussions about how to make this ambition a reality. Inspired by the example of the BioAlliance cluster on Prince Edward Island, there is recognition that development of a cluster requires patience, resource and commitment. 

Many of the key elements are already there – higher education institutions (as well as Mount Allison, the Université de Moncton also has aspirations to build a more entrepreneurial culture), some small R&D start-ups, a host of companies related to the life sciences supply chain, hospitals, a supportive economic development agency and a dynamic industry network determined to effect change.  

I am often asked to help and advise on how to “do a Cambridge” – especially around student dissertation time, where students (not to mention consultants) the world over are searching for the Holy Grail of how to replicate the Cambridge cluster model leading to the famous Cambridge Phenomenon. 

Rather unhelpfully, there is no magic formula. It was a spatial and temporal juxtaposition of inspired people, permissive policies and new opportunities that contributed to the spawning of the Cambridge cluster – and all without public sector funding. Not very helpful for those wishing to replicate the model, as context is everything.

So while a “cookie cutter” model invariably fails, providing an inspiring culture and enabling environment for businesses, government and academia to work effectively together in the so-called triple helix model is a crucial part of cluster development. 

It is ironic that one of the Must-Do tourist attractions at Moncton is Magnetic Hill, a bizarre experience where, having driven to the bottom of the hill and stopped, our car seemed to magically  freewheel backwards up the hill, apparently defying gravity. 

While the economic development trajectory for many cities in the West is undoubtedly uphill, South East New Brunswick is definitely not going backwards. 

© Belinda Clarke, 2011

Director of External Relations

ideaSpace Enterprise Accelerator

Cambridge, UK