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"Setting the Gold Standard" -- Technology Agenda for Canadian Growth Aims at Building on Success
October 18, 2006

  

"We must all work together in order to seize the Innovation Nation ground for Canada. Our high tech leaders are committed to keeping Canada at the forefront of job creation, exports and innovation."

From Left to Right:
John Reid, President, CATAAlliance, Terry Matthews, Chairman, March Networks Corporation, Micheál Kelly, Dean, University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management

Ottawa, January 20, 2010 Update . . . the new Governing Council of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance)  launched a Growth Platform for Canada under the title of    "Innovation Nation" at GTEC International, a gathering in Ottawa of entrepreneurs and international leaders from 50 countries.

Canada's lack of innovation, a 13th place ranking or a D Grade in Innovation, among the 17 OECD nations, is leading to mediocre socio-economic performance compared to other developed countries (Conference Board of Canada). The mission of our Innovation Nation Campaign  is to move Canada from 13th to 1st place or an A grade in Innovation.

Terry Matthews, Chair of March Networks and CATA National Spokesperson, stated "The award of national prosperity will go to those countries that can generate international confidence in their ability to lead in the design, development, production and distribution of goods and services. These countries will attract and retain investment. For Canada to prosper we must become a leading Innovation Nation; we all need to do our part to get there."

The "Innovation Nation" is based on the title of a book co-written by CATA Director, Leonard Brody. It highlights Canadian companies that have created world-first services and products.

Referring to the Innovation Nation Platform, John Reid, CATAAlliance President said, "In many ways CATA is a political party, the party of the Canadian high tech industry. Our Growth platform is built from policy planks which will ensure success for Canada in the global economy" adding, " None of the planks is intended to benefit only high tech. They are all horizontal in nature, policies which stimulate all Canadian businesses, the whole economy. They apply to the old and new economies alike."

Reid observed, "Competitive advantage will be maximized by the Canadian public and private sectors supplying people skilled in the development, application, use and maintenance of advanced technologies throughout all sectors of the national economy. In the Flat World, we must ensure that Canada's factors of production are being used to their maximum potential and see that businesses and governments are continuously creating and adopting advanced skills, new technologies and efficient organizational approaches."

Core Planks

The core planks of "Innovation Nation" platform include:

  • Developing an Innovation Nation,  National Brand for Canada based on Regional Advantages;
  • Creating an Industrial Strategy for Canada, linked to strategic approaches to government procurement, commercialization,  supply chains, outsourcing, exports, and increased international mandates;
  • Responding to the Flat World of global competition with the removal of trade barriers, provision of support to equal the playing field for Canadian competitors and investment in the infrastructure needed to preserve and expand market strength;
  • Maintaining the best practice aspects of Canada's SR&ED tax incentive program;
  • Attracting, retaining and training best talent;
  • Fostering executive leadership for industry growth, including a commitment to lifetime learning;
  • Developing the IT capacity of women and encouraging women to join the technology market and enroll in technology-related studies;
  • Creating best practices for Public Safety and National Security with an eye to protecting privacy, including fostering the growth of the advanced security sector; and
  • Advancing measures to speed ICT adoption by the public and private sectors, particularly for small to mid sized (SME) businesses.

Many of the above projects and initiatives are already underway.

CATA is drawing on its network of business and community leaders, to develop and implement the Platform, including:

  • Accomplished entrepreneurs with the vision, conviction and tenacity to drive the knowledge-based economy.
  • Smart investors who place confidence in these entrepreneurs.
  • Valued customers who trust the ability of these companies to solve their problems and satisfy their needs.
  • Strategic partners who play a complimentary role, provide advice and add value

Reid added, "We are also challenging all the political parties to evaluate their respective platforms against those of Canada's High Tech Party . . . CATAAlliance. For Canada to prosper we must adopt an Innovation Nation mindset and culture. Let's set the gold standard."

++ Action item
Executives interested in assisting CATA with its Innovation Nation Campaign and/or who have recommendations to add should contact CATA President John Reid at jreid@cata.ca  or call 613-236-6550.

Please circulate the communiqué internally and also send to your business, media and community network of contacts as part of mobilization behind the Innovation Nation Campaign.