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Innovation and Services for InventorsPresented by:

Bruce Rutley PhD PAg DirectorApril 29, 2010

The Centre for Research & Innovation

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~

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Who’s in the room?A bit about the Innovation and the

economy; and Creativity and Innovation.

What does innovation look like?The CRI and how we help?The next idea?!

Presentation

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Protecting your idea is best THEREFORE – it is important that you do not share an

unprotected idea in public. PLEASE DO NOT speak openly about your unprotected idea

in this workshop! This is a workshop about creativity, innovation and

entrepreneurship and nothing within this workshop can constitute an agreement, implicit or explicit, between the workshop organizers, instructors and the Centre for Research & Innovation and/or any participants or among any participants.

Intellectual Property 101 Workshop/ IP services

Caution re: Disclosure

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Name and locationBusiness New Product or ServiceStage of development

Introductions

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First a bit about:Innovation and the Economy, Creativity and Innovation.

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Further development of value-added and knowledge components of the regional economy

(the Next Generation Economy).

Why Innovation?

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Canada: • last-place ranking with G8 countries –

Canada’s Innovation Strategy (2004)• most startling and important to

Canada’s competitiveness and sustainable prosperity is the “D” grade on Innovation, where Canada ranks fourth to last in the 17-country comparator group. Conference Board of Canada 2007

Innovation and the Economy

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Canada: (update – October 2009)• 4th place ranking against 66 countries is

6 categories (R&D; Infrastructure; Human Capital; Support; Legal Environment; Business Climate)

• Surprising - the 1st place ranking for R&D for Canada BUT we are not commercializing our ideas

• Overall Rankings: – US, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Netherlands

Business Software Alliance – commissioned study

Innovation and the Economy

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Alberta – compared with Canada• More patents per capita• Lowest venture capital investments Peace Country• ~40% of patent requests• 5% population• Grande Prairie ranked #2 in Canada

for entrepreneurship

Innovation and the Economy

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‘We are not used to thinking of ideas as economic goods, but they are surely the most

significant ones that we produce.

The only way for us to produce more economic value – and thereby generate economic growth – is to find ever more

valuable ways to make use of the objects available to us.’

Paul RomerIdeas & Things, in The Economist, September 11, 1993

Ideas as Economic GoodsInnovation and the Economy

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The paradox for the Peace Country is that our strongest asset may be our ideas. Yet as an

economic good they are undervalued.

The challenge is to capitalize on and commercialize our ideas. In this way, the idea

as an economic good can, in time, complement resource extraction as the basis of our

economy.

We need to change our thinking in order to more fully appreciate the value of new ideas

and recognize them as an economic generator.

Ideas as Economic GoodsInnovation and the Economy

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‘We live in a period of very rapid change... That also means that the opportunities for

improving, for getting results, are changing very fast. Things that were not possible or

were not needed yesterday suddenly become possible, and things that made a great deal of

sense yesterday do not make sense.’Peter Drucker

Innovation and the Economy

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‘Adults are obsolete children.’Dr. Seuss

Creativity and Innovation

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Creativity and Innovation‘Imagination is more important

than knowledge.’ Albert Einstein

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What is creativity?

What is innovation?

What is invention?

Creativity and Innovation

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Creativity and InnovationCreativity is the ability to combine ideas in a unique way or to make unusual associations between ideas. Webster

Innovation is the process of taking a creative idea and turning it into a useful product, service, or method of operation. Webster

Invention is the act of creating a novel device, method, product, process or technique. Quantum3.co.za

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Process to Capture Innovation‘The truth that sets you free is that you

can experience in imagination what you desire to experience in reality, and by

maintaining this experience in imagination, your desire will become an

actuality.’Neville Goddard

The Power of Awareness

Process to Capture InnovationWhere does innovation start?• Between the ears!?

– In many ways: • It is a way of thinking; an approach to life

• Manage your mind– Be careful of what you say to yourself

& any tightly held assumptions (often don’t even know they are there)

– Watch the can’t/don’t/shouldn’t messages

What does innovation look like?

What does innovation look like?

Applied Research• Led by GPRC Faculty• Client projects• Regional Research Network

• White Spruce – Dr. Weixing Tan • CO2 Sequestration – Dr. Weixing Tan

What does innovation look like?

Rural Innovation Service Model

GPRC: Fairview College Campus

GPRC:Grande Prairie Campus

Centre 2000 City and Chamber of Commerce

Peace River

Community Futures Peace Country

What does innovation look like?

The CRI and how we help?

The Centre of a Network of Regional Researchers and Innovators

Before the CRI 2002 – 2005

Client Services•Invention management

•New product development•Commercialization Services

Culture of Innovation•Innovation Awards

•Awareness

Integrated Research Unit &

The Innovation Network$ PREDA$ AB Advanced Education &

Technology (2007-2010)‘one-stop-shop for SME’s’

the College gave it a homeROOM B309

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~ April 2007

Rural Alberta’s Development Fund contributes $3.4 m

Room B309

Project Vision

“Growing a Culture of Innovation in Northwest Alberta”

July 2008Centre 2000

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~

The CRI seeks to advance the culture of innovation and the commercialization of innovation initially in the Peace Country and then throughout rural Alberta by sharing our best practice

model.

Funds are being used to:• develop best practices in rural innovation•to provide a suite of services to rural innovators.

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~

PartnersPeace Region Economic Development AllianceRural Alberta’s Development FundAdvanced Education & Technology – Technology

Commercialization DivisionCommunity Futures / Business LinkGrande Prairie www.cfofgp.com

- Business Planning; Youth Technopreneurship Program Peace Country www.peacecountry-cfdc.com

- Business Planning; Youth Technopreneurship Program; Office SpaceBusiness Link www.canadabusiness.ab.ca

Market ResearchIRAP clients in common; projects (marketing competitive intelligence 2009-2010)AACTI – Innovation / Regional Forest Industry / City of

Grande PrairieApplied Research

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~

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Trinity of Management Sirolli

Production

Marketing

Our Approach

Leadership

Business Management

“Show me someone who wants to do something and I’ll help them!”

www.innovationexpert.net/

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Marketing

1. What business are you in?2. Who are your customers?3. How’s business?4. If you weren’t already in your business, would you enter it today?

http://www.marketingprinciples.com/index.php

Peter Drucker

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Financial Management

Angel Investment (access to capital) Angel Capital Workshop (August 2009)

Angel Capital Network (under development)

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Who is the Entrepreneur?

Inventor/Innovator

Entrepreneur

Promoter ManagerAdministrator

Creativity and

Innovation

General management skills, business know-how, and networks

high

high

low

Timmins & Spinelli 2007

The CRI and how we help?

Stakeholders

Innovation Clients – over 476 people served (IP, Workshops, advice, projects, networking)

• 268 Clients• 48 ‘serious’ client projects (CRI and 3rd party resources)• 6 Round 1 Innovation Voucher projects - $ from client & AET

•Free Wing Industries – Valleyview [Rugged Terrain Herbicide Applicator]•Endeavor Equipment Inc. – Grande Prairie [Slice Saw]•CritiCare Emergency Response – Grande Prairie [Emergency Conveyance Vehicle)•On-Track Supplies & equipment Ltd. – Grande Prairie [‘protective shoe’]•NordicPac Ltd. – Nampa [glulam timber frame buildings]

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~

“Your team (at the CRI) has provided our business with more support than we could have ever imagined!

Thank you so much!" -NordicPac Ltd.

“The CRI and its staff have proved themselves invaluable to us, business owners and inventors, time

and time again.  Without their passion, dedication and knowledge we would not be in the position we

are today; Ready to market.  We at Golden Sheep whole heartedly thank the staff at the CRI for all their

hard work”. - Golden Sheep Power

Client Services(tech com & organizational)•IP protection•Design/Prototypes• Innovation vouchers• Workshops •Programs (LEAN, PeRRMA, IRAP Marketing - CI)

The CRI and how we help?

Innovation Workshops (new and refurbished)

Idea to Implementation – The Innovation Workshop (I2I)“In this workshop, participants will be guided through the steps of the new

product development process.”Researching Products & Markets (RPM) “Where the marketing process begins – an introduction to the importance of product and market research”Critical Marketing Techniques (CMT)

“This workshop will help you apply key marketing techniques to your own product idea. You will leave knowing what your next steps should be.”

Marketing Competitive Intelligence (MCI) Series- series of external workshops: Duct Tape Marketing, Eureka

Ranch ; Donald Cooper

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Innovation Workshops (new and refurbished)

Equity Capital Workshop (ECW)“This workshop provides information on the types of investment capital; the

application of that capital at every stage of the development process, and tips on how to access it!”Intellectual Property Management (IP 101)

“If you do not routinely protect all of your business assets with patents, copyrights and trademarks - what’s to stop someone from using them? This workshop addresses why you should make intellectual property protection a standard operating procedure!” Innovation Ambassador Training (IAT)

“Obtaining the training you require in order to be a confident Innovation Ambassador and or be a more informed (about innovation) Advisory Team member”

Round 2 Innovation Voucher recipientsDavid Forseth Cherry Point Enviro/Clean TechnologyTerry Bullen Clairmont EnergyDave Rigler Grande Prairie EnergyChris Anderson Grande Prairie Industrial TechnologyDavco Solutions Inc. Grande Prairie Industrial TechnologyBill Wilt Valleyview Other (Ag. Equipment)Dave Larson Fairview Enviro/Clean TechnologyRhinokore Composites Ltd. Grande Prairie Industrial Technology

Innovation Voucher Approved Service Provider

Round 2 Innovation Voucher recipients

Innovation Voucher Approved Service Provider

Sam Perera Grovedale Enviro/Clean TechnologyJames Munro Grande Prairie Industrial TechnologyAvalon Research Ltd. Grande Prairie EnergyPomeroy Construction Ltd. Wembley Industrial TechnologyThe Green Fuel Company Inc. High Prairie Enviro/Clean TechnologySamurai Trucks Grande Prairie OtherFoehn Energy Services Grande Prairie EnergyV2 Enterprises Ltd. Grande Prairie Health/Bio Technology

The Centre for Research & Innovation

~a GPRC-PREDA partnership~Innovation and Services for Inventors

Presented by: Bruce Rutley PhD PAg Director

April 29, 2010