- 1. Ontario Commercialization Network A New Approach
toTech-Based Economic DevelopmentNovember 24, 2006 Ministry of
Research and Innovation
2. Overview
- MRI Commercialization Programs (Finance, Skills and Technology
Gaps)
- Goal of Ontario Commercialization Network (OCN)
- Sector Innovation Networks
- Knowledge and Technology Transfer Networks
- Regional Innovation Networks
Ministry of Research and Innovation 3. Addressing the
Pre-Commercialization Finance, Skills and Technology Gaps Ministry
of Research and Innovation Ontario ResearchFund
(ResearchInstitutions) $31.4 Ontario Research Comm. Program
(TechTransfer) GlobalMarkets Later Stage Financing ($100 M +)
EarlyStage Financing ($5 -15M) Angel/Seed Stage VC Sales Early
Production Engineering Manufacturing R&D Project Lab Prototype
Intellectual Property Fundamental Research Market Needs Analysis
Skills Gap Product Strategy/Early Management $29MInvestment
Accelerator Fund (pre-seed) $17M Business Mentorship and
Entrepreneurship Program $90M Venture Capital (seed stage $1-5 M)
Financing Gap Technology Gap Addressed via ORIC* Efforts *Ontario
Research & Innovation Council RIN / OCN Program 4. Ministry of
Research and Innovation Sarnia Building a Commercialization
Ecosystem Golden Horseshoe Guelph/Waterloo Windsor London
Peterborough Eastern Lake Ontario Ottawa Chatham Western GTA
Toronto York Ontario Commercialization Network Northern Ontario 5.
The Ontario Commercialization Network
- The goal of the OCN is to build an efficient and effective
commercialization network / ecosystem that will:
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- Have both aregionalandsectoralfocus
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- Actively engage theprivate sectorto support theflow of capital
(financial and intellectual)
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- Use amarket drivenandclient focusedapproach
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- Develop ahighly networkedandcollaborative communityof
commercialization stakeholders (the ecosystem)
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- Improvetransfer of knowledgeandtechnologyto the private sector
to capture the benefits of investments in R&D
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- Provide moreefficientandeffective service delivery systemto
support technology-based entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs
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- Build anentrepreneurial culture
Ministry of Research and Innovation 6. OCN Model to support
Tech-based Economic Development Ministry of Research and Innovation
Municipal & Regional Economic Development Regional Innovation
Networks Sector Innovation Networks Provincial Innovation Network
Provincial & Federal Linkages International Linkages Knowledge
and Tech Transfer Networks 7. Provincial Innovation Network: The
Hub
- MaRS connects the communities of science, business and capital
to create a more efficient commercialization marketplace.
- The MaRS community is built through co-location, catalytic
programs and services, and structured networks.
- The MaRS community is physically anchored in the MaRS Centre
and extends virtually through the MaRS Portal and MaRS
Networks.
- MaRS delivers commercialization programs and services focused
on building a pipeline of globally significant companies.
Ministry of Research and Innovation 8. Provincial Innovation
Network: The Hub
- Support research: OCE invests in industrially relevant research
in Ontarios universities, colleges and research hospitals.
- Support commercialization: OCE initiatives are designed to move
technologies to the marketplace through technology and market
assessment, intellectual property protection, prototype
development, and pre-seed funding to establish start-up
companies.
- Support development of talented people: OCE activities focus on
training and developing the next generation of Ontario innovators
and entrepreneurs.
Ministry of Research and Innovation 9. Sector Innovation
Networks (SINs):
- SINs are not-for-profit organizations that have a strong sector
focus with provincial scope and capacity to deliver
commercialization and other expertise
- Build the knowledge base on the sector -- researchers, R&D
infrastructure, companies, etc.
- Identify global strengths and where these strengths lie within
the provincial landscape
- Develop sector-based innovation and commercialization
strategies
- Implement commercialization programs and services aligned with
the the hub of the OCN
- Facilitate linkages and build networks --science, industry and
capital with a sector focus
Ministry of Research and Innovation 10. Knowledge and Technology
Transfer Networks
- Knowledge and Technology Transfer Networks as primarily
regionally based and link multiple institutions (universities,
research hospitals and colleges) under a single network
- The primary purpose of the networks are to share resources and
align policies and procedures
- The networks will incorporate private sector input into the
tech transfer process
- The networks will make it easier for the private sector to
access resources and technologies (IP)
- Knowledge transfer activities primarily involve linking
students and faculty to industry driven commercialization projects
(technical and/or business related)
- A provincial network is being developed where industry experts
will provide support to all of the tech transfer networks across
the province
Ministry of Research and Innovation 11. Regional Innovation
Networks (RINs)
- RINs are a regionally based, multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit
organizations driven by the private sector
- RINs serve as the foundation of the commercialization ecosystem
(the OCN) to:
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- Identify a regions comparative advantages
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- Establish a vision and mission for the future
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- Identify and align commercialization and other economic
development resources available at the regional level
(commercialization roadmap)
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- Develop and implement programs and services to address gaps as
part of an annual implementation planning process
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- Create a focal and entry point for clients to access
commercialization and other resources at the regional, provincial
and federal levels
Ministry of Research and Innovation 12. Ministry of Research and
Innovation Ontario Commercialization NetworkImplementation
Framework OCN HUB
- Linkages to regional resources & programs
Entrepreneurs SMEs Researchers Start-ups MNEs Customers /
Clients (Entrepreneurs) Proactive Outreach Linkages to Resources
Gateway WebPortal & Client Management System Value Proposition
ToCustomers Accelerating Deal Flow Across the Network Business
Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program Investment Accelerator Fund
Global Business / Global Science / Global Capital
- Client Diagnostic & Coaching
Research Institutions & Tech Transfer Office 13. Regional
Innovation Network Model Ministry of Research and Innovation RINs
(diagnostic service)
Economic Development Organizations Linkages to
CommercializationResources Strategic Alliances (Companies &
Researchers) Angel Network Technology Adoption Provincial
CommercializationProgram & Services (expert advice) Market /
Competitive Intelligence Investment Technical / Technology Export
Development International Linkages Creating New Economic
Opportunities through Collaborations Commercialization Networking
& Linkages to Regional Resources Core Economic Development
Activities Investment Attraction Expansion & Retention Business
Mentor 14. Regional Innovation NetworksMinistry of Research and
Innovation
- Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI)
- Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Innovation Network
- Greater Peterborough Region DNA Cluster
- Western Toronto Greater Area Convergence Centre
- Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network
- Guelph Partnership for Innovation
- Waterloo Research and Technology Park Accelerator and
Communitech
- London Regional Innovation Network
- Southwestern Ontario Bioproducts Innovation Network
- Northern Ontario Commercialization Initiative
15. Lessons Learned
- Tech-based economic development requires a detailed study /
plan and community development process involving local stakeholders
to identify strengths and weakness within the region.
- Research institutions can help breakdown municipal boundaries
and create regional innovation systems (networks). Typically these
systems are not aligned with municipal boundaries.
- Research institutions can help drive the planning process, but
it is critical to transition the process to be more industry driven
when the process moves from planning to implementation.
- Cluster theory useful as an analysis tool, but has limited
applicability to the Ontario landscape as an implementation tool or
model.
Ministry of Research and Innovation 16. Lessons Learned
(contd)
- Regional innovation system (network) model seems to have a
number of advantages over the cluster model. These advantages
include:
-
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- Better alignment with current technology trends re: technology
convergence
-
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- Regional innovation systems (networks) can work in smaller
regions and can result in beneficial collaborations between urban
and rural communities
-
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- Private sector investment aligned with technologies not
industry sectors. Hot technologies such as sensors cross many
sectors such as environmental technologies, energy technologies,
advanced materials, etc.
-
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- Business issues, for the most part, do not vary by industry
sector, thus business support infrastructure at the regional level
can be generic
Ministry of Research and Innovation 17. Lessons Learned
(contd)
- RINs need a clear vision and mission, but need to take
incremental steps to achieve the desired outcome.Trying to leap
frog to a new paradigm has a higher chance of failure.
- It is important to anchor regional innovation systems
(networks). For Ontario, MaRS and the Ontario Centres of Excellence
(OCE) are anchoring the RINs and SINs and providing a focal point
to support collaborations across the OCN and implement provincial
programs.
- Inter-RIN collaborations are important but need to be led by an
independent organization such as a sector innovation network
(SIN).For example, the Health Technology Exchange (HTX) works
closely with a number of RINs focusing on medical devices as an
area of strength.
- The OCN can be viewed as an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be
defined from a business perspective as a complex set of
relationships andwhose members benefit from each other's
participation via symbiotic relationships. Its critical to have an
honest broker to manage the relationships in the early stages.
- It critical to learn and adapt as required to keep the
ecosystem in balance.
Ministry of Research and Innovation