A Personal Canadian View

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A Personal Canadian View
The Future of Research

• Dr Gerry Turcotte
• Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI)
• Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)

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Concept to Commercialization
Market
Distant Ideas
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Canada

• Large Northern Country
• Small population (32 million)
• High standard of living

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Our Image
But the Reality Is
Broadband Deployment 25.10.04 - 4
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Canada has become an e-Society

• 100 of schools and libraries connected by 1999
• Over 500,000 refurbished computers to schools
• Median student-to-computer ratio is 1 to 5
  (Statistics Canada, 2003/04)
• Connected 12,000 volunteer organizations to the
  Internet
• Established 8,800 Internet access sites
• CAnet4 the worlds first national optical
  research and education network
• 64 Households (HIUS 2004) 75 SMEs use the
  Internet (CFIB 2003)
• Among lowest communications costs of OECD
  countries (OECD, 2003)
• 1 in Government Online (GOL) (Accenture 2001,
  2002, 2003, 2004)

Citizens, businesses and governments are going
online
Broadband Deployment 09.12.04
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Ottawa - seat of National Government
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Ottawa Key North American Technology Center
Regional Population 1.2 million 4,662 sq. miles
(12,074 sq. kilometers) Within a 2 hour flight of
population over 160 million
Raleigh-Durham
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The Speaker

• Recognized as one of Ottawas Technology All
  Stars in transforming Ottawa from Government
  town to a technology centre

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The Seeds
1848 - University of Ottawa 1916 - National
Research Council 1942 - Carleton University 1948
- Computing Devices, First Spin-offs 1950 -
Defence Labs 1958 - Northern Electric (BNR) 1969
- Communications Research Centre
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In the Beginning .

• 1983 - Business leaders, Academics (Presidents of
  two Universities and the local College) and the
  top regional politician evolved a plan to create
  a new agency to
• Build stronger linkages between the academics
  (universities/college) and technology companies
  to
• To get increased academic focus on interesting
  industry issues
• leverage resources

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The OCRI structure

• Federally incorporated/locally controlled
• Membership funded
• Small staff
• Board of Directors

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1984

• Principles
• Honest broker
• Flexible
• Attitude
• Responsive
• Create an environment to access

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Networking Schema
Technology Executive Breakfast
Organization C
Organization A
Organization B
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Networking

• Research Forums
• Conferences
• Technology Executive Breakfasts
• Marketing Forums
• Specialists Fora
• General Public Relations

Results NOT Control
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Research Expansion

• OCRI spearheaded proposal to Granting Council
  (NSERC) for Canadian Microelectronics Centre
  Phase 2
• NRC and CRC join OCRI
• No funding for program was approved
• OCRI responded by creating the Focussed Ion Beam
  program using members resources

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Industrial Research Chairs

• Locally proposed
• Funds committed from Partners including OCRI
• Competed in NSERC Program
• 10 Chairs created at the Universities

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Opportunity - Role -
Result
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Broadband etc

• First Regional Broadband Network (OCRInet)
  created
• Joined the Canarie Network (Fourth Pillar
  organization)
• Supported Life Sciences development
• Entrepreneurship Centre
• Regional Cluster strategy

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Education Reach

• Met with Ottawa Carleton Learning Foundation -
  Primary/Secondary schools
• University/college feeder system
• Suggested and implemented a joint strategy
• Eventually merged resources
• kindergarden to PhD

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Program Coherence
Professional Development
Research
Sm_at_rt Capital
Education HR
OCRI Programs
Cluster Outreach
External Marketing
Venture Capital
Entrepreurship Centre
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Advanced Technology Employment
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Technology Companies in Ottawa
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Ottawa Venture Capital Investment
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Communications Research Centre
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CRC Mission

• To be the Federal Governments Centre of
  Excellence for communications RD, ensuring an
  independent source of advice for public policy
  purposes
• To help identify and close the innovations gaps
  in Canadas communications sector by
• engaging in industrial partnerships
• building technical intelligence
• supporting small and medium size high technology
  enterprises

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CRC Snap Shot

• Agency of Industry Canada
• Separate Board of Directors
• Private and Public Sector Members
• Small Lab - 220 Researchers
• Best Intellectual Property Record of all Federal
  Labs in North America

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CRC
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Partnership
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Core Competencies

• Wireless Systems
• Communications Networks
• Radio Fundamentals
• Interactive Multimedia
• Photonics

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Strategic Research Priorities(2004-2007)
Clients
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Technology Spectrum

• Does Basic Research - Spectrum
• Develops Technology - example Milton
• Advancing Commercialization with India
• Transfers technology
• Spins off Companies
• Innovative Fibres (Alcatel)
• Protects Intellectual Property
• Bragg Fibre gratings (Corning/

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SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc.
From Startup to Wireless Global Service
Provider... Peter Rossiter Chief Technology
Officer Co-Founder www.skywave.com
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Early days at SkyWave

• 4 Co-founders - all engineers
• Lots of ideas, but
• Little money
• No premises
• Skill gaps ( antenna design, pcb layout,
  mechanical, graphics etc)
• Credibility concerns
• 2 weeks transition period
• Knew CRC from previous working experience

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Innovation Centre - Benefits

• Access to CRC technology, research test
  facilities,
• CRC/NRC/CSA support programs,
• Reasonable rent flexible occupancy,
• Existing e-mail internet,
• Secure premises,
• Tremendous credibility with customers and
  potential investors

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SkyWave Today...

• Leader satellite short messaging services
• Inmarsat D Standards
• Global coverage with 4 mobile satellites
• Terminals and network
• Founded 1997, 31 staff
• Over 45,000 terminals delivered
• Financing 3M in 1999 19.3M in 2002

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Looking Forward

• Principles are permanent - tactics/strategies
  change
• Dangerous to drive forward using your rear view
  mirror IF the road changes
• The Internet changes everything

What are the rules going forward?
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Looking Forward

• Technology centres are shifting
• Capability still matters
• Taiwan, India, Israel
• Partnership agreements are king
• Dells experience
• Service industries
• Deal makers are required