Colleges and the National Innovation Agenda

Colleges and the National Innovation Agenda

Karen CorkerySenior Analyst

Strategic Policy BranchIndustry CanadaAugust 1, 2002

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I) Snapshot of Canada’s

Colleges

II) College R&D

III) Players and Levers

IV) The Way Forward

Outline of Presentation.

Key Issues

How do colleges contribute to innovation in Canada?

Are they contributing to their full potential?

Is it time to broaden the national agenda?

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Colleges are powerful community-based levers.

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Key Indicators, 1998-99

Number of Full-Time Full-Time

Colleges Educators Enrollment

Canada 199 32,088 403,516

NF/LAB 2 698 5,973PE 2 97 1,899NS 5 708 7,039NB 5 866 5,221QC 89 13,054 164,469ON 40 7,017 142,341MN 6 718 4,181SK 4 850 2,740AB 19 3,400 31,999BC 24 4,401 37,127YT 1 101 258NT/NU 2 178 269

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Colleges’ “economy” focus is mandate driven.

Masters, Graduate (8%)

Doctorate (1%)

Bachelor, 1st Prof (44%)

Undergrad (7%)

College Diplomas (40%)

Diplomas and Degrees Granted in 1998

Arts, humanities

Business, commerce (27%)

Social science (17%)

Engineering, applied science, health, natural sciences (42%)

College Enrollment in Full-Time Career Programs,,1998-99

14%

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2002 Industry Canada/ACCC survey yields important insights.

Cégeps

Technical Institutes

84 Colleges Responded

University-Colleges

Community Colleges

48

710

19

West

Québec

Ontario

Atlantic

Yukon & NWT

From all Regions of Canada

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21

22

31

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Colleges’ R&D-Related Innovation Contribution, 2000-01

Adjusted Estimated Survey Total

SPONSORED RESEARCHFederal $16 $24Provinces-Territories $27 $51Private $21 $25 - $80Total $64 $100 - $155

CUSTOMIZED TRAINING $14 $34

TOTAL $78 M $134M - $189 M

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Colleges are contributing to a more innovative economy.

64 colleges work with economic development agencies

Key Outcomes:

47 spin-off companies to date

$540,000 in equity

375 research publications in last FY

91 prototypes completed in last FY

8 active licenses

7 active patents

$205,350 in royalties in last FY

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The established players – colleges that perform over one million dollars of R&D per year.

CÉGEP de l”Abitibi-Témiscamingue QC

Institut de Technologie agro-alimentaire de la Pocatière QC

Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology ON

Sheridan College of Applied Arts & Technology ON

Nova Scotia Community College NS

Nova Scotia Agricultural College NS

British Columbia Institute of Technology BC

Olds College AB

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Québec colleges have considerable R&D experience.

23 “College Centres for the Transfer of Technologies” with a mandate to perform applied research for SMEs.

Association of College Research

• annual research symposium• research training • research awards

Each college specializes

Lévis-Lauzon … biotechnology

Saint-Jérôme … composite materials

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70 colleges are eligible for CFI funding.

The granting councils and CFI have supported 43 colleges over the past three years:

• 11 colleges each received > $1M

• 13 colleges each received $0.5 to $1M

• 19 colleges each received < $0.5M

Many colleges are developing the capacity to perform R&D.

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Canadian colleges and universities play complementary roles.

Universities Colleges

Sponsored Research

Mostly basic ($2.8B/yr)

Mostly applied ($100-155M/yr)

Commercialization License discoveries ($21M/yr in royalties)

Product development (91 prototypes/yr)

Creation of Spin-off Companies

Well developed activity (818 spin-offs to date)

Modest early efforts (47 spin-off to date)

Technology Adoption

Little support

Generate Knowledge

Employee Training ($14M-$34M/yr )

Apply Knowledge

Innovation

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Colleges … mission statements

… R&D policies

… R&D infrastructure

… R&D professionals

Prov/Ter Gov’ts … legislation

… collective agreements

… R&D funding

Federal Gov’t … R&D funding

The players and their levers.

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College Levers.

Missions: 40 colleges encourage R&D or TT

Policies: 34 colleges have formal research policies

32 colleges have IP policies

Infrastructure: 31 colleges own/operate research/training centres

120 staff involved in grant/contract/IP management

Staff: highly qualified personnel

R&D experience

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Legislation: supports university-college R&D silent for colleges and technical institutes notable exceptions: Que, Ont, Nunavut, NWT

Collective university-colleges recognize “scholarly activity”Agreements: silent for colleges and technical institutes

notable exceptions: Quebec and Yukon

Funding: operating grants can support R&D except AB & SK$27M per year in R&D funding; ad hoc except QC

Provincial and territorial levers.

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annualCFI $9.4M HRDC $1.8MDEC $1.0MNRC $0.7MNSERC $0.6M SSHRC $0.5MOthers $1.8MTOTAL $16M

Chairs 4 university colleges are eligibleIRAP 32 colleges host Industrial Technology Advisors CANet4 connect all colleges to high speed internet backbone

$16M per year in federal

support for college R&D

Federal levers.

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Barriers to unleashing colleges full potential.

Survey Responses:

#1 faculty time

#2 government support

#3 private sector support

#4 college infrastructure

#5 rewards and recognition

#6 mandate

#7 faculty skills, experience or interest

#8 college administration support

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Growing recognition that colleges are under-utilized “commercialization agents” for the country.

A growing interest in college R&D by Québec, Ontario and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC).

ACCC developed preliminary views on potential federal role:

• Chairs, Networks of Excellence, Fellowships & Internships

• Business Incubator Fund, Technical Assistance Program

• Student Technical Assistance Program for Small Firms

ACCC’s policy priorities continue to evolve.