Productivity growth and innovation are the sine qua non for economic prosperity.
Canada’s productivity growth record over the past two decades has been dismal. How do we address this challenge? What role can the federal government play and what policy remedies are required to turn the situation around?
This event took place in Ottawa on Thursday February 23, 2012.
Visit the home page for this area.
Recommended links:
- Read the event summary
- Hear from the presenters (video)
- Read the related book section (pdf)
- Download a PowerPoint summary of this section (pdf)
- Read GE’s Global Innovation Barometer (pdf)
- Read the Jenkins Report: Innovation Canada (pdf)
Since I have moved to Australia, I am looking this issue of innovation in Canada from a distance. I hope this event addresses something written on this website.
In reference to the quality of Canadian management expertise to innovate, the writer suggest….. “we certainly have a significant deficit, compared to the US, in sales and marketing leadership.”
I would extend this to the overall ability to commercialize products and services. This is about adding value to our commodities and to our technologies.
In my own presentations in Canada, I often asked a simple question. Who works in a business that has an innovation strategy? Less than 10 percent raise their hands. And tended to be technology strategies, not innovation strategies.
No amount of government policy can force a company to innovate.
I hope someone addresses why so few Canadian CEOs and managers want to innovate……if they did, they would put in place some strategies to make it happen. Do they have the skills? Do they know how to innovate?
I think this is an important area to consider.