From the Publisher: Seeing people again and the importance of connections

From left to right: Ted Hewitt, President, SSHRC; François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science & Industry; Jeffrey Crelinsten, Publisher & CEO, Research Money; Mehrdad Hariri, President & CEO, CSPC in front of the R$ booth at the CSPC conference in Ottawa, November 2022.

In the closing quarter of this year I had the enjoyable experience of attending in-person conferences for the first time in three years. It was such a pleasure to see old friends and colleagues again and meet new ones. For me, it was also a unique opportunity to touch base with three different communities that play an integral role in Canada’s innovation ecosystem, the communities that we at Research Money serve.

I attended three events. The first was organized by McMaster University in partnership with the Canadian Science Policy Centre. Billed as the inaugural Canadian Forum on Innovation & Societal Impact, the event brought together about 50 researchers, not-for-profits and government funders to explore how to maximize positive societal outcomes from research in academia.

The second was the 15^th annual CIX Summit in Toronto, which convened about 400 entrepreneurs, investors and government representatives to celebrate Canadian entrepreneurs and explore best practices among startup and scaleup firms and the investment community.

The third was the 14^th annual Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa, attended by about 900 researchers from colleges and universities, students, government representatives and not-for profit organizations. Multiple parallel sessions looked at a range of issues of interest to the research community and its funders.

The CIX event showcased startup founders at various stages of success. As a proud and somewhat nationalistic Canadian, I squirmed when founders were lauded for successful exits, usually via sale to a foreign (most often U.S.) acquirer. I would think to myself “there goes revenue, talent and I.P.” Of course, the counter argument is that the founder will now start another firm and mentor others in the Canadian ecosystem. But I still squirm.

The federal government is currently undertaking a review of I.P. policy. One of the issues being debated is whether startups and early stage firms that receive public money should pay it back in the event they sell to a foreign entity. Some countries have such policies in place, including Israel, which is known as an innovation powerhouse.

When I roamed the halls at CIX, one of the familiar challenges I heard from entrepreneurs is attracting and retaining talent - the right sort of talent that not only knows technology but also understands business, especially a focus on creating value for customers. This concern resonates with much of the discussion that took place at CSPC in Ottawa. Some academic leaders are beginning to think more about how to prepare their students for careers outside of academia, including working in industry. Given the fact that at least 80% of graduates go on to non-academic careers, it’s about time the Academy, and its funders, tackle this challenge.

One important issue explored at the Forum on Innovation and Societal Impact is how to maximize positive societal impacts from research and innovation. A lot of the discussion focused around research impacts, but I’m also interested in social enterprises - companies whose business model is built around providing solutions to community needs and societal challenges. This space is dominated by not-for-profits and charities. Yet there is an emerging class of social entrepreneurs who are finding innovative ways to do social good while running successful businesses.

It was fortuitous that my return to in-person events led me to engage with diverse groups of private and public sector leaders who were discussing specific issues relevant to them. I recognized a common denominator in all three gatherings -- a desire to ensure Canada’s and Canadians’ success in innovation. Whether it’s at the individual level, the firm level, the institution level or the government level, everyone wants the same positive outcomes.

This realization crystallized my belief that these groups need to interact more often than they typically do. Academics and their students should go to industry events. Government should invite academic and industry leaders into their inner circles. There needs to be a more fluid interface between government, industry and academia, where people can move easily across these different sectors, via secondment or other mechanisms. These experiences will help different players understand one another’s culture, ways of working, constraints, opportunities and ways of thinking.

At Research Money we try to engage these diverse stakeholders to facilitate this kind of exchange. This past year we expanded our editorial team and our business team, we completely revamped our website, we moved to a membership model to expand our suite of offerings - from publications to events to advertising. These improvements were only possible due to the hard work and dedication of my R$ colleagues.

Next year’s annual conference will explore all of the themes described above and more. We hope to see you all in Ottawa on 18-20 April 2023. Until then, have a joyous holiday season and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!