New ITAC president promotes revamped strategy for expanding reach and impact of information & communications technologies

Commercialization and health care are emerging as two of the lynchpins in a new strategic focus being unveiled by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC). A high-level approach is being utilized to position the information and communications technology (ICT) sector for a return to growth as it emerges from the worst high-tech downturn in recent history.

Described as a virtuous circle by newly installed ITAC president Bernard Courtois, the strategy aims to heighten awareness of the contributions ICT makes to the Canadian economy and its global leadership. It also seeks to better position the industry to increase participation in public sectors such as health care, education, the environment, the Canada-US border, security and government on-line. And if ICT succeeds in productivity gains, Canadian firms can use those successes to attract and win new business internationally.

“We’re changing our focus from simply handling file by file, ad hoc industry interests. There’s been this realization that we need a big picture plan, a policy backdrop within which we handle individual files,” says Courtois, a veteran of telecom strategy and policy. “It’s time we shifted course a little bit and take the high road again. Let’s look at where we have a common interest with the public interest from the big picture standpoint, and if we can get government to realize again the importance of this sector, the value and the leadership we’ve got worldwide and the value of capitalizing on that.”

A key component of that capitalization is health care which lags behind most other public sectors in its adoption and use of ICT. Courtois says governments should commit to reducing the administrative cost of health care within a specific time frame by applying innovative ICT solutions that will serve to reinforce the sector’s already solid international reputation.

“In many ways, our cars get better diagnostic and maintenance service than our people ... It’s almost a scandal that we don’t make use of the capacity we’ve got. We’re supposed to be a very advanced country in terms of ICT. But in the Canadian health care system it’s just awful and it’s costing us a lot not doing it,” he says. “Imagine how many billions in waste we can spin out of the health care system if we just used ICT the way private enterprises do today… Someone has to go out and say we are going to set ourselves an objective of cutting administrative costs by 25% over three years. If you set those objectives, it’s almost going to be luck of the draw as to whether you get there or not. These are legitimate, achievable targets.”

But the strategy also represents a significant contribution to Canada’s ongoing innovation strategy, given the prominent role ICT plays in Canada’s overall R&D effort and the economy as a whole (see chart). Courtois says he’s encouraged by the apparent willingness of the new Paul Martin-led government to continue developing the innovation agenda, but more work must be done to determine the best approach to commercialization as well as interaction between the business and academic sectors.

But for ICT to play an even bigger role, communication between industry and university as well as action on commercialization are essential.

“Our feeling is that the government should find ways for having university researchers and commercial enterprises get together,” says Courtois. “There are clusters in this country like in Ottawa with the Ottawa Carleton Research Institute where that is done. This is something that shouldn’t cost a lot of money, which would be to help create in these clusters a forum whereby people can get together in person, on the web and in other ways.”

COMMERCIALIZATION NEEDS MORE STUDY

As for commercialization to help accelerate the transition from idea to marketplace, ITAC’s position is that more work is required to establish which model is best for Canada. Establishing channels for more effective interaction is just one part of the solution. Courtois argues that any viable model should be built around the market-pull concept.

“The expertise in the universities is to do research and educate students. It is not commercialization although they do incubation and some degree of commercialization,” he says. “But it’s like pushing against cooked spaghetti. You’re not going to get there from here if you push out from university research.”

In the near term, Courtois says ITAC — along with the rest of the S&T community — is closely following the message being transmitted by the Martin government. He says any expectation of major announcements in the March 23rd Budget is premature.

“We’re expecting small things like continued emphasis on the tax side and eliminating the capital tax which is a hugely damaging tax. If there is a gap in productivity between Canada and the US, it comes from under investment in capital so we need to get rid of that,” he says. “But what we’re looking to more is a focus on outcomes and deliverables ... We are still a country that can get its mind around a common objective — people putting their efforts toward achieving the objectives as opposed to focusing on why you can’t get there.”

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