Disruptive Technologies Turning Ideas into Wealth Vancouver – June 5-6, 2003

Convergence Biotech Genes Atoms Nanotech Computers Bits Neurons Networks

Innovation Landscape ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyEconomic Capability Utility, value wealth creation Where are you? Where do you want to go? How will you get there?

Opening Statements Benefits of technology to economic development Six (10) Countries programme Need for critical thinking Mix of many players Value of informality ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility

Innovation in Organizations Overview of Christensen model Real World Disruptive for whom? Social and value innovations Organizational inertia Breaking from tradition ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility Demand Pull Technology Push

Technologist Perspective No guarantees – technical risk Skills are scarce – develop and retain Collaboration international (shared) Important social component Funding – public/private approaches ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility Quantum Computing Nanotechnology

Innovation Strategy What would success look like? Targets for: R&D Public/Private participation Skills development Challenge: Resource Competition ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility National Innovation Plan

Working the Numbers Innovation history in British firms Considerable incremental innovation Main hurdle: get beyond prototype Importance of users Innovators tied to key customers Wal-Mart drove US productivity Marketing skills are critical Useful only if used ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility Customer Dependency

Managing National Technology Institutes bridge academic/industry gap Taiwan: industry-centric Identify key products/capabilities Develop technical infrastructure Canada: knowledge-centric Support R&D Develop commercialization strategies ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility Canada Taiwan

Building Talent Internationally competitive challenge Brain drain Chairs, scholarships, institutes Global literacy – innovation does not exist in vacuum Civil society – contribution goes beyond economics: commitment and purpose ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility I think, therefore I am.

Chuck Wessner and the Search for the Innovation Grail in the Valley of Death Total research up But … Close to market (lack of basic research) Not balanced across disciplines Big jump for security Focus on allocative mechanisms – the entrepreneurial environment is complex ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility

Successful Funding Programs (ATP) Extensive evaluation Before, During, After VC sees this as a sign of approval Firms welcome feedback Competitive Clarity of objectives ResearchDevelopmentMarketingApplication ScienceTechnologyCapabilityUtility