IRAP & Its Partners

1. IRAP & Its Partners Presented to the Association of Canadian Community Colleges. February 20, 2003 By: Peter Cashmore

2. What is IRAP? NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program: • 262 Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs) located in 90 communities across Canada • Links to National Research Council laboratories, universities, colleges and other research organizations • Track record of 50 years of success in helping Canada’s SMEs become more innovative • Leader in networking innovation partners through the Canadian Technology Network • SME technology missions to access new technologies world wide

3. SMEs are Canada’s Engine of Economic Growth Canada’s 1.9 million Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): • Account for 99% of all Canadian businesses • Employ six out of ten working Canadians • Created 575,000 new jobs between 1996 and 2000 • Comprise many of our most successful technology-based firms

4. Innovation is crucial to the growth and success of Canadian SMEs • The survival rate for new small business averages about 72% after one year, 44% after three years and 32% after five years • SMEs have to continually invest more in new and improved products, skills and technologies to remain competitive • Investing in innovation and new technology is key for small enterprises to grow into medium-sized enterprises

5. Innovation – the Challenges for SMEs • SMEs face challenges such as globalization, stronger competition, a high pace of scientific and technological change, and limited resources for innovation • To be competitive, SMEs need access to increasingly sophisticated innovation tools and tactics -- like new technologies, competitive intelligence, partnerships, expertise, sustainable development practices, access to financial resources, and international strategies • Most SMEs cannot meet these complex innovation needs on their own • For help with innovation, thousands of SMEs across Canada turn to the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)

6. NRC – A National Resource IRAP Office NRC Institute / Innovation Centre

7. A National Infrastructure for Innovation IRAP’s ITAs work with a Network of Organizations across Canada Other Associations Research Institutes Provincial Research Municipal Agencies Universities and Colleges

8. IRAP’s Companies 51 to 200 employees Greater than 200 Employees 15% 3% 50 Employees or Less 82%

9. Client Success - Ontario Winning the Gold : Reif Estate Winery wins two international awards (Niagara region) • In 1999 Reif Estate Winery won two prestigious international awards for its Icewine. • IRAP provided the technical expertise and support needed to develop the technology for the Icewine. • Such international awards and recognition help put Canada on the world stage for wine making. "The success of our wine is a wonderful tribute to the Canadian Wine Industry," states President Klaus W. Reif. “Our Icewine was created with the help of the IRAP Program.”

10. IRAP offers: • Field advisory services • Access to technical/patent information • Linkages • Contribution $$

11. College Interactions…

12. ITAs co-located at colleges: • Sheridan (2 ITAs, Brampton and Oakville) • Mohawk (2 ITAs, Brantford and Ancaster) • Centennial (2 ITAs, Scarborough) • St. Clair (Windsor) • Conestoga (Kitchener) • Sault (Sault Ste Marie)

13. Niagara College…….VISTA • Started through a CA for value-added services for food and agriculture technical information (AgTIS) • Now includes manufacturing • Other Areas where appropriate • Addition of ITA

14. Some activities of ITAs in Colleges • Advisory groups – both academic and “industrial” • Special initiatives • New centres • Contacts/networking • Youth Employment Program • Use of College expertise

15. Sault College: • ITA encouraged the retention of water resources laboratory by bringing two industrial clients to the table thus demonstrating the need. Now part of a program being developed to meet post-Walkerton training requirements and to support business growth plans of local PUC. • ITA currently working to establish a Security Cluster/network as a satellite to the one in Ottawa (CPRC). This network is centred around the Law Enforcement Training Centre Northeastern Ontario. A forensic training centre is also being considered.

16. Sheridan College – Proposed Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies Centre • In total six ITAs (including specialists in CAE and manufacturing) have had input to planning process • Provided industrial (qualified) from client base • Involved McMaster, Siemens and leaders of the mould industry • Connection to CME

17. Client Satisfaction Companies credit IRAP with helping them: • Acquire new technical knowledge and increase technical competence • Help young entrepreneurs succeed • Find linkages with experts in government labs, universities and other centres • Develop new products and services • Support access to international markets • Respond quickly to opportunities • Increase sales and jobs

18. IRAP – world’s most successful SME assistance program in government • Over the last seven years across Canada, IRAP has: • Served 10,000 to 12,000 SMEs each year • Assisted in the development, risk-taking and cost sharing of over 30,000 technology projects • Facilitated 3,800 linkages per year between SMEs, universities, colleges and other organizations • Invested over $570M in innovation efforts by Canadian SMEs • Been emulated as an SME assistance program by countries around the world

19. IRAP Works! • 73% of clients report permanent job creation • IRAP linked to over 9,000 jobs created per year • IRAP financial assistance leveraged investments of over $500M in R&D by SMEs

20. QUESTIONS?