Western Wireless: Calgary and Vancouver

1. Western Wireless: Calgary and Vancouver Cooper H. Langford and Jaime R. Wood, Faculty of Communication and Culture University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

2. Location quotient © Calgary-promote University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

3. The Formation of NovAtel • AGT and “Westech” • The AUORA 400 system - the first wide area wireless network • Nova - “an Alberta Corporation” (AGTL) and AGT (later Telus) • two regulated utility “monopolies” • NovAtel (1982) • subscriber systems (esp. RSA - -50% of market) • Handsets • Growth, problems, and the privatization of AGT University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

4. Government Ownership and Divestiture • Horst Pudwill (Telexel) offer • purchase company less loans on systems business. • Northern Telecom (Nortel) negotiations resume in 1992. • Nortel acquires systems business ($38M)and agrees to create wireless “centre of excellence” in Calgary($12M) - Telexel acquires remainded for $3M and promise of $20M from five year profits. University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

5. Cluster Development • Talent transfer to Nortel • Telus • CDC (GDC), Sanmina (later expanded) • e.g. Deltatee, Glenayre, CSI, Pelorus, Datap • NovAtel entrepreneurs • Harris, Novatel Wireless, JRC (leaving NovAtel as GPS company) • AGT-NovAtel-UofC spin-off: Wi-LAN & Cell-Loc University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

6. 2001 • >150 firms - majority since 1995. • 12,000 employed in wireless telecommunication. • Nortel $1.5 B products in 2000 • Majors enter - Intel, Panasonic, Solectron, Sanmina (exp), CDC (exp.) • Strong informal network based on “graduates of NovAtel U”. • World market problems. University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

7. Vancouver history • McDonald Detweiler and formation of MDI • Motorola takeover • Glenayre and MPR • Pioneering in mobile data University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

8. …and the present • > 100 firms with well over $250 M revenue (2001) • Strong next generation, e.g. • Sierra Wireless Inc.Designs and manufactures wireless data devices and enabling software and modems. • MDSI Mobile Data SolutionDevelops wireless workforce management software. • fSONA Optical WirelessDesigns and manufactures infrared laser communications equipment for high speed wireless communications. • Mentoring traditions • Community infrastructure BCTIA, WinBC • BUT.. Loss of original firms of “global reach” – creators of the talent pool. University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

9. Infrastructure • U of C Geomatics Engineering • TRlabs - wireless centre • U of C, SAIT, SFU, UBC, BCIT • IRAP, CRC, • CTI - Infoport project; Gov’t of AB (iCORE, ASRA); Vancouver “community”; BC gov’t • Accountants, IP law, Suppliers • Venture capital (?) University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

10. Sources of “explicit knowledge” …the global base Method and apparatus for performing bearer independent wireless application service provisioning (Motorola - 26) 1.TX 2. NJ 3. MD 4. MA 5. Ca 6. CA (assignee 2) 7. Swed 8. MA (assign CA 2) 9. NY 10. CA (2) 11. SWE (no assignee) 12. IL (Ca –2) 13. IL (CA 2). Modem ejection assembly for a handheld wireless communication device (Sierra Wireless - 14) 1.CA 2. Ca 3. IL 4. Taiwan 5. Taiwan (2 assignee) 2.plus two European patents. System and method for creating validation rules used to confirm input data (MDSI – 1) 1.CA 5 to CA assingnee (2) 3. WA 4. CO 5. NC 6. CT assign Can. 7. MD 8. FL assign NY 9. NY assignee(2) 10. NJ-NY-CT (NY 2) 11. CA(3) 12. WA 13. FL 14. MA plus 1 foreign patent. University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

11. Some policy implications • Founding cluster? • Path dependence – myth of “best practices” – how to benchmark? • What is local? – not the core technology! – “sticky knowledge” • The role of the community (associations, angels, Florida-Gertler score) University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

12. Qualitative benchmarking… a response to path dependence • Networking Package • characterize the extent to which people, companies, stakeholders and other players in the cluster and beyond interact with one another. • Funding Package • What types of funding are the most accessible for the cluster • Infrastructure Package • metrics of regional and cluster dynamics in terms of role of training and educational institutions, expertise from specialist services such as IP law, accounting for technical firms, etc. and the impact of research and government • A: Talent related and B: Other infrastructure University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

13. Final observations • Talent • Quality of life • Business climate - entrepreneurial spirit • Tacit knowledge flows “on foot” - and informally “… efficient import of technology and science from the global knowledge system, its efficient re-configuration to create new knowledge (Mode2) and add value, then successfully export (mainly intermediate) products to a world market. “ University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4