BACKGROUNDER
March 13, 2009
ONTARIO COMMERICALIZATION NETWORK REVIEW: MOVING FROM GOOD TO GREAT
The Ontario Commercialization Network
The Ontario Commercialization Network (OCN) is a collection of organizations across the province, supported by the Ministry of Research and Innovation, that taps into local excellence to help Ontario businesses compete globally. It does this by helping local innovators connect with programs and advice across the province, helping them find the support they need to transform their ideas into marketable products and services.
Ontario’s Innovation Agenda
As the global economy continues to evolve at an ever-increasing pace, innovation is becoming one of the important drivers of economic growth. That’s why in 2005 Premier McGuinty created the Ministry of Research and Innovation, the first stand-alone ministry dedicated to research and innovation in North America. The ministry is responsible for advancing and implementing Ontario’s Innovation Agenda: a nearly $3-billion commitment to support world-class science and focus Ontario government resources in key sectors where Ontario has the research strength and business capacity to seize global market opportunities.
OCN Review
The province is now reviewing Ontario programs and services that support innovation and commercialization, to ensure they align with the Ontario Innovation Agenda. As part of that process, Ontario initiated a comprehensive review of the organizations that comprise the OCN, to ensure that Ontario has a world-class system for supporting innovators in translating new ideas into world-leading products. The aim is to build on the strengths of the existing network — to move from good to great.
Process
To get a fair, unbiased evaluation of the existing network, the review was guided by experts and shaped by advice from innovators from across the province.
To guide this process — and make recommendations — Ontario brought together a Steering Committee, comprised of senior representatives from industry, financial services, and the academic community.
Ontario also engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to gather input from clients across the OCN and report back to the ministry and the Steering Committee.
In addition, Ontario brought together an Expert Panel, which included representation from both industry and academia, to provide perspective on global leadership and best practices in commercialization.
The Steering Committee has made its recommendations to the government.
See also:
- News Release: Helping Local Talent Build Global Enterprises
