To improve its ranking and return on innovation investment, Canada needs to update its outdated research and development model to attract more social scientists.
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Canada’s innovation problem stems from an outdated research and development model. It is time to redesign the research department to include more social scientists and fewer technocrats.
An innovation strategy is a requirement for companies that want to be successful in the dynamic post-pandemic market.
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In the lead up to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s much anticipated innovation statement, Anthony Arundel highlights the need for the business sector to widen its perspective on innovation.
Of course, science, technology, engineering and mathematics research are important, but social sciences research creates huge benefits to society in multiple ways.
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Research in the humanities, arts and social sciences is often driven by philosophies of social justice and public benefit, which don’t always sit comfortably with commercialisation.
While small and medium companies, public research institutions and universities assume the risks of innovation, large corporations capture the profits that flow from it.
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Some large multinational firms have been very successful in positioning themselves at strategic points in global markets that enable them to capture the profits from the innovation of others.
A new treatment for achondroplasia is helping to transform many kids’ lives.
A collaboration between research and industry has produced a promising new drug that could transform many childrens’ lives. It’s also a case study in innovation done right.
The iPhone is a good example of an entire industry built on the back of publicly funded research outcomes. The ‘iPhone fish’ is designed to teach people healthy eating through portion size control.
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Publicly-funded research should contribute to society in some way. But we need to think carefully about how we create a system that allows us to measure the impact of research.
John Howland and Dr Mark Bilandzic, winners of the Digital Media mashup award in the Libraryhack 2011 at The Edge, State Library of Queensland.
Libraryhack
More than 60 Australian government reports have identified direction, planning and leadership as keys to creating an innovative nation. Here’s five things other countries have done to lead the way.
China’s upcoming Five-Year Plan places innovation on the table, so will Australians follow the lead and transform alongside their Chinese partners?
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Innovation is a core objective of China’s next Five-Year Plan, so will Australia follow suit and put innovation rhetoric into innovative action?
Without innovation in the agricultural sector, we’d only be able to feed, say, one billion people out of the current seven. ProFlowers/Flickr.
proflowers.com
Through creating entrepreneurs and boosting global collaboration, science has the potential to drive economic growth and innovation – if only the government would properly fund it.
We need researchers to collaborate with industry if we’re to be an innovation nation.
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An emphasis on innovation is great, but we need genuine reforms to universities and tax incentives if we’re to promote collaboration between research and industry.