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The Winnipeg Film Group (WFG) will be able to upgrade its equipment, thanks to support from the Government of Canada. This was announced today by Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament (Winnipeg South), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

The funding will enable the WFG to purchase a suite of digital support equipment, including a specialized computer system and digital editing software. These enhancements will increase the WFG’s capacity to create jobs and support the training of new artists in Manitoba.

“Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in important projects like those of the Winnipeg Film Group,” said Minister Moore. “By supporting these activities, our Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our the local economy and support arts, culture, and heritage.”

“The Winnipeg Film Group is a key resource for Winnipeg- and Manitoba-based independent filmmakers and video artists because it offers resources and support for training, and creates jobs for residents of Winnipeg,” said Mr. Bruinooge. “This organization provides a valuable service to our community and makes a vital contribution to the city’s economy and cultural life.”

“The Government’s contribution towards our digital equipment will help ensure that Manitobans continue to have access to modern digital tools in the production and presentation of locally created works in film and video,” said Cecilia Araneda, Executive Director of the WFG. “This investment will have an important impact on the development of a new generation of Manitoba directors.”

The WFG, founded in 1974, is an artist-run organization dedicated to promoting the art of cinema. They serve as a resource for Manitoba filmmakers and video artists and provide access to affordable training, mentorship, production funding, experimentation opportunities, production and post-production equipment and facilities, and local, national and international programming and distribution.

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $50,000 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.

A comprehensive study of Canadian industry commercialization practices and the effectiveness of various support programs will be undertaken shortly by Canada’s largest high-tech business organization, supported by partners in the Industry, the Public Sector and the Academia.

The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) is working with the University of Waterloo (UofW) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), with funding support from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Export Development Canada (EDC), the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) and the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA) and in partnership with the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises of Public Works Canada (PWGSC- OSME), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC), ACCT Canada, Springboard West (SBW), the Centre of Excellence in Energy Efficiency (C3E), the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), BioTec Canada and the Rx&D (Pharma) associations.

While there is no doubt that Canada is doing well in matters of academic research, concern has arisen that the translation of this research into ‘bankable commerce’ is lagging. The performance of Canadian firms in commercializing innovation is a more important economic factor than quantity of innovation, if a large percent of innovations are left sterile in the labs or do not make their ways into tangible economic benefits, according to study director Dr. Sorin Cohn, who stated that “there is a perception that Canada is not doing so well when it comes to commercializing its products, services and processes into the global marketplace. Canada is a nation of SMEs, with over 99.8% of the more than 1 million companies in Canada having fewer than 500 employees, and the SMEs need better ways and means to enhance their positions in the global marketplace.”

CATA and its partners are urging enterprises and organizations to take an active part in this survey in order to acquire a meaningful understanding of what works and what does not for Canadian companies in matters of commercialization. The results will help Canadian executives — in Industry as well as in Government — to benchmark their organizations’ success in commercialization of innovation and to develop better practices and programs for ensuring competitiveness on the global scale.

“This is unique research into how companies bring products and services to market in the face of global competition,” said Paul Day, VP of the Information Communications Technology sector at Export Development Canada. “We hope to use the findings to understand how we can better serve the needs of innovative Canadian companies as they pursue International Trade.”

The study is starting with a survey of thousands of small, medium and large size enterprises throughout Canada. The survey addresses questions pertaining to product, service and process innovations that have been commercialized in the past 5 years, the strategies and cooperating arrangements pursued to achieve effective commercialization, the factors for success, the problems and obstacles encountered , the Federal, provincial or municipal programs that were used and were most effective in aiding commercialization, the financial aspects of commercialization, the relevant intellectual property issues and the roles played by lead customers and/or “anchor” companies in achieving successful commercialization of innovations.

Interactive Ontario, in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development & Trade, is conducting a short survey of the interactive digital media industry in Ontario.

In an effort to monitor the evolution of the industry, IO will be requesting your cooperation on a periodic basis to help us improve our knowledge of key trends. The information collected will be used in aggregate in order to improve programs and policies that serve the industry.

Please note: these questions may best be answered by the person most familiar with key financial, human resources, and other strategic issues with your company. All responses will be kept strictly confidential, and your participation in this survey is of the utmost importance and is greatly appreciated.

If you have questions about this survey, please feel free to contact Astrid Rosemarin at Interactive Ontario either via email or by phone at 416.516.0077 extension 232.

The Trade Commission invites Canadian creative developers to join them, along with other Canadian companies,  in the Canada Pavilion at GamesCom 2011 this August 17th through 21st and take advantage of the following:

• Complimentary exhibit space to qualified Canadian companies
• Access to free meeting space throughout the event
• An opportunity to be profiled in the GamesCom 2011 book modeled on the GDC San Francisco profile book
• Pre-show matching services offered by the Trade Commissioner Service and Provincial Government partners (including BC) while in Germany
• An opportunity to engage business contacts at the networking reception and other networking events at the Canada stand

GamesCom 2010 Stats:

• more than 254,000 visitors
• 505 exhibitors
• 120,000 sqm rented space
• 4,400 media representatives from 49 countries

For further information, please contact Nina Cagic, Senior Manager Europe.

The Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund (the Partnerships Fund) is a program of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture and is co-administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation. The Fund assists Ontario’s Entertainment and Creative Cluster stakeholders in the commercial theatre, film and television, interactive digital media, music, book and magazine industries by supporting strategic partnerships that develop fresh approaches and solutions to the priorities and needs of the cluster.

Full eligibility requirements and guidelines are outlined in the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund Guidelines (PDF). Guidelines and eligibility requirements are the same as last year with the exception of the Pre-Qualification Process – see below. Please read the Program Guidelines thoroughly.

A new step has been added in the process for submitting an application. Interested parties must complete and submit a Pre-Qualification Form. There are three steps when applying to this program:

Step 1: Contact OMDC to discuss the project.

Step 2: If the project and partners are eligible you will be invited to prepare and submit a templated Pre-Qualification Form via the Online Application Portal – to be submitted by September 1. An OMDC Consultant will review the material within 10 business days. If all program eligibility criteria are met you will then be invited to submit a full application.

Step 3: Submit the full application by September 28 – only Pre-Qualified applicants may apply.

Applications via the Online Application Portal (OAP):

• All applications must be submitted via the OMDC Online Application Portal (OAP) system. Applications submitted by any other method will not be accepted.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to commence their applications early to allow for enough time should assistance be required.
• Prior to commencing an application, your Company’s corporate information must be registered. If this has not already been done, you should register as soon as possible.
• If registered, the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund program deadline will appear in your dashboard. To start the application, click on “Start new application” and follow the directions through the 5 step wizard to access the application form.

Research conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) with the assistance of its American counterpart, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the participation of the U.S. Embassy (Ottawa) reveals a number of challenges and obstacles small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must overcome in order to be able to successfully conduct business across the border.

Earlier this year, Canada and the U.S. issued a declaration on the countries’ shared border. The objective of the pact was to ‘streamline and decongest’ the Canada-U.S. border, as well as find ways to reduce and prevent regulatory barriers to cross-border trade. A high-level commitment to improving the efficiency of the border will reduce the costs of doing business, enhance security and facilitate trade. “A Canada-U.S. border that is more effective, secure and trade-friendly will increase Canadian competiveness and create jobs on both sides of the border,” stated CFIB vice president, national affairs, Corinne Pohlmann.

CFIB’s policy brief, Border Barriers: SMEs Experience With Cross-Border Trade involved interviewing 12 small business owners: eight Canadian and four American. This report offers mixed results from Canadian small business owners about their experiences with border agencies on both sides of the border.

The number one obstacle in cross-border trade for smaller companies relates to the complexity of the process and its related paperwork. The data shows the common thread in the problems faced by small business is the varying requirements of government agencies and complicated rules and regulations. “And, although the requirements of any one entity may not be unreasonable, it is the combined effects that impede SME participation in cross-border trade,” said Pohlmann.

“Simple measures, such as providing information in plain language, making information sources readily accessible and easy to find, providing contact information (email/telephone) to respond to questions and creating a one-stop web portal with trade and border information specific to SMEs, will help address some of these issues,” said Pohlmann. Adding, “With this in mind, the brief offers policy maker’s practical recommendations on how to make trade and border processes more small-business friendly.”

As both Canada and the U.S. have a strong entrepreneurial presence with SMEs accounting for half the GDP, more than half of employment and the bulk of net new jobs, this research offers ways to encourage cross-border trade. By focusing on small-business friendly policies, making an extra effort to provide information and services geared to small business’ unique needs, and creating a culture of service and understanding of small business challenges within the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may help to encourage more small firms to take the plunge and start looking to other markets to grow and expand their business.

WEConnect Canada, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade (DFAIT), has taken over 100 Canadian women business owners to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)’s 2011 National Conference & Business Fair, “The Opportunity Connection.” These women owned businesses represent all provinces and include many nationally recognized award winners who have a focus on expanding their customer base and extending market reach to corporations looking to diversify their supplier base.

“Supplier diversity is the proactive business process of sourcing products and services from previously under-used suppliers. Trade missions like this one increase the visibility and profile of our certified women-owned businesses to some of the biggest corporate players on the planet,” says Mary Anderson, executive director, WEConnect Canada. “These women entrepreneurs would not normally have such ready access to a large corporation’s supply chain.” An estimated 97% of large multinationals have supplier diversity programs.

WEConnect Canada is the certification body for women-owned businesses. It certifies firms that are at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by women and connects them with the growing global demand from corporations and the public sector for diverse and innovative suppliers.

“Certification assures corporations that they are doing business with recognized diverse suppliers and is the first step for these businesses to make important contacts, which will help open doors to international business opportunities,”  explains Anderson. “WEConnect Canada not only delivers internationally-recognized certification, but offers training and education to help women business owners successfully bid on procurement contracts.”

WBENC’s annual conference and business fair, June 21-23, 2011 boasts more than 3,000 partici­pants and nearly 350 exhibitors. The trade mission to WBNEC will provide Canadian women-owned business enterprises with access to leading corporations practicing supplier diversity.  During their time at WBENC, members of the delegation will meet with corporate procurement representatives and women business owners from across North America. There will also be networking and educational opportunities.

“You have to be at WBENC to network,” says Stephanie McLarty, president, REefficient Inc. and a past WBENC delegate. “This is the place to get introductions and resources and it increases the possibility of opportunities.”

The trade mission is also supported by provincial governments through regional women business enterprise centres across Canada.

A major report released today by Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC) says that harnessing an excellent talent pool is the key to lifting Canada into the top tier of innovation leaders.

State of the Nation 2010: Imagination to Innovation – the second public report from STIC – charts progress from a baseline set in 2008 and compares Canadian performance to global science, technology and innovation leaders. The report also proposes a core list of 20 indicators for future monitoring. The list covers talent, science and technology and other innovation indicators.

The report shows that Canada’s strengths are a strong talent pool and a robust public research capacity. Its two main challenges are to increase private sector investment in innovation and to improve Canada’s capacity to transfer knowledge into the marketplace. State of the Nation 2010: Imagination to Innovation shows that Canada is settling in as a mid-level player despite having an excellent talent pool.

Canadian talent and Canada’s funding for R&D and higher education research continues to rank near the top; young Canadians excel in science, math and reading; Canada is attracting international talent, and innovative excellence can be found in virtually every region and economic sector.

Our challenges include reversing the trend of Canadian industry investing less in R&D than our key global competitors.  Despite some real Canadian success stories, low levels of collaboration among companies and between companies and researchers in universities, colleges and government laboratories continue to limit our business potential.

A less innovative economy results in fewer ideas transferred into the marketplace, lower productivity rates and less economic and social benefits for Canadians.

Canada has strong public research capacity

• Canada ranks # 1 in the G7 in terms of research and development performed by the higher education sector (HERD), as a percentage of GDP.
• Canada has a strong international reputation and is attracting new talent.

Canada’s talent pool is holding its own

• Our young people continue to outperform most countries in reading, math and science.
• Among economically advanced countries, Canada has had one of the highest growth rates in university graduates in science and engineering, especially at the doctoral level.
• Canadian universities rank well in lists of the world’s top institutions.

Canada must increase investment in innovation

• Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD), as a percentage of GDP lags behind the G7 and other leading innovators. It declined from 2006-08.
• 8 out of 16 Canadian industry sectors had lower R&D intensity (BERD) than the OECD average.
• Over the 2000-07 period, machinery and equipment investment was less than 75% of US levels and ICT investment was less than half US levels.
• Although Canada is a global leader in indirect support for industry R&D (through tax credits), it ranks low in terms of direct support for business R&D.

Canada must strengthen knowledge transfer

• Business financing of R&D performed by universities has grown substantially but knowledge transfer indicators such as contract research, licence applications and spin-off companies could be better measured to benchmark future performance.
• In 2009, venture capital to support small companies was the lowest since 1996 ranking 7^th in OECD with lower rates of return than US.
• Canada must measure collaboration between private and public sector.
• Fostering research collaboration between the public and private sectors will help ensure that Canada’s world-class public research can be successfully translated into benefits for Canadians.

STIC members span business, academia and government.  Members said the following about the State of the Nation 2010 report:

“Canada’s biggest opportunity lies in our excellent talent pool. We score very highly in a number of education related indicators. The challenge is how companies and government can deploy and empower our people so we can win in the knowledge economy.” – Dr. Howard Alper, Chair of STIC. Read the rest of this entry »

Waterfront Toronto is interested in hearing from firms, cultural groups, creative industries and festival organizers with proposals to bring diverse, vibrant forms of culture and animation to Toronto’s waterfront.

A Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI #2011-09: Waterfront Cultural and Animation Strategy) was recently issued to solicit submissions to animate the wide range of opportunity for office and gallery uses, museums, public art, performing arts centres, cultural centres and festivals on Toronto’s waterfront.

Culture, the arts and tourism play key roles in the transformation of Toronto’s waterfront. With revitalization efforts well underway and private sector partners on board in the East Bayfront and West Don Lands, Waterfront Toronto is in a position to implement its cultural, tourism and animation strategy in the new waterfront communities.

In 2006, Waterfront Toronto commissioned a Cultural and Animation Strategy for the East Bayfront with a series of recommendations for cultural and animation uses for the revitalized waterfront.  The REOI is the next step towards waterfront animation.

Waterfront Toronto would like to hear from interested groups who have the experience, vision and financial capacity to animate cultural and tourism spaces on Toronto’s waterfront.

“Part of our mandate has always been to animate Toronto’s waterfront and create a premier destination for residents and visitors alike,” said John Campbell, Waterfront Toronto President and CEO. “We are now looking for inspiration, great creativity and purposeful action to implement this key revitalization objective.”

East Bayfront and West Don Lands will offer unprecedented cultural and commercial animation opportunities across a variety of spaces including ground floor retail, mezzanine, multi-floor and stand-alone spaces.

East Bayfront will be defined by its architectural design excellence, its direct access to Lake Ontario and signature parks and public spaces. The area is already home to the new headquarters of Corus Entertainment, the popular Canada’s Sugar Beach, Sherbourne Common and future home to mixed-use projects by The Great Gulf Group of Companies and Hines.

The West Don Lands will be one of Toronto’s next great neighbourhoods; a people focused community, environmentally sustainable and beautifully designed for urban living. First phase development is underway with Urban Capital’s River City project while the build-out of the entire area is being accelerated by the delivery of the Athletes’ Village for the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games.  Following the Games, the Athletes’ Village will become the heart of this new community.

“Our goal is to create a ‘quality of place’ for Toronto’s waterfront that will rival anywhere in the world,” said Campbell. “We are creating a legacy of beautiful, vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods that reconnect Toronto with its waterfront.”

Interested firms are invited to submit their proposals by Friday, July 29^th before 4:00 p.m. ET. Proposals should include concept and vision, experience and qualifications, target audience and expected visitors, and space requirements and location. A supporting business plan for capital and operating costs must also be submitted since Waterfront Toronto is not in a position to provide capital or operating subsidies.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

A $302,525 federal investment will support Simon Fraser University (SFU) in delivering the BC-India Innovation, Exchange and Mobility Initiative. The project will facilitate partnerships between the two regions that will lead to collaborative research, trade and investment activities.

“Investments like this are crucial to strengthening Canada’s international linkages, promoting our educational institutions, and helping maintain British Columbia as the ideal place to invest,” said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification (WD). “Today is an important step toward creating economic opportunities, while increasing Western Canada’s international visibility and reputation.”

Over two years, SFU students will be placed within Indian organizations, Indian professionals will visit B.C. and sector-focused workshops will be hosted in both B.C. and India. The clean energy, health and life sciences, and new media/film sectors will be targeted.

“Undergraduate and graduate students benefit tremendously from work terms in India. This program will elevate SFU’s efforts to connect companies and organizations in India and Canada by means of exchanges as well as Indian visitors and workshops,” said SFU president Andrew Petter. “Through this funding support and that of our India Advisory Council, SFU is well-placed to play a major role in India’s declared Decade of Innovation.”

India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2050. WD and SFU see this as a fitting time to undertake activities that capitalize on the emerging opportunities India presents.

With eight faculties across three campuses in Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey, Simon Fraser University currently has more than 30,000 students, 110,000 alumni, and over 900 full-time faculty members. Student-centered, research-driven, and community engaged, SFU is Canada’s leading comprehensive university. In 2006, SFU was the first Canadian university to launch an India Strategy which has its secretariat at SFU Surrey and is guided by an India Advisory Council comprised of leading community and business leaders.

WD works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.