EVENT: HOW COVID-19 EXPOSED CANADA’S INNOVATION WEAK SPOT
January 30, 2021–How COVID-19 Exposed Canada’s Innovation Weak Spot
Dan Breznitz, Co-Director of the University of Toronto’s Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, warns that Canada cannot rely on its allies and that the national security risks from losing manufacturing should be a wake-up call.
January 30, 2021
EVENT: CANADA’S FUTURE SKILLS STRATEGY: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR INCLUSIVE INNOVATION
January 19th, 2021— Canada’s Future Skills Strategy: Workforce Development for Inclusive Innovation
In January 2019, the Government of Canada established the Future Skills Council with a mandate to provide advice on emerging skills and workforce trends and to identify and promote pan-Canadian priorities relating to skills development and training. The Future Skills Council report, released in November 2020, recommends equitable and competitive labour market strategies in response to disruptive technological, economic, social, and environmental events. It aims to provide a roadmap to a stronger, more resilient future for Canada. In this webinar, panelists will discuss the report’s key action areas and pathways to successful implementation.
Speakers:
- Rachel Wernick—Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills & Employment Branch, Employment and Social Development Canada
- Denise Amyot—President and Chief Executive Officer, Colleges and Institutes Canada
- Daniel Munro—Senior Fellow, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy; Research Advisor, Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship
- David Ticoll—Chair, National Stakeholder Advisory Panel, Labour Market Information Council; Senior Associate, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Sponsored by: Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
January 21, 2021
EVENT: INCLUSIVE INNOVATION: COVID AND AFTER
December 10th, 2020— Inclusive Innovation: COVID and After
Canada is neither as innovative as it needs to be, nor as egalitarian as it aspires to be. Are the two related? Accumulating evidence suggests that countries with lower inequality tend to be more innovative, while greater innovation generates growth that can be more widely distributed. But how exactly can more inclusive innovation economies be brought about and what are the barriers we face in doing so? In this webinar, panelists from the Innovation Policy Lab, Case Western Reserve University, and YWCA Canada will discuss the importance of inclusive innovation; policies needed to bring it about; opportunities and prospects for doing so in the era of COVID-19; and new initiatives for measuring and tracking progress – including GDP 2.0 and the Innovation Policy Lab’s Inclusive Innovation Monitor.
Speakers:
- Dan Breznitz—Munk Chair of Innovation Studies; Co-Director, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto; Co-Director, Program on Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity, CIFAR
- Susan Helper—Carlton Professor of Economics at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University; Co-Director, Program on Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity, CIFAR
- Daniel Munro—Senior Fellow, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy; Research Advisor, Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship
- Anjum Saltana—National Director of Public Policy & Strategic Communications YMCA Canada
Sponsored by: Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and CIFAR
December 10, 2020
EVENT: URBAN LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION DURING TIMES OF CRISIS
December 3, 2020–Urban Leadership & Innovation During Times of Crisis
Urban leaders are the frontlines of crisis response, from the COVID-19 the pandemic and its associated economic, social and fiscal challenges to the growing protests over racial and economic justice and the looming reality of climate change. This session highlights the way urban leaders can best respond to build more inclusive, just and resilient cities and generate the policy innovations that can shape enduring change.
Moderator:
• Supriya Dwivedi, Host of The Morning Show on Global News Radio 640 Toronto
Speakers:
• Carole Saab, CEO, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Richard Florida, University Professor at University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management, Distinguished Fellow at NYU and FIU, and Co-Founder and Senior Editor, The Atlantic City Lab
• Anita McGahan, University Professor and George E. Connell Chair in Organizations and Society, Rotman School of Management and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
• Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga and Senior Associate, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Sponsors: Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the School of Cities, University of Toronto
December 3, 2020
EVENT: CANADA’S INNOVATION IMPERATIVE
November 9th, 2020—Canada’s Innovation Imperative
Innovation contributes to regional and national prosperity and is a well-established economic concept. To succeed in building capacity and strength in this technical realm, government policies must be deliberate, systematic and rooted in expertise. Data shows that Canada missed the shift from the tangible to intangible economy. Moving forward, how can we make sure Canada builds competitive advantage through policy that leverages innovation for tomorrow’s economy?
Moderator:
- Meagan Simpson—Associate Editor for BetaKit
Speakers:
- Dan Breznitz—Munk Chair of Innovation Studies; Co-Director, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto; Co-Director, CIFAR Program on Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity
- Jim Balsillie—Retired Chairman and Co-CEO of RIM, Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators
Sponsored by: Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and the University of Toronto
November 9, 2020
Peter Warrian on “The Economic and Social Benefits of Mining and Metallurgy in Canada”
The Economic and Social Benefits of Mining and Metallurgy in Canada
Talk delivered to COM2020 attendees (COM 2020 is an international Conference on Mining and Metallurgy)
October 14, 2020
EVENT: POLICYMAKING UNDER UNCERTAINTY
October 14th, 2020—Policymaking Under Uncertainty
Policymaking is a challenging endeavour under the best of times, as politicians and bureaucrats seek to juggle the need for rapid and innovative interventions on the one hand with democratic accountability on the other. This trade-off, which can lead to conservative, short-term solutions, is exacerbated during periods of heightened uncertainty, moments when the possible outcomes themselves are unknown. This panel examines how policymakers adapt to extremely uncertain events, focusing on innovation, war, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Moderator:
- Dan Breznitz—Munk Chair of Innovation Studies; Co-Director, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto; Co-Director, CIFAR Program on Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity
Speakers:
- Dan Breznitz—Munk Chair of Innovation Studies; Co-Director, Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto; Co-Director, CIFAR Program on Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity
- Uri Gabai—Co-General Manager, Start-Up Nation Central; and former Chief Strategy Officer, Israel Innovation Authority, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Darius Ornston—Associate Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto
- Sylvia Schwaag Serger—Deputy Vice Chancellor, and Professor of Research Politics at the School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Sponsored by: Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Sweden
October 14, 2020