North needs help to build intellectual capital.The kind of research scientists are working on at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a medical school created through a partnership between Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. (NOSM NOSM Northern Ontario School of Medicine (Canada) NOSM Navy Occupation Service Medal (US Navy decoration) NOSM Network Operations and Systems Management ) has tremendous potential to be commercialized, says associate dean Dr. Greg Ross. Few researchers wonder how they can commercialize their work, but new technologies are continuously surfacing that have that potential. Ross says it is always a big debate as to who owns the technology: the inventor or the institution. From Ross' perspective, he would rather the institution own it than him. "Absolutely, because I cannot afford to act on it," he says. The first step in bringing the technology to market is to file a provisional patent application, which costs approximately $10,000. In the following year, the researcher will have to decide on where to formally file the patent application. "You are probably going to have to do this internationally if it is going to have any value, which means you have to pay for all translations," says Ross. That kind of processing alone can wind up costing up to $200,000. When the technology goes public, challenges begin to arise and the researcher has to defend the patent, which again adds to the cost. As well, every patent has a lifetime. If a patent for a medication has a five-year life, for example, no drug company will license it because there is no commercial value. "The costs become astronomical very quickly. I don't want the technology because I cannot afford to commercialize it. I would go broke if I tried to come up with my own patent." As an academic researcher, he would much rather focus on his pursuits in research. Scientists can spin off their innovations to organizations that have the resources to bring them to market. In order to do that, however, Canada's research-oriented universities must be expanded in "both scope and scale" according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a submission by the University of Toronto Research at the University of Toronto has been responsible for the world's first electronic heart pacemaker, artificial larynx, single-lung transplant, nerve transplant, artificial pancreas, chemical laser, G-suit, the first practical electron microscope, the first cloning of T-cells, Innovations Foundation. Entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: The Development of a National Strategy to Optimize Commercialization of University-Based (Research), it states there is an inadequate supply of skilled or experienced professionals assessing new technologies and commercial potential. Technology transfer offices in hospitals and universities throughout Canada are limited in funding and staff. Ultimately, this prevents the institutions from realizing commercial potential. It also means the public is not reaping the full value of federally invested research dollars. The University of Toronto Innovation Foundation calls for a greater investment in people, knowledge and opportunity to bring forth a stronger position in the global competitive market for Canadian researchers. "Technology transfer is a profession best learned through practical experience," the report's authors state. Some Canadian universities have connected to WestLink Innovation Network Ltd., a not-for-profit based organization working to fuse publicly funded research organizations with affiliated industry experts through a range of programs. The truth of the matter is Canada is no different than other countries, according to National Research Council business relations official Scott Ferguson Scott Ferguson (born January 6, 1973 in Camrose, Alberta) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey-Liga in Germany. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Other countries are experiencing the same challenges and, unfortunately, some good scientific initiatives are ignored because there is not enough money or manpower to throw behind them. Jock 1. jock - A programmer who is characterised by large and somewhat brute-force programs. 2. jock - When modified by another noun, describes a specialist in some particular computing area. Langford, senior policy analyst on Intellectual Property Rights for Environment Canada Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act ( R.S., 1985, c. E-10 ), is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for coordinating environmental policies and , says Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it consistently experiences a lack of research funding Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both "hard" science and technology and social science. The term often connotes funding obtained through a competitive process, in which potential research projects are evaluated and greater than their southern Ontario counterparts. "I don't think there have been many resources going to the North for supporting research," Langford says. "With the new medical school it is going to highlight the gap more." If what government, industry and society want is to create more value-added opportunities, Langford says, these deficiencies have to be addressed. Key Northerners have to determine what is needed to bring new technologies to the fore and what southern Ontario networks they can connect with to make it happen, he says. www.normed.ca www.ec.gc.ca www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca By KELLY LOUISEIZE Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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