Halifax, Nova Scotia, Wednesday, April 22, 2015
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It’s a pleasure to be here to discuss collaboration in a university environment.
This is something I know a little about.
Here at Dalhousie University and in the City of Halifax, you are aware of the importance of working together. As one of this country’s oldest universities, you know what it takes to survive and succeed.
And you know that to do so requires constant self-evaluation and keeping your minds open to new ideas and possibilities.
Today’s event gathers experts and interested parties to speak about ways to collaborate between university and industry. Let me share with you some of my experiences.
I have found there are three simple steps to building a sustainable innovation ecosystem:
Identify the needs of the community.
Surround yourself with the right people and identify potential partners within the community.
Work together to address those needs.
Let me explain how I’ve come to these conclusions.
As president of the University of Waterloo from 1999-2010, I had the good fortune of continuing that institution’s innovative, thoughtful and research-based approach. As I began my tenure as head of that university, it was very much a matter of right time, right place, with the right people around me. As the saying goes, it’s more about the journey and the company than the destination.
This “right” formula happens neither quickly, nor through luck. It happens by surrounding yourself with people you can rely on and through a concerted effort by that team. And it happens when you are willing to look to the community for support.
Of course, the university’s success did not start or end with me! Waterloo has been home to many visionary and highly imaginative people who identified and acted upon opportunities. Today, staff and faculty at the university still show these characteristics.
One such catalyst for change was a man named Ira Needles, president of B.F. Goodrich Canada in the 1950s. His tire factory was part of the Kitchener-Waterloo manufacturing scene, a traditional strength of that community.
But Mr. Needles had a problem: not enough skilled workers. Specifically, his company, like much of Canada at that time, was lacking engineers.
So Mr. Needles went to the Rotary Club of Kitchener-Waterloo and gave a speech, which he titled: “WANTED: 150 000 Engineers.” It was subtitled “The Waterloo Plan,” because he had a plan for action, and it was going to begin right there in Waterloo.
His idea was to create an innovative, co-operative model of post-secondary education that would pair classroom study with on-the-job experience.
The result of this “plan”? A co-op program at the University of Waterloo that thrives today thanks to industry support.
While this wasn’t the first innovative thought to be hatched in Waterloo, it would prove to be a boon to both the university and the city. Today, Waterloo is an innovation hub, housing a unique research and technology park; companies such as BlackBerry; and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
That last example is unique in that it took the idea of working together to new levels. It arose in an environment of close collaboration between local post-secondary institutions, governments and the high-tech sector, which exploits and feeds the process.
The Perimeter Institute aims to explore the world around us at the subatomic level, where our understanding of the laws of physics currently breaks down.
Stephen Hawking has called Waterloo a potential global leader in 21st century physics in the manner of Germany and Cambridge, England, in earlier times.
Clearly, we were doing something right!
One university, though, didn’t create this system, nor did one business. The secret was the collaboration between sectors. Between governments, businesses and the university, they followed the three steps I originally laid out for you. They identified the needs, found the right people and partners, and worked together to address these needs.
Actually, there was a fourth aspect to their success, so let me add it here:
Repeat.
A strong innovation ecosystem captures the idea that knowledge and resources are shared and drive creative thinking. And once you have the basics in place, repeat the process until the ecosystem is comprised of multiple parts, each one feeding into the other.
I’d like to leave you with one last thought for consideration. I would advise that you not limit your scope. The collaborative approach that you are looking to establish here at Dalhousie can benefit not only Halifax, but the province, the country, even the wider world.
It’s important to talk to each other, across disciplines and across borders, and to identify strengths and weaknesses within our communities.
I’m now eager to hear from you. What are your thoughts on the collaborative approach between industry and university? What is the best way to innovate?
Thank you.
