Focus: The changing role of universities in an environment of diminishing government support. Competition among institutions and challenges posed by new technologies are forcing the universities to reassess their traditional roles and focus. As well, there are pressures to refocus research programs toward the needs of business and in support of economic development.

Partner: Memorial University, Newfoundland

Location: St. John's, Newfoundland

Date: August 25, 1995

Co-Chairs: Dr. Art May, President of Memorial, and Martin Abrams of ACOA.

Comments:

As the roundtable assumed a largely science and technology orientation, Dr. May, as head of one of our largest universities and past president of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, was uniquely qualified to host a session focussing on this difficult and sensitive issue. The roundtable was attended by presidents from all major universities in Atlantic Canada, as well as other senior academics and several private sector representatives from business and research organizations.

Dr. May provided an introduction to the roundtable discussions during a dinner session he hosted the evening prior. As well, Memorial staff prepared a discussion paper and circulated it in advance to all participants to help focus the deliberations. The roundtable discussion was organized in a plenary session exclusively and was led off by verbal presentations by Dr. May and Martin Abrams. Participants came well-prepared and the discussions were vigorous and informed.

Issues Summary:

• There was general agreement on the importance of collaboration among universities, as well as those between universities and the private sector, in which it was felt that the most effective linkages are those led by industry. This discussion produced a number of recommendations related to promoting collaboration, including ways of dealing with disincentives for researchers to work with industry. Approaches to selection of faculty and researchers was an issue examined in the context of balancing the need to have the best researchers in a given field with a perceived need to bring a degree of entrepreneurship to both faculty and students in science and engineering.

• With respect to private sector R&D;, while there was agreement that the level of R&D; in our private sector is low, there was general consensus that management ability and marketing skills were greater impediments to growth of firms than technology.

• It was found that universities' collegial approach to management use it difficult for them to focus R&D; strategies. It was recommended that university management should be empowered to make changes and ensure industry and government they will respond to industrial research opportunities.

• Another area of focus was the level of marketing effort on the part of universities (compared to private sector firms who typically spend up to 15% of total revenues). Universities should engage professionals to market their R&D; capability and should identify and support researchers who possess or can develop marketing skills. Atlantic organizations such as InNOVAcorp, C-CORE and Seabright Corporation were cited as good examples of organizations which bridge the research-commercialization gap.

• With respect to federal government support for R&D; in Atlantic Canada, it was recommended that the federal government be more selective in providing funding for industrial R&D; and that it should focus its resources on bringing the results of R&D; to commercialization.

• It was suggested that ACOA interventions in R&D; should concentrate on:

- finding ways to attract more investment from the private sector with possible activities such as research parks development; establishment of R&D; chairs; provision of incentives to individual researchers to pursue private sector work; and,

- promoting Pan-Atlantic collaboration

The views expressed reflect the comments and opinions of Roundtable participants and do not necessarily reflect those of ACOA or the Government of Canada.