Report calls for major changes to Ontario Commercialization Network

The Ontario Commercialization Network (OCN) is fragmented, too heavily focused on the academic research environment and suffers from a lack of overall governance, says a steering committee report commissioned to provide advice on its future development. The committee's report recommends that the provincial government quickly establish an advisory board and secretariat within the Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) to be replaced by an arm's length agency for developing independent policy, program and funding decisions.

Headed by Dr Alastair Glass, MRI's former DM, the steering committee says the OCN should be based on a so-called mesh network with multiple entry points so that clients receive the best possible resources and expertise regardless of location.

Among its many recommendations, the report calls for greater involvement by colleges in the innovation process, an exploration of greater collaboration with federal programs and program funding and that OCN programs be milestone driven.

The steering committee also calls for strong co-ordination between the OCN advisory board should be advisory board of the Ontario Research Fund to "ensure the best use of opportunities for commercialization, while not excluding the best discovery research".

Established in 2003, the OCN received approximately $46 million when it was launched. Funding has increased to $66 million in FY07-08 and $74 million in FY08-09. It is comprised of several Regional Innovation Networks (RINs) situated throughout the province including Communitech (Kitchener-Waterloo), the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), MaRS Discovery District and the Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc .

"There will be a public response in the next few months," says MRI minister John Wilkinson. "I'm in the middle of a tour of the regional nodes ... We don't have a well-tuned network among those nodes. The report talks to the need for greater clarity. Ontario is in the vanguard of recognizing the power of innovation and we need to focus on that."

Other recommendations include:

* adopting best practices, such as a more coordinated and client-focused approach across the entire network;

* making it easier for entrepreneurs and innovative businesses to navigate Ontario programs and services dedicated to supporting innovation and commercialization; and,

* developing a clear and consistent method for measuring results across the Network.

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