IRAP

1
IRAP Its Partners

• 
  Presented to the Association of Canadian
• 
  Community Colleges.
• 
  February 20, 2003
• By
  Peter Cashmore
  
  

2
What is IRAP?

• NRCs Industrial Research Assistance Program
• 262 Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs) located
  in 90 communities across Canada
• Links to National Research Council laboratories,
  universities, colleges and other research
  organizations
• Track record of 50 years of success in helping
  Canadas SMEs become more innovative
• Leader in networking innovation partners through
  the Canadian Technology Network
• SME technology missions to access new
  technologies world wide

3
SMEs are Canadas Engine of Economic Growth

• Canadas 1.9 million Small and Medium-Sized
• Enterprises (SMEs)
• Account for 99 of all Canadian businesses
• Employ six out of ten working Canadians
• Created 575,000 new jobs between 1996 and 2000
• Comprise many of our most successful
  technology-based firms

4
Innovation is crucial to the growth and success
of Canadian SMEs

• The survival rate for new small business averages
  about 72 after one year, 44 after three years
  and 32 after five years
• SMEs have to continually invest more in new and
  improved products, skills and technologies to
  remain competitive
• Investing in innovation and new technology is key
  for small enterprises to grow into medium-sized
  enterprises

5
Innovation the Challenges for SMEs

• SMEs face challenges such as globalization,
  stronger competition, a high pace of scientific
  and technological change, and limited resources
  for innovation
• To be competitive, SMEs need access to
  increasingly sophisticated innovation tools and
  tactics -- like new technologies, competitive
  intelligence, partnerships, expertise,
  sustainable development practices, access to
  financial resources, and international strategies
  
• Most SMEs cannot meet these complex innovation
  needs on their own
• For help with innovation, thousands of SMEs
  across Canada turn to the National Research
  Councils Industrial Research Assistance Program
  (IRAP)

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NRC A National Resource

• IRAP Office
• NRC Institute / Innovation Centre

7
A National Infrastructure for Innovation
IRAPs ITAs work with a Network of Organizations
across Canada
Other
Associations
Research Institutes
Provincial Research
Municipal Agencies
Universities and Colleges
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IRAPs Companies
Greater than 200 Employees
51 to 200 employees
15
3
50 Employees or Less
82

9
Client Success - Ontario
Winning the Gold Reif Estate Winery wins two
international awards (Niagara region)

• In 1999 Reif Estate Winery won two prestigious
  international awards for its Icewine.
• IRAP provided the technical expertise and support
  needed to develop the technology for the Icewine.
  
• Such international awards and recognition help
  put Canada on the world stage for wine making.

"The success of our wine is a wonderful tribute
to the Canadian Wine Industry," states President
Klaus W. Reif. Our Icewine was created with the
help of the IRAP Program.
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IRAP offers

• Field advisory services
• Access to technical/patent information
• Linkages
• Contribution

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College Interactions
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ITAs co-located at colleges

• Sheridan (2 ITAs, Brampton and Oakville)
• Mohawk (2 ITAs, Brantford and Ancaster)
• Centennial (2 ITAs, Scarborough)
• St. Clair (Windsor)
• Conestoga (Kitchener)
• Sault (Sault Ste Marie)

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Niagara College.VISTA

• Started through a CA for value-added services for
  food and agriculture technical information
  (AgTIS)
• Now includes manufacturing
• Other Areas where appropriate
• Addition of ITA

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Some activities of ITAs in Colleges

• Advisory groups both academic and industrial
• Special initiatives
• New centres
• Contacts/networking
• Youth Employment Program
• Use of College expertise

15
Sault College

• ITA encouraged the retention of water resources
  laboratory by bringing two industrial clients to
  the table thus demonstrating the need. Now part
  of a program being developed to meet
  post-Walkerton training requirements and to
  support business growth plans of local PUC.
• ITA currently working to establish a Security
  Cluster/network as a satellite to the one in
  Ottawa (CPRC). This network is centred around the
  Law Enforcement Training Centre Northeastern
  Ontario. A forensic training centre is also being
  considered.

16
Sheridan College Proposed Advanced
Manufacturing and Design Technologies Centre

• In total six ITAs (including specialists in CAE
  and manufacturing) have had input to planning
  process
• Provided industrial (qualified) from client base
• Involved McMaster, Siemens and leaders of the
  mould industry
• Connection to CME

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Client Satisfaction

• Companies credit IRAP with helping them
• Acquire new technical knowledge and increase
  technical competence
• Help young entrepreneurs succeed
• Find linkages with experts in government labs,
  universities and other centres
• Develop new products and services
• Support access to international
• markets
• Respond quickly to opportunities
• Increase sales and jobs

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IRAP worlds most successful SME assistance
program in government

• Over the last seven years across Canada, IRAP
  has
• Served 10,000 to 12,000 SMEs each year
• Assisted in the development, risk-taking and cost
  sharing of over 30,000 technology projects
• Facilitated 3,800 linkages per year between SMEs,
  universities, colleges and other organizations
• Invested over 570M in innovation efforts by
  Canadian SMEs
• Been emulated as an SME assistance program by
  countries around the world

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IRAP Works!

• 73 of clients report permanent job creation
• IRAP linked to over 9,000 jobs created per year
• IRAP financial assistance leveraged investments
  of over 500M in RD by SMEs

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QUESTIONS?