4917-9672-1-sm

7/26/2019 4917-9672-1-SM

1/6

Standard of Living & Quality of Life Relies on Innovation:

Innovation Relies on Engineering Design(Draft v9 2013-05-05)

Quality of life has advanced since the industrial revolution and this advancement has accelerated

with the information revolution. Life expectancy has increased, catalytic converters protect ourair, a disabled athlete runs with the fastest runners in the world

1, and global real GDP per capita

has grown by a factor of 2.5 over the past 50 years2. This quality of life advancement is the

result of continuous innovation. In todays global economy, innovation is essential for Canada tocompete (even to participate) and to continue advancing our quality of life. Collective global

innovation has never been more critical. World population growth (7 billion and counting),diminishing non-renewable resources (oil and beyond) and escalating environmental challenges

(climate change and pollution) all require global scale innovations or our collective quality of lifewill not be sustained.

Canadians have contributed much to the world including the telephone and smartphone,

CANDU

reactors, snowmobiles, IMAX

, and the pacemaker. However, over the last numberof years, there have been multiple reports critical of Canadas capacity for technologicalinnovation3and studies that offer strategies for improvement.4 While it is true that innovation is

essential to the future of both Canada and the world, innovation is only a means to an end and itis incumbent on us to define the desired ends. Innovation can be a means to a higher quality of

life and a more sustainable future for generations to come or it can simply be a means to increasethe financial prosperity of the nation. To achieve the ends we value, it is essential to measure

innovation in terms of these ends, not in terms of subtle differences in the rate of change in theGDP per capita. Are our innovations leading to cleaner water for all, a healthier and complete

diet for all, and meaningful employment for all?

To address this concern, we make the following recommendation:

1. That the Government of Canada develops methods to measure innovation outcomesthat are more sophisticated and reflect not only economic factors but also the quality of

life perspectives that Canadians value5.

As a second step to building an innovative society, we need to better understand and bettermeasure the ingredients necessary for such a society. INNOVATION AND BUSINESS

"#$%&' ()*+,-. /0123+-. /4,-* 5+4&$*+%4

67$*08 9-.: 8-&-; 6>?@$$@0A?,-B3%C0+,8-&-BAD30$*AE84F8GC.,33H$)I)JKL2A&K1F.1K@83K2:&3K,8L&8+2F&*%AL80FA.L'0FA.LMF@0$C-0N@83OP,&13AF0L4&*-+0F)-04ALC,4F8L.4A02F'L2A&K1F.1K@83K3,-3K:8L4,-0AK1F0+.L+.8K1F)-04AL*8+2F*A@+$.L+)8+2F*A@+$.L&8+2F&*%AL&4&-*&FQ

6JGRIS6+.@ &$C-,,$ -4 -. +..$W-&+WA -.8 2$*A 3*$8%,&+WA )-*2A*? `'+4 ,-. '-*801 CA - @$$8 a +. - >$*08 >+&' 2-.1 >'$ -*A 4&-*W+.@ -.8 >+&'

2-.1 4%))A*+.@ >+&' 0%.@ ,-.,A*? (. AD-230A $) - C*$-8A* 4A& $) 2A-4%*A4 +4 3*$W+8A8 C1 &'A =-.-8+-. [.8AD $) 7A00CA+.@ \6

7/26/2019 4917-9672-1-SM

2/6

STRATEGY: WHY CANADA FALLS SHORT, The Expert Panel on Business Innovation6

has some very useful points to make with regard to innovation. Several statements are of

particular interest:

Put simply and intuitively, innovation is new or better ways of doing valued things. Innovation occurs in

the economy in two distinct but complementary ways radical innovation and incremental

innovation. (p.21)

The ultimate economic benefits (jobs and income growth) of a blockbuster innovation usually diffuse

broadly and relatively rapidly beyond the firm and location where the innovation originates. For instance,while the microchip and the personal computer may have been pioneered by a small number of companies

in the United States (e.g., Apple, IBM and Intel), many of the resulting production jobs migrated elsewhere

and, more important by far, the productivity benefits of the resulting information and communications

technologies (ICT) revolution continue to accrue to users worldwide. (p.21)

Much more pervasive is incremental innovation in which goods and services, and their means of

production, marketing and distribution, are being continuously improved. (p.21)

However, the most important statement in this document is that

an innovation is not simply an invention, or even a practical prototype. There must be implementation to a

meaningful extent (p.26)

These statements reinforce that a big scientific discovery (a big I innovation) is one, but not

the only, type of innovation. Many, many small i innovations pervade and are essential toadvancing our standard of living and quality of life. These statements also make clear that a

scientific discovery is not sufficient for innovation. An invention, a discovery, or an idea is notan innovation until implementation and use has been achieved.

Several reports provide evidence that the Canadian capacity for discovery(the R part of R&D) is

a national strength.

7

Over the last several years Canada has further invested in this area ofstrength through the Canada Research Chairs program and Canadian Foundation for Innovation.8

What is equally evident is that the development(the D part of R&D) part of research anddevelopment is the Achilles Heel of Canadas innovation capacity. Development has three major

components: design of a product or service, production of a product or service, and marketing ofa product or service. The weakness in development has many elements: funding

9, few

companies with an innovation-based business strategy10

, business expertise11

and, a factor that islargely overlooked, engineering design.

The measuring of all R&D as one lump and the counting of scientists and engineers as one lump

is inadequate. It is the equivalent of just weighing all of the food eaten by our children and not

TCouncil of Canadian Academies, Robert Brown, Chair, June, 2009, available at

http://www.scienceadvice.ca/uploads/eng/assessments%20and%20publications%20and%20news%20releases/inno/(2009-06-11)%20innovation%20report.pdfS#AA )$* AD-230A ef.$>0A8@A g-&&A*4d [.WA4&+.@ +. 5A$30A; f.$>0A8@A -.8 /33$*&%.+&1h -.8 e(,'+AW+.@ iD,A00A.,Ad 4:+004 -.8 jA-*.+.@ )$*

=-.-8+-.4hh )*$2 e=-.-8-Y4 [..$W-&+$. #&*-&A@1h; 6>?+..$W-&+$.4&*-&A@1?@,?,-_I=-.-8- bA4A-*,' ='-+*4 \>>>?,'-+*4Q,'-+*A4?@,?,-B'$2AQ-,,%A+0QA.@?-43D_X =-.-8- k$%.8-&+$. )$* [..$W-&+$. \>>>?+..$W-&+$.?,-_

J`'A k%.8+.@ ]-3; #%4&-+.-C0A ^AWA0$32A.& `A,'.$0$@1 =-.-8-; '&&3dBB>>>?48&,?,-B+.8AD?3'3E3-@AF&'AQ)%.8+.@Q@-3L'0FA.K=(

"$ 3-*&4d f.$>0A8@A g-&&A*4 -.8 (,'+AW+.@ iD,A00A.,A; o%.A 6:-; g?5?; ='-+*; o%.A 6

7/26/2019 4917-9672-1-SM

4/6

society.18

In the same way that a medical scientist cannot train a surgeon, an engineeringscientist cannot train an engineering designer surgeons train surgeons, engineering designers

must train engineering designers. Engineering design must return to engineering schools inCanada at all degree levels. A critical mass (ideally up to 50% of all engineering faculty

positions) of engineering designers must exist in all schools. The academic funding system and

academic reward system must overtly support and nurture engineering design and engineeringdesigners.


3. That the Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and universities,

work to ensure that a critical mass of engineering designers exists in engineering

schools across the country to help train the future generations of design engineers19

.

The demise of engineering design in engineering schools has been a recognized problem for atleast the last two decades

20 the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board

21has been pressing

for improvements for at least that long. NSERC recognized this demise when they establishedthe Chairs in Design Engineering program with the mandate to advance engineering design in

Canadian engineering schools.22

Progress is evident but slow. There are only 16 Design Chairpositions among over 4000 engineering academic positions across Canada. Meanwhile, there are

more than 10 times as many Research Chairs in engineering (NSERC Industrial Research Chairsand Canada Research Chairs).

23 Furthermore, Design Chair positions have remained unfilled

over the entire duration of the program, partially owing to the lack of suitable candidates another indication of engineering design atrophy.


4. That the Government of Canada supports and nurtures academic engineering design

through its envelope of R&D funding programs24

.

As a result of developments in engineering education over the last 50 years, and the reducedstatus of engineering as opposed to science in both academic and political circles, Canada is

increasingly incapable of taking innovative ideas developed by our highly productive researchcommunity, implementing innovative engineering designs based on these ideas, and bringing

them to market. In many cases, third world countries, that have a much greater respect forengineering practise, including the development of stronger design skills in their universities, are

taking ideas developed in Canada, designing products based on these ideas, and selling theproducts back to us.

"I9*$>. 7?#?; "JIG; i8%,-&+.@ À,'.+,-0 [..$W-&$*4 )$* U# [.8%4&*1; 56&"9'%) 34 5)1+)''&+)1 5*67%8+"); ">>?.4A*,Q,*4.@?@,?,-B5*$)A44$*4Q5*$)A44A%*4B=k#Q5=5B=îQ=]=KA.@?-43; -,,A44A8 /,&$CA* 6+&' A.@+.AA*+.@ :A1>$*8 \+.,0%8A4 =î4_ -.8 =b= '-4 GS A.@+.AA*+.@ -33$+.&2A.&4?6Z

`'A *A0+-.,A $) &'A 3*A4A.& c#ib= ^+4,$WA*1 ]*-.& 3*$@*-2 $. 3%C0+,-&+$.4 -.8 &'A &*-+.+.@ -.8 30-,A2A.& $) 5'^ 0AWA0 nq5 4AWA*A01

8+4-8W-.&-@A4 &'$4A >$*:+.@ +. 2$*A -330+A8 -*A-4? 7A -*A .$& -*@%+.@ )$* - 4A3-*-&A 414&A2; H%4& &'-& 2$*A +.,0%4+WA 2A-4%*A4 $)

3*$8%,&+W+&1 CA +230A2A.&A8?

7/26/2019 4917-9672-1-SM

5/6


5. That Canadian universities recognize engineering design as a legitimate discipline of

creative scholarship and develop career progression systems that will provide academic

futures for design engineers working at a world class level

25

.

Developing products from ideas and discoveries also requires physical and virtual facilities.

Design studios, shop facilities and modern engineering design software tools have either beentoo expensive or not a priority for most Canadian universities. This low priority is coupled with

the absence of a critical mass of engineering designers. The result is that some engineersgraduate without having set foot in any form of a shop environment, some mechanical engineers

graduate having never seen a lathe or a mill, some electrical engineers having never soldered acircuit, and some civil engineers having never cast a concrete test sample. Equally many

graduates have not used modern design software and have little sense of the complementarydomains of physical and virtual technology development. Graduates are ill-equipped to take an

innovative idea to market in a successful and timely manner. Over a decade ago, Canadianuniversity libraries faced a similar challenge with the advent of electronic serials. This challenge

was addressed by a national program funded through CFI to allow all universities to accesselectronic journals. A national program for engineering schools to access software tools and a

funding mechanism to allow engineering schools to develop and support shop facilities is criticalto preparing students for their role as developers of innovative products.


6. That the Canadian Foundation for Innovation creates both a system of access to design

engineering software and a program to redevelop shop training facilities in Canadian

engineering schools26.

An additional challenge that must be addressed to ensure that a meaningful innovation culture

develops in Canada is to remove the barriers that exist between business schools and engineeringschools. Such barriers exist at many levels, not the least of them being that business academics

are generally funded by SSHRC while engineering academics are generally funded by NSERC.Again, progress has been made in resolving these challenges: some schools incorporate business

students in design competitions and, increasingly, business academics are being funded throughthe industrial engineering program at NSERC (although this has increased competition for

engineering academics accessing these funds). However, business and engineering schools stillfunction largely in isolation from each other. What is needed is a program of funding that

encourages business and engineering academics to partner in the training of the next generationof innovators.


6Gg$4& %.+WA*4+&1 ,-*AA* 3*$@*A44+$. 3$0+,+A4 -.8 3*$,A8%*A4 )$* A.@+.AA*+.@ )$00$> - 4,+A.,A 2$8A0? n$>AWA*; -*,'+&A,&4; -*&+4&4 -.8

2%4+,+-.4 '-WA -,-8A2+, ,-*AA*4 >'+,' )$00$> - 2$8A0 &'-& 2+@'& CA 2$*A 4%+&A8 &$ &'-& $) - 8A4+@. $*+A.&A8 A.@+.AA*+.@ -,-8A2+,?6T

5*$W+8+.@ 4'$3 &*-+.+.@ )-,+0+&+A4 ,$%08 CA -. AD3A.4+WA %.8A*&-:+.@X '$>AWA*; +& >$%08 -04$ 3*$W+8A 4%33$*& )$* AD3A*+2A.&-0 *A4A-*,'A*4?

(0&'$%@' A.@+.AA*+.@ 4$)&>-*A +4 WA*1 AD3A.4+WA &$ 3%*,'-4A; 4%330+A*4 -*A $)&A. *A,A3&+WA &$ 3*$W+8+.@ 3*$@*-2 >+&' 0+2+&A8 ,-3-C+0+&+A4

\4&%8A.& WA*4+$._ +. $*8A* &$ )-2+0+-*+VA 4&%8A.&4 >+&' &'A+* 3*$8%,&4?

7/26/2019 4917-9672-1-SM

6/6

7. That the tri-council funding agencies support extensive innovation driven collaboration

between engineering and business faculty27.

In summary, we state categorically that, until engineering design is recognized as an essential

component of the innovation cycle and engineering design skills are developed in a systematicand appropriately funded manner, Canada will never achieve the level of innovation required tosucceed in the modern world.

6S5*$W+8+.@ -. A.WA0$3A $) )%.8+.@ &'-& *AM%+*A4 -43A,&4 $) C$&' 3*$,A44 \A.@+.AA*+.@_ -.8 3$0+,1 \2-.-@A2A.&_ +. -. A.&*A3*A.A%*+-0 $*+A.&A8

3*$HA,& ,$%08 CA - 2A-.4 &$ &'+4 A.8?

4917-9672-1-sm

Documents