TECHNOLOGICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ENGINEERING IN CANADA

This latest ananlysis of technological entrepreneurship inCanada is directed to anyone interested in this major factorof new wealth and job creation. It is concernedparticularly with industrial innovation as the key toeconomic progress. It stresses also the important role thatprofessional engineers can play in this process.

Canada's competitiveness in the global economy can only comefrom growth in productivity. This book explains the seriousinnovation gap which hampers the country's abiltiy tocompete more effectively. It calls for the development ofan action program to redress the situation and suggests waysin which technical entrepreneurs and innovative firms, largeand small, can make a distinct contribution.

Canada is richly endowed with natural resources. But in theNew Economy the most important resource of all is theability to acquire, develop, transfer and apply newknowledge more effectively than competitors. Hence,thepressing need for greater develoment of technologicalentrepreneurship in Canada.

This background report describes the global economicchallenges that Canada must face. It explains the generaltraits of technical entrepreneurs and stresses theimportance of innovative companies through spin-offs is alsodocumented as well as the new forms of entrepreneurship viathe Internet. The Canadian innovation environment isportrayed in some detail. Finally, it gives an overallpicture of the present extent of entrepreneurship educationin Canadian engineering schools.