Minister Encourages Innovation

Saskatchewan Minister of Enterprise Ken Cheveldayoff is urging collaboration to get maximum results from innovative thinking. Here are the minister's remarks from a symposium on innovation held by the Southwest Enterprise Region, in Swift Current.

“The innovation economy is very competitive, has the potential to be very lucrative, and is already an economic engine in our province. With award-winning research parks and a focus on innovation, Saskatchewan is poised to create unlimited opportunities for growth and provide advanced scientific service.

With its successful track record in applied research and innovation, Saskatchewan is already leading the way in the new knowledge-based economy through the transfer and commercialization of technology. Saskatchewan’s vision is to link technology and innovation with the province’s business sectors to create exports, jobs and wealth by stimulating the development of a globally competitive and sustainable innovation-based economy.

To realize this vision, the province is creating Innovation Saskatchewan to provide advice and a channel for collaboration between government and stakeholders. The agency will also coordinate the strategic direction for government support for research and development and science and technology. The bigger objective is to focus on commercialization of technology. Opportunities are available now to bring new technologies from our labs and laptops to the world’s business and homes.

The South West Enterprise Region is headed in the right direction by setting up an innovation team. Innovation thrives in systems where high levels of interaction and collaboration take place among economic and community stakeholders.

At the centre of this system of innovation are people, whose interaction through networks and relationships, drive innovation activities. Effective innovation systems function at the local level and are characterized by a continuing cycle of knowledge creation, new product, process and service development, business development, growth and attraction, reviewing and setting new goals and challenges to create new knowledge.

Innovation is integral to success in today's knowledge-based economy. Economic growth and competitiveness depend increasingly upon the generation of knowledge and the transfer of that knowledge into products, processes and services. The technology commercialization process involves a number of critical steps such as; assessing the technical and market feasibility for innovations developed through basic and applied research; protecting intellectual property; raising investment capital; marketing new products, processes and services.

Ultimately, Enterprise Saskatchewan is a major force behind keeping Saskatchewan among the most competitive and attractive business climates in Canada-and the world-in the months and years ahead. Saskatchewan’s approach revolves around ensuring overall competitive cost advantages and providing the right mix of strategic tax incentives designed to provide a solid foundation for innovation developments.

The Saskatchewan Government is committed to strengthening the province’s system of innovation by setting the appropriate policy environment and providing programs and services that stimulate innovative activities by the private sector. I therefore want to encourage all of you to diversify your economic activities and develop an environment that will attract research and development entrepreneurs to your region and build a vibrant innovation economy."