These are not articlesLegatum Institute Releases Online Prosperity Toolkit for 2009 The Legatum Institute, a think tank attached to the Dubai-based Legatum hedge fund, has released its annual “Prosperity Rankings”. The rankings name Finland as the most prosperous nation in the world, with Canada at #7 and the USA at #9, but offer much more than a simple score sheet. The Institute’s website hosts a range of fully interactive tools of use to economic developers, including a 40-page detailed report on the rankings, an interactive map linking to data concerning each of the 104 countries in the survey, and a tool for making direct comparisons between any two nations. It also includes a “Personal Prosperiscope” that allows you to assess your own prosperity against a series of global criteria. Not only does the toolkit represent a great resource for economic developers on the investment attraction front, it sets a new benchmark for interactive tools – definitely worth a closer look for those economic developers who are considering a new and innovative approach to their web presence! Saskatchewan Develops Indicators for Assessing Economic Development Success As part of its major restructuring of economic development initiatives across the province, Enterprise Saskatchewan has developed a new series of performance measurement tools and indicators. In a report titled “Measuring Saskatchewan’s Progress” the agency lays out a detailed formula by which it can assess economic development effectiveness. Based on 25 key indicators, the system assesses effectiveness in areas including economic performance, innovation and business environment. Newfoundland & Labrador, ACOA Announce new Gateway Funding to Lure Foreign InvestmentThe Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Ministry of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development (INTRD) have announced the launch of a $2 million fund to help companies in Newfoundland and Labrador attract foreign direct investment. Delivered through Memorial University, the primary goal of the initiative is to attract foreign investment into technology firms, accelerating the province’s push to develop its high tech sector. The program has particularly strong links to investors in the Middle East, where it builds upon Memorial’s existing partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates. Those seeking more details on the program can contact Scott Barfoot at INTRD. FedDev Rolls Out More Funding in Southern Ontario The new Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) has rolled out two more funding programs totaling $30 million, it was announced on November 6. About $16 million will be devoted to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) SMART program, which provides grants of up to $50,000 for small and medium-sized manufacturers seeking to increase productivity through efforts such as lean manufacturing, energy efficiency and improved industrial design. Details on the SMART program can be found here. The remaining funds will be used to top up the Southern Ontario Development Program, meaning that $55 million is now available or regional economic development initiatives, with applications for funding due on December 1st. For details on this funding process, click here. 3 Canadian, 6 US Communities Among Top 21 “Intelligent Communities” for 2010 On October 16, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a New York-based think tank devoted to recognizing communities that have excelled through the use of emerging information & communications technologies, has announced its 21 finalists for the 2010 “Intelligent Community of the Year” honour. Nine North American communities have made the list, including Ottawa, Moncton and Windsor in Canada. This long list will be narrowed to seven finalists in January, with the final “Intelligent Community” being named in May. Past North American winners include Waterloo, Ontario (2007), Calgary, Alberta (2002), New York City (2001) and LaGrange, Georgia (2000). For those interested in understanding how “intelligent” their own communities are, ICF also provide a checklist of Intelligent Community Indicators. Employment Development Index October 2009 |
Company CornerDaniel Van Kampen Joins Millier Dickinson Blais Millier Dickinson Blais is pleased to welcome Daniel Van Kampen as the newest member of our team. Daniel has joined our Toronto office as a Consultant, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the economic development field, particularly in business park development, and economic development program implementation and management. Daniel began his career in economic development as an economic researcher in the Town of Ajax’s economic development department. He went on to serve as an economic development officer with the Municipality of Brockton in Walkerton. Prior to joining Millier Dickinson Blais, Daniel served as a project manager/planner with Malone Given Parsons Ltd. in Markham. As well as his extensive practical experience, Daniel has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Geography and a Master of Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development from the University of Waterloo. For more information on Daniel, or the rest of the Millier Dickinson Blais team, click here. Resource ReviewCommunities in Boom: Canada’s Top Entrepreneurial Cities Established in 1971, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is national network of more than 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Canada. One of its key roles is to lobby all levels of government for business-friendly change, and to conduct research activities in support of that lobbying effort. In October, the CFIB issued a new report entitled “Communities in Boom: Canada’s Top Entrepreneurial Cities” that ranks 96 Canadian communities on their entrepreneurial environment. Essentially, the CFIB studied 10 indicators in these broad categories: data related to the presence of entrepreneurial businesses in a community, data related to entrepreneurs’ perspectives on potential success, and data related to local government policy as it relates to entrepreneurs. The results are revealing: Saskatoon ranks #1 in the country, followed closely by Grande Prairie, Alberta, at #2 and Joliette, Quebec, at #3. What’s most revealing, however, is who doesn’t make the top of the list. British Columbia doesn’t make the rankings until #15 (Vernon), while Atlantic Canada is closed out until #17 (Kentville, NS). And Ontario? The top-ranked community in that province is Belleville at #44. The report is pretty thin on insights into how communities can improve their performance, but understanding the 10 ranking criteria and how a community scores in them could provide some tangible starting points for communities seeking to improve their support for entrepreneurs. And for provincial officials, the report should be an eye opener. It can’t be a coincidence that 5 of the top 10 communities on the list are in Saskatchewan, while another 4 are in Quebec. Out and aboutMembers of the Millier Dickinson Blais team will be participating in these upcoming events: November
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Libby Smith will be touring Newfoundland from November 16th to 20th and meeting provincial and municipal economic development officials from St. John's, Mount Pearl, Conception Bay South, Bay Roberts, Gander, Grand Falls, and Lewisporte to discuss upcoming initiatives. If you'd like to meet with Libby while she's in Newfoundland, please email her on: