Other Research

Bringing “dead cash” back to life

There is a lively public debate about the “dead cash” problem in Canada. People are asking if companies are holding excessive amounts of cash and cash equivalents in reserve. After touching on this issue in the Eleventh Annual Report of the Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity & Economic Progress, A push for growth, the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity has taken a deeper look at the dead cash issue to offer a way forward.

There are two versions of the paper: short and long version. The long version includes more details regarding the methodology used to derive the results.

Improving Productivity in Canada’s Food Processing Sector through Greater Scale

If Canada’s food processing industry is determined to realize its full economic potential it will need to achieve greater size of its facilities and companies. With greater scale of operations, our food processors would be able to improve their cost performance and invest in areas like technology and R&D necessary for greater innovation. That is the key conclusion from a joint study, Improving Productivity in Canada’s Food Processing Sector through Greater Scale by the George Morris Centre (GMC) and the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity (ICP).

Submission to the Review of Federal Support to R&D

Roger Martin and Jim Milway

The Institute’s responses to 6 of the 15 questions posed by the federal Expert Panel conducting the Review of Federal Support to R&D in its Consultation Paper.

As we state in our response, we think the panel is on the right track. The Consultation Paper recognizes that innovation is critical to our standard of living and that it is much broader than scientific R&D. It also recognizes that innovation is affected by a system of factors influencing our companies’ choices to adopt innovation as a competitive strategy - a choice that compels them to draw on a variety of inputs, not just R&D, in support of innovative activity. We have argued that innovation is different than R&D and invention. As we conclude in our paper, on the difference between innovation and invention, “What is Innovation - Really?”, public policy is excessively focused on invention and not innovation. A broader focus on innovation would highlight the challenge we face in Canada with under developed management capabilities to drive the process. See the summary of our recent research on this issue, “Canada’s Systematic Under Investment in the Education of Managers, A Review of the Research”.

The poor still pay more: Challenges low income families face in consuming a nutritious diet

James Milway, John Stapleton, Katherine Chan & Brian Cook

Everyone has the basic right to access healthy and nutritious food. However, we are concerned that people in Ontario – a region of great economic prosperity and opportunity – are going hungry today. Much needs to be done to ensure that we help reduce the obstacles that impede low income households from accessing their basic right to nutritious food. By supporting our most vulnerable, we can tap into the potential of our labour force, reduce healthcare costs, and help us reach one step closer to our full prosperity potential.

Canada's Global Leaders, 1985-2010

Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity

Updated November 2010

International Students

Tamer Azer

This is a summary of the Institute’s research on International Students in Canada compared to Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The research was presented during the 2010 CUPA/MTCU/HEQCO Day at the University of Toronto on 5 November 2010.

What is innovation - really?

Roger Martin

Public policy to increase innovation is not working. A major part of the problem is that our governments have developed policies to drive invention, not innovation. The two are not the same, and we must recognize this to achieve effective public policy for the twenty-first century.

Time for a “Made in Ontario” Working Income Tax Benefit

James Milway, John Stapleton & Katherine Chan

The government of Ontario should accept the invitation from the federal government to modify the design of its Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB). WITB benefits should be re-oriented to support low-income earners when they work more, thereby easing their move from social assistance onto full-time employment when welfare benefits are lost.

These are the main recommendations in a report released today by the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity, an Ontario-based economic think tank, and Open Policy Ontario, a consultancy led by John Stapleton.

Assessing Toronto’s Financial Services Cluster

James B. Milway, Sana Nisar, Claurelle Poole & Ying Wang

Toronto’s financial services industries are critical drivers of prosperity in the city, in Ontario, and in Canada.  But their success cannot be taken for granted as the industry undergoes ever increasing globalization.  Government policy makers and industry participants need to step up their efforts to ensure we are building a world beating financial services cluster in Toronto.  That is the key conclusion from a study released today, Assessing Toronto’s financial services cluster, by the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity on behalf of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

Strengthening management for prosperity

Roger L. Martin and James B. Milway

An important part of closing Canada’s prosperity gap and realizing its full economic potential is a greater commitment to strengthening management talent.  That is a key conclusion of a new report prepared by Roger Martin, Dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management and Chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity and James Milway, the Institute’s Executive Director.  The report discusses the importance of management talents in a well functioning innovation system and reviews shortfalls in developing these capabilities.  The report calls for greater recognition of the importance of management talent in public policy to improve Canada’s innovation, productivity, and prosperity

Enhancing the Productivity of Small and Medium Enterprises through Greater Adoption of Information and Communication Technology

Roger L. Martin and James B. Milway

> View this paper

Explaining Canada-U.S. Differences in Annual Hours Worked

Alberto Isgut, Lance Bialas & James Milway
CSLS International Productivity Monitor

Ontario’s Fiscal Competitiveness: Still Some Way to Go

Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz

Submission in support of recommendations by the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel

Roger Martin and Jim MIlway

The Institute’s focus is on the Panel’s recommendations relating to economic regulation and competition - areas that are critical to our mandate to measure and monitor Ontario’s and Canada’s competitiveness and prosperity. We think the recommendations will enable Canada’s telecommunications industries to achieve their full potential in upgrading Canada’s innovation and productivity.

The Activity of American Venture Capital Funds in the Ontario Market: Issues, Trends and Prospects

Research conducted by Thomson Macdonald

Commercialization and the Canadian Business Environment: A Systems Perspective

Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity

Background Issues: Marginal and average effective tax rates in Ontario

Research conducted by Finn Poschmann

Ontario ’s Fiscal Competitiveness in 2004

Research conducted by Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz

Assessing the Strength of the Toronto Biopharmaceutical Cluster

Research conducted by Roger L. Martin and James Milway

Assessing the Experience of Successful Innovative Firms in Ontario

Research conducted by The Strategic Counsel

Tax Policy, Competitiveness and prosperity in Ontario: Options for the 21st Century

Research conducted by Centre for Spatial Economics, University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

Assessing Ontario’s Fiscal Competitiveness

Research conducted by Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz

Capital Investment Comparison - Ontario vs. U.S.

Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity

Are Ontario Cities at a Competitive Disadvantage Compared to U.S. Cities? A Comparison of Responsibilities and Revenues in Selected Cities

Research conducted by Enid Slack

Opportunities for Improving Municipal Governance in Ontario

Research conducted by the Institute

Competing on Creativity: Placing Ontario’s Cities in North American Context

Research Conducted by Richard Florida and Meric Gertler

The Impact of Education and Urbanization on Productivity

Research Conducted by Michael Baker and Dan Trefler, University of Toronto