Other Research

Bringing “dead cash” back to life

February 2013

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

February 2012

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

February 2011

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

    December 2010

    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

    November 2010

    Updated November 2010

      To view Canada’s Global Leaders page, please click here.

        International Students

        Tamer Azer

        November 2010

        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

        June 2010

        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

        September 2009

        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

        June 2007

        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

        May 2007

        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

        May 2007

        > View this paper

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

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

        November 2006

        Ontario’s Fiscal Competitiveness: Still Some Way to Go

        Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz

        November 2006

        Submission in support of recommendations by the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel

        Roger Martin and Jim MIlway

        May 2006

        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

        December 2005

        Commercialization and the Canadian Business Environment: A Systems Perspective

        Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity

        July 2005

        Background Issues: Marginal and average effective tax rates in Ontario

        Research conducted by Finn Poschmann

        March 2005

        Ontario ’s Fiscal Competitiveness in 2004

        Research conducted by Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz

        November 2004

        Assessing the Strength of the Toronto Biopharmaceutical Cluster

        Research conducted by Roger L. Martin and James Milway

        September 2004

        Assessing the Experience of Successful Innovative Firms in Ontario

        Research conducted by The Strategic Counsel

        September 2004

        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

        May 2004

        Assessing Ontario’s Fiscal Competitiveness

        Research conducted by Duanjie Chen and Jack Mintz

        November 2003

        Capital Investment Comparison - Ontario vs. U.S.

        Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity

        November 2003

        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

        June 2003

        Opportunities for Improving Municipal Governance in Ontario

        Research conducted by the Institute

        May 2003

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

        Research Conducted by Richard Florida and Meric Gertler

        November 2002

        The Impact of Education and Urbanization on Productivity

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

        November 2002
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