Our Work

In Working Paper 34, The Canadian Cluster Handbook, the Institute returns to focusing on economic development through clusters. Since the release of Clusters in Ontario: Creating an ecosystem for prosperity in 2016, much has changed in Canadian cluster policy and the cluster landscape.

The announcement of the Innovation Superclusters Initiative by the federal government in 2017 ignited interest from various cluster actors. In late 2018, the Institute hosted the 21^st TCI Network Global...

In Working Paper 33, Teaching for tomorrow: building the necessary skills today, the Institute examines whether Ontario’s education system is able to impart youth with 21^st century skills. While talent development is one of Ontario’s key strengths, the Institute finds that youth do not have the skills required to thrive in future labour markets.

Main findings: 

• Of the 1.3 million forecasted job openings between 2017 and 2021 in Ontario, the majority are for positions requiring reading...

How can Canada overcome the costs and maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI)? In Working Paper 32, From prediction to reality Ontario’s AI opportunity, the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity examines the current AI ecosystems in Ontario and Canada, how the benefits of the coming AI revolution can be maximized, and what can be done to minimize the disruptions caused by it.    

Artificial intelligence, in the broadest sense, is the ability of a computer to perform tasks...

Working Paper 31, The final leg: How Ontario can win the innovation race, explores how Ontario’s innovation performance could be boosted by improving commercialization of research and inventions in the province. The Institute examines best practices in commercialization support from the German Fraunhofer Society, which has successfully bridged the gap between early research and large-scale production known as the ‘innovation valley of death’.

The Fraunhofer Society, a network of 69 applied...

In Working Paper 30, The future is not destiny: CEO perspectives on realizing Ontario’s potential, the project team (Institute and Boston Consulting Group) present findings from 33 interviews with CEOs and Futurists (those who spend the majority of their role thinking about trends of the future, particularly around technology). Leaders came from seven clusters: Construction, Financial Services (including insurance), Health, ICT, Manufacturing, Marketing, Design and Publishing, and Other.

The...

In Working Paper 29, The labour market shift: Training a highly skilled and resilient workforce in Ontario, the Institute examines Ontario's changing labour market and skills, employer-driven training, and government skills training programs. Ontario’s labour market has changed. For Ontarians to remain resilient in face of this change, they must be equipped with skills that are transferable across occupations and sectors.

Main findings: 

• Most workplace spending on training is concentrated...

In Working Paper 28, Immigration in Ontario: Achieving best outcomes for newcomers and the economy, the Institute studies the state of immigration in Ontario. 

The analysis reveals many striking findings of the outcomes of Ontario's immigrants compared to their Canadian-born peers. 

Key findings:

• Ontario's immigrants are not reaching their full potential, and as a result, Ontario's prosperity is reduced
• Ontario takes in proportionally less economic class immigrants than the rest of the...

In Working Paper 27, Looking beyond GDP: Measuring prosperity in Ontario, the Institute analyzes the province and its peer jurisdictions across 11 measures of well-being: access to services, community, civic engagement, education, environment, health, housing, income, jobs, life satisfaction, and safety. The results reveal that Ontario is 5th overall among its peer group. Ontario achieves the greatest results in access to services, health, and safety, but the lowest results in jobs and income. ...read more

Strengthening clusters can lead to increased productivity, economic growth, and prosperity because clusters foster interactions that can energize the regional economy. In Working Paper 26, Clusters in Ontario the Institute highlights five strong, traded clusters in Ontario. The Institute recommends that the Ontario government facilitate the growth of such clusters - rather than replicate them or force their existence. 

The Institute recommends that the Ontario government facilitate the growth...

Licence to Innovate Revisited provides perspectives on government innovation from people within and outside the Ontario Public Service. This leads to a revised framework, additional case studies, and actionable recommendations.

The Institute recommends the government of Ontario:

Integrate innovation to counter the risk-averse culture. 

• Building innovation into core government activities signals that it is desirable and acceptable.

Revise funding frameworks and apply behavioural insights...

In its 25th Working Paper, the Institute models the impact of Ontario's cap-and-trade program on economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions. According to macroeconomic modelling under four scenarios, Ontario should link with the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) as soon as possible and provide support to its carbon intensive at-risk industries. In doing so, the province will achieve the greatest reductions in emissions while maintaining economic growth and competitiveness. The four scenarios...

Less than half of policy professionals in Ontario's Public Service feel innovation is valued in their work. However, enhancing innovation in policy design, processes, and implementation can build more effective and efficient public services. In Working Paper 24, Licence to innovate, the Institute reviews and compares innovation in the government of Ontario and abroad.

Government’s failure to innovate today means less effective and less efficient public services tomorrow. Based on comparative...