Steve’s Week in Policy: May 11, 2016

Steve Higham is a policy analyst with Mitacs. On the blog, he’ll frequently share links to interesting innovation policy-related articles, videos, podcasts, or websites. 

From the amazing world of research and innovation policy, here are a handful of links running the gamut from social innovation to ultimate fighting:

• Canada’s National Research Council got an international shout-out, placing 14^th on a Reuters list of the Top 25 Global Innovators – Government. Reuters evaluated the publishing record and patent success of publicly funded institutions around the world. First overall was France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CAE), with Germany’s famous Fraunhofer Society in 2^nd.
• Have you been hearing more and more about social innovation, but you weren’t sure what it was? There’s a video for that.
• A terrific initiative (that just so happens to be supported by Mitacs) was highlighted in a Corporate Knights article.
• What does entrepreneurship have in common with ultimate fighting? According to this author, you get smashed in the face a lot.
• Many Canadians have experienced the dilemma of being over-educated but under-experienced for a job. This Globe and Mail article explains why hiring recent graduates who lack experience can be a smart business move. (And it’s not just because they’re cheap).
• When PhD students dumb down their theses, it is really funny.  

Also, these:

• New research from the IRPP shows that for manufacturers, participation in global value chains is linked to improved productivity. This is the stuff policy wonks dream about!
• Notwithstanding routine jokes about overeducated coffee baristas, an iPolitics article highlights the enduring value of a liberal arts education amidst transformative change.
• The 2015 Global Innovation Index put Switzerland at the top of the list. How did Switzerland become the world’s most innovative economy? 
• In mid-March, Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) system won four of five games against the best Go player alive. Just a couple of years ago, most programmers thought the game was so complex that it would take decades before computers would be able to beat a human expert. This video helps explain the significance of the achievement.
• But if AI is on the cusp of transforming our world, it begs the question: are robots going to make us all obsolete?

Want to contribute to Steve’s Week in Policy? Send your feedback, ideas, or suggestions to shigham(at)mitacs.ca. 

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