Steve’s Week in Policy: March 16, 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. 

This week, I’ve got a mix of links to share:

• As strategies for creating and supporting startup companies are being explored and debated in Canada and elsewhere, Israel has emerged as a global leader in its concentration of startup companies.  Israel’s chief scientist Avi Hasson sat down with Maclean’s to provide some insight into what Canada might be able to learn from Israel’s startup ecosystem.
   
• A good sign for Canadian startups came from the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, who released an infographic showing that venture capital investing is on the rise. 
   
• A Canadian Business article makes the case that Canadian Tire is one of Canada’s most innovative marketers, with a strategy that goes far beyond the wad of Canadian Tire money you’ve been saving for years.
   
• Contrary to what Marge Simpson says, graduate school isn’t a terrible life choice. PhD students in Canada and around the world are doing great things and that’s the premise of CBC Radio’s Ideas from the Trenches, which profiles some of their amazing work. 
   
• But outstanding research isn’t always enough to get hired after graduation, and an essay on InsideHigherEd.com suggests that PhDs need to take advantage of opportunities for collaboration.  
   
• And in case you missed it, Marc-Olivier Frégeau, Mitacs Business Development Specialist, published a terrific essay in LaPresse on the importance of promoting scientific literacy among citizens.
   

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

Mitacs Team

Mitacs’s website content is created by people throughout our organization, united in their passion for innovation and eager to share their perspectives with others in the innovation ecosystem. 

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