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The Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation, more commonly known by its acronym OCRI, is Ottawa’s leading economic development agency for fostering the advancement of the region's globally competitive knowledge-based institutions and industries. OCRI delivers its economic development services through a unique partnership with the City of Ottawa, where the City and OCRI, through its members set the strategy and manage the programs that move Ottawa’s economy forward.

OCRI is a non-profit, partnership organization that operates on an annual budget that comes from a variety of sources including: municipal, federal and provincial government; membership fees; professional development programs; and private sector contributions.

Background
Early in 1982 the Commercial and Industrial Development Corporation of Ottawa-Carleton (CIDC) formed a task force to investigate the adequacy of the academic resources of the region, in light of the rapid expansion of the local high technology industry. Its mandate was, of course, to recommend corrective action if these resources were found wanting.

The task force included John Buchan, Vice President, Bell-Northern Research and Irving Greenberg, President, Minto Construction. In mid-1982 they reported their findings, highlighting the importance of interaction between the two local universities (University of Ottawa, Carleton University), Algonquin College and industry. They recognized that examples of very good collaboration did exist, but urged that it be increased. They particularly recommended the creation of an agency to promote industry-academic interaction, also recommending that it be funded, in part, by local industry contributions.

By year-end, 1982, strong support had been expressed throughout the community for the Buchan-Greenberg recommendations. As a result, the Deans of Engineering of the two universities and the Dean of Technology and Trades at Algonquin College jointly came forward with a proposal to establish an institute that would carry out industrially-oriented research.

In the spring of 1983, nine companies, the regional government, and the three academic institutions pledged $122,000 to the institute. An acting board of directors was appointed, and detailed planning of the institute was begun. By the fall, Michael Caughey, vice-president of Bell-Northern Research, was named acting president. A young and up-and-coming corporate lawyer named John Manley prepared the institute’s incorporation papers. These were signed in July 1984.

That same month, in a brief to the Bovey Commission that was set up by the province to look into the development of Ontario’s universities, the importance of the technology sector to the regional and provincial economies, the importance of academic resources to industry and the institute’s role in promoting better use of those resources was emphasized.

The institute was structured as a “research cooperative”. At that time, 30 faculty members at the three participating institutions were research associates of the institute, grouped into a number of inter-institutional research teams.

There were also 14 affiliates—10 companies, the regional government and the three educational institutions. OCRI’s founding president and a secretary were the institute’s only employees. A board of directors, made up of representatives from the institute’s affiliates and chaired by Andrew Hayden, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton presided over the institute development.

After Caughey’s term as President, Gerry Turcotte, the Director of the Department of Electronics at Algonquin College became President. Turcotte brought with him unbridled enthusiasm, an exceptional tech background and a brilliant approach for getting people to work together. In 1996, Bill Collins, a marketer, master-networker and strategist took the helm and helped to guide OCRI through the merger with the Ottawa Economic Development Corporation in 2000. The organization experienced more change when in 2007 OCRI merged with the Ottawa Life Sciences Council (OLSC).

Flash forward to 2008. Today, Ottawa is home to more than 1,800 technology companies, with a high tech work force numbering in excess of 82,000 employees. What was once the Ottawa Carleton Research Institute is now the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation. From an organization that focused almost exclusively on education, research and technology transfer, OCRI has transformed itself into an economic development agency whose mandate now includes nurturing entrepreneurship, linking start-up companies to potential investors, and fostering partnerships between and among local companies and enterprises the world over.

Research partnerships and the development of qualified, skilled talent continue to be critically important OCRI and to Ottawa. But, Ottawa, OCRI and the world have changed. No longer is Ottawa a bit player in the high technology arena. Largely through OCRI initiatives aimed at promoting strategic cluster development, Canada’s National Capital Region is now recognized around the world as major source of technological innovation and entrepreneurship. OCRI, meanwhile, has grown to become the largest member-based organization in Ottawa’s history, with the active involvement of more than 650 member companies, all of the region’s major research and educational institutions and every regional school board.

Important Dates
Spring 1983: Ottawa Carleton Research Institute is created

March 17, 1998: Ottawa Carleton Research Institute changes to Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation

April 2001: OCRI and OED (Ottawa Economic Development) merge

January 1, 2007: OCRI and OLSC (Ottawa Life Sciences Council) merge

Presidents
Claude Haw (2009-present)

Jeffrey Dale (2002-2009)

Bill Collins (1998-2001)

Gerry Turcotte (1984-1998)

Michael Caughey (1983-1984)

Chairs
Robin McIntyre (2009-present)

Gary Hannah (2007-2009)

Deborah Weinstein (2002-2007)

David Mann

Supporting education, setting down stepping stones to the future
Since its inception, OCRI has sought to bring together like-minded people and organizations. But its achievements have gone far beyond simply connecting the dots. In supporting education and the vital relationship between the research bench and the marketplace, it has fostered dynamic, transformative partnerships among researchers, students, established companies and start-ups—partnerships that, in fact, reshaped the landscape.

As early as 1987, the Ottawa-Carleton Region was being recognized for the size and quality of its technology infrastructure. Several landmark events set the stage for the OCRI and Ottawa we know today.

One of OCRI’s first projects was to support the development of an $8 million focused ion beam facility at the National Research Council (NRC). A focused ion beam or FIB is a scientific instrument, similar to a scanning electron microscope, used in the semiconductor and material sciences fields.

Undertaken in 1989, the collaborative project brought together Bell-Northern Research, the NRC, the Department of Communication (now Industry Canada), Northern Telecom, the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and Queen’s University.

It took close to three years to assemble the partners, secure the funding and install the machinery. To demonstrate the amazing capabilities of nanotechnology, the research team used the FIB to etch the images of a thousand angels on the head of a pin.

The new facility at the NRC laid the foundation for future high-end research projects that leveraged the strengths, interests and qualifications of the partners, underscoring their capacity for world-class research in the areas micro circuitry and nanotechnology.

Another novel move by OCRI was the establishment of the Industrial Research Chair Program, proposed in 1991 and officially launched two years later. Here, OCRI fostered partnerships among organizations that were previously seen as competitors. The program focused on research conducted at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, as well as pre-commercialization research and development activities undertaken at Algonquin College.

OCRI was recognized as a trailblazer for its efforts in bringing together the disparate players. By securing funding from many partners, OCRI demonstrated that undertaking world-class research need not be dependent upon the support of a single corporate or industrial sponsor. There was strength in numbers. There were other benefits, too. The Industrial Research Chair Program attracted world-class talent to the region, developing graduates with hands-on, industry-relevant training and expertise—many of whom remained in Ottawa to launch their careers.

From 1990 to 1998, Destiny 2000—an annual industry-initiated exposition—showcased science, engineering and technology to the region’s Grade 7 and 8 students at a time when their academic choices would have a critical influence over their career options later on.

The weeklong fair introduced as many as 5,000 students to 30 companies, high tech organizations, post-secondary institutions and government agencies, providing them with an opportunity to meet with potential future employers and learn about the exciting possibilities in Ottawa’s vibrant technology sector.

In the early 1990s OCRI launched a series of educational programs including the Summer Institute for Science and Technology Teachers. Here, educators from across the region toured local companies and industries. The program included a comprehensive learning component that encouraged teachers to share their new insights and knowledge with their students.

Beginning in 1991, OCRI’s Science Fun Summer Camp saw teachers and students getting together for lessons, working with lab partners and developing new lesson plans.

Later, OCRI introduced an innovative mentoring program for the region’s classroom teachers. Partners in Education linked area schools and companies to advise and counsel teachers, providing them with direct access to experts, workshops and site tours.

With support from across the region and from the federal government’s Infrastructure program, OCRI launched OCRInet in January 1994, then the largest and most complex research and development project of its kind in the world.

OCRInet was based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology, a connectionoriented technology which, in this case, linked major industry and institutional partners such as Bell Canada, BNR, Algonquin College, the Communications Research Centre, Mitel, Gandalf Technologies, Telestat, the NRC, Newbridge Networks, and the University of Ottawa.

Employing technologies developed by Newbridge, Northern Telecom, GDC and Fore Systems, OCRInet brought together traditionally competitive suppliers in a real-world environment. In doing so, OCRInet helped to secure Ottawa’s leadership position in the development of Canada’s Information Highway, while at the same time demonstrating the value of broadband technology.

Networking, helping those in need of connections make connections
Building on its early successes with education and research projects, OCRI launched a new line of business networking activities beginning with the Technology Executive Breakfast (TEB) series in 1993.

It kick-started the series in January of that year with a session titled The Business Impact of Electronic Mail Networks - More Trouble than It's Worth? - A Piece of Cake? I Don't Know? The event drew 60 people to Kanata’s Café Rose. There was an obvious appetite for regular meetings where people could come together, talk to experts and learn about leading-edge technologies, business strategies and effective tactics.

Not long after the series started, the need for a larger venue was equally obvious. Rick’s Pizza and Pasta Restaurant was the next stop for TEB, but the numbers continued to grow. When coat racks crumbled to the floor under the weight of 170 pieces of outerwear, it was once again time to move on. This time, OCRI chose the biggest and best available — The Palladium.

Today, comfortably ensconced at Scotiabank Place (formerly known as The Palladium), OCRI’s TEB series regularly attracts top-notch presenters and an audience of senior executives from Ottawa’s burgeoning technology community.

OCRI has earned an excellent reputation for hosting meaningful and successful events for the many different sectors within the high tech scene—addressing topics of interest to start-ups; entrepreneurs; and marketing, legal and accounting teams.

OCRI’s ability to showcase Ottawa to the world was accentuated by bringing international tech icons to the city including Scott McNally of Sun Microsystems, Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates of Microsoft and John Chambers from Cisco Systems.

Some memorable highlights include:
 * The morning Josef Strauss of JDS Fitel handed everyone at his session a black berets, his signature accessory. As Strauss began his presentation, the view from the back of the room was unforgettable—a sea of copycat black caps.
 * Fierce leader Ron Zamboni, on his hands and knees to plug in a projector so those in attendance could watch his latest Cognos video—Braveheart style!
 * At a Zone5ive marketing presentation, it was all about boxers—the kind you wear. Cognos presented boxer shorts to everyone in attendance to underscore the idea that successful marketing isn’t about flying by the seat of your pants.
 * Bringing in the big guns in October 1995 when John McLennan, president and CEO of Bell Canada, presented with Terry Matthews and Michael Cowpland in attendance.

Growing clusters, finding strength in numbers
OCRI pioneered a cluster-based approach to economic development in Canada. It began in 1986, when OCRI was only in its second full year of operation, with the introduction of special interest groups. In the early days, OCRI referred to them as consortia. The first of these focused on artificial intelligence and distributed computing groups such as Unix, a computer operating system developed in 1969 at AT&T. Unix devotees may recall Unix in the Park—a hugely popular and productive session held at Vincent Massey Park.

Before long, plans were underway to introduce additional consortia. The idea was to bring together like-minded individuals from common sectors—in managed, regular sessions—to further the development objectives of the respective sectors.

Groups including the electronics packaging community and the Ottawa-Carleton Biotechnology Business Development initiative followed. The joint OCRI/OCEDCO biotechnology initiative generated enough interest and activity that it led to the development of the Ottawa Life Sciences Council in 1992 and the Ottawa Life Sciences Technology Park.

Consortia development really came to the fore in 1991. That year OPCOM—the Optical Computing Consortium of Canada—pulled together a nationwide effort to develop an emerging area of technology—using light for specialized computation. The synergy created by OPCOM helped develop the Ottawa Photonics Cluster on a local basis as well as the nationally focused Canadian Photonics Consortium.

Ottawa and OCRI have made cluster-based economic development their principal means of ensuring the regional economy remains sustainable, innovative and diversified. In practical terms, they do this by identifying sectors where there is a critical mass of talent and by nurturing these talent pools through strategic partnerships; innovative recruitment, retention and professional development strategies; targeted research and educational programs; investment initiatives and global marketing. Today, Ottawa clusters with formal organizations are: photonics, e-business, wireless, software, security, regional contact centres, life sciences, tourism and clean energy.

To safeguard their success, OCRI works closely with all levels of government and with the region’s exporting companies, colleges and universities, and local support infrastructure to make the region a model for success in the global knowledge-based economy.

Developing business, nurturing the growth of superstars
OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre was launched in 1993 to provide comprehensive resources to entrepreneurs who are thinking about starting or growing a business. From the beginning, the centre—located in Ottawa’s City Hall—has offered local entrepreneurs walk-in, no-appointment-necessary access to a wide range of business information. More recently, it has introduced the critically acclaimed mentorship program Entrepreneur’s Edge to partner serious entrepreneurs with experienced, successful business people who have taken their fledgling companies from basements to Bay Street.

For the last 12 years, the centre’s annual Ottawa Venture and Technology Summit has been helping local companies connect with qualified investors. OVTS is the region’s premier risk capital event, having introduced nearly 500 different Ottawa-based companies to investors from across Canada and the U.S. Since 2000, 181 OVTS alumni have secured more than $2.5 billion in funding.

Ottawa’s entrepreneurial spirit is stronger today than ever. OCRI’s new Investment and Commercialization Group was founded earlier this year to help start-ups and entrepreneurs build successful global businesses. It does so by offering mentorship and business advisory services, providing access to market intelligence, and by refocusing the mandate of the Ottawa Capital Network to better suit the needs of today’s early stage companies. IPeak Networks, the first company through the group’s business accelerator program, has secured funding, increased its staff and confirmed its first client.

First held in 1999 and managed by OCRI, Canada’s Top 10 Competition promotes Canada’s 10 most promising life science companies (five early stage and five emerging or late stage) to Canadian and international investors. The competition has now expanded to showcase Canada's cleantech sector and ICT companies. In 2007, about a third of the winners were from Ontario, with Ottawa-based companies populating each sector. These included Menova Energy, Prodrive, Artenga, EcoVu Analytics and IPeak Networks.

Established in 2005 as a pilot project, Ontario’s Regional Innovation Networks (RINs) are multi-stakeholder organizations that support commercialization. In 2007, the RIN managed by OCRI supported more than 70 investment and commercialization projects, involving companies in the life sciences, energy, environmental, information and communications technologies; materials and advanced manufacturing; and agriculture.

Advocating, speaking with purpose
OCRI has helped put together proposals for local, provincial and national consortia. It has developed submissions for budgetary consideration, matching grant programs and a host of other initiatives on behalf of the companies, members and institutions it represents. By 1990, its scope of influence had extended beyond the community and the province. National and international organizations increasingly turned to OCRI as a trusted source of strategic support and insight.

OCRI has been instrumental in advocating, protecting and promoting Ottawa industry for more than 20 years. In 1989, OCRI began to evaluate the need for a new agency to support the region’s technology-intensive start-up businesses. Today, hundreds of local companies have benefited from its consulting services, networking opportunities and access to qualified mentors, investors and advisors.