ABCtech #159 22JUL13 Insights and Emerging Technologies

ABCtech #159 22JUL13 Insights and Emerging Technologies

Fall 2013

Editor – Perry Kinkaide

ABOUT ABCtech

“Brand and Principles are Aligned”, say ABCtech’s Subscribers. The September Subscriber Survey revealed a high alignment of ABCtech’s brand and principles with its subscribers – “Diversifying Alberta’s economy through emerging technologies”.  For the Google analytics including Improvements identified   visit HERE  Feel free to reply with comments.

Networking Insights – Board Enrichment. ABCtech’s summer networking BBQ and AGM – Moonlight in the Meadows on August 20th, was well attended by over 200 and featured several hospitality suites.  The keynote for the AGM was Leo De Beaver, CEO of AIMCO who delivered insights on the challenges in diversifying Alberta’s economy and investing in emerging technologies. Added to ABCtech’s 13 member Board are: Dan Corn of Magnovates taking on the transportation portfolio, Klaas Rodenburg of Stantec taking the energy and knowledge management portfolios, Randy Duguay – formerly with Telus joins Stuart Lomas in managing the Infotech & Analytics portfolio. Nathan Armstrong is taking on the new Aerospace portfolio and joining Cliff Soper in the Manufacturing portfolio.  Aman Verma – backed-up by Alexander Suen, is representing ABCampus.  For a complete listing of ABCtech’s current Directors and their interests visit www.ABCtech.ca 

Representing Emerging Technologies.  Let us know if you have an interest in participating or being kept up to date on the activities of any of ABCtech’s Industry Advisories: Data Analytics, Cell Therapies, Maglev Transportation, Fusion Energy, or CleanTech. Note. ABCtech has been invited to participate in the design and development of the Alberta Commercialization Institute, through focus groups to be held by Alberta Advanced Education and Enterprise on October 18th. ABCtech is also represented on the Results-Based Budgeting challenge panels conducting the 2-year review of the Alberta Government’s budget and associated programs.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 

Fusion for Energy. ABCtech’s Fusion for Energy teams – supported by Alberta Energy, the University of Alberta, and Stantec, have returned from research sites in Asia, Europe and USA where they assessed the status of fusion energy research worldwide. They are reporting at Workshops for October in Calgary – the 25th and Edmonton – the 26th.  The workshops will also contribute to identifying future research and commercial opportunities and preparing the assessment’s socio-economic impact analysis – supported by municipal and provincial economists. An International Policy Forum scheduled for Edmonton later in November will gather the research projects’ representatives to join Alberta academic, industry and government representatives for deriving resolutions on how to further advance fusion for energy in Alberta and worldwide.

Livermore Reaches Fusion Milestone.  The BBC article reporting the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s achievement lacked full details. The neutron yield was around 5×10^15 neutrons or 14kJ which is more than the energy delivered to the ignition spot itself. This is the basis of the statement that the energy released was more than that absorbed by the fuel.  The yield is yet to be doubled or 10^16 neutrons at which point the yield will shoot up dramatically.

Genomics and Cell Therapies.  ABCtech Production’s new public education Program: “enterPrize. The People. The Passion.”  will feature as its first series: Genomics and Cell Therapies.  Each of 12 episodes in the series will feature an interview portraying the challenges of commercializing this emerging technology. The interviews are often provocative and reveal sometimes conflicting “push-pull” perspectives of: patients and caregivers, regulators and policy makers, scientists and physicians, investors and entrepreneurs. The Program produced in Edmonton via Co-op Communications, will air across the United States via the Public Radio Exchange.

Health & Biotech. In a landmark ruling against Myriad Genetics, the US Supreme Court used the “naturalness” argument to declare that gene patents were invalid. Importantly, they ruled that there was no difference between native chromosomal DNA and an isolated variant used for diagnostics or therapeutics. The ruling will have significant consequences for the biotech industry.  FOR MORE

The Future of Manufacturing. Startup Mebotics has designed and built a machine that is simultaneously both a 3D printer and computer-controlled milling machine (Microfactory).

Data Analytics. The Alberta Analytics Industry Advisory is investigating the merit of postponing the 2014 Analytics, Big Data, and The Cloud Conference and instead endorsing and promoting TRTech’s Conference – Canada 3.0 scheduled for May 2014 in Calgary.  The Conference would be of interest to data scientists applying analytics to Alberta’s energy industry.  The 2012 and 2013 Conferences – under the guidance of Darryl Humphrey, produced 5 Resolutions for advancing Alberta’s Analytics industry. ABCtech continues to monitor progress in the execution of the Resolutions: 1. a team under Randy Duguay’s leadership is investigating the feasibility of establishing a public directory of Alberta’s analytics entrepreneurs and their firms; a Directory that would help in the marketing of Alberta’s data analytics services and products, 2. the Alberta Government is reviewing its procurement policies and procedures and 3. the University of Calgary through Frank Maurer is pursuing the development of an Analytics program with a focus on visualization. Another Centre for analytics products development has been proposed in the Edmonton area.

EDITORIAL – mentoring students

Specialist or Generalist?  Why not become a “Versatilist”? – by Derrick E. Rancourt

   “In evolution, specialist species tend to perish in cataclysmic events, while generalists tend to survive.”

As you pursue your graduate training, ask yourself whether it is better to be a Specialist or a Generalist? Academia is geared towards specialization, with a depth of knowledge in a small specific area. If you want to become the world’s authority in some minutia of science, just remember that the more refined your specialty, the smaller your career opportunities.

Generalists are better suited to work in small and medium enterprises because they are more adaptable and can be assigned a number of different tasks, as the organization grows or evolves. Specialists tend to work for large organizations. However, this is changing, because businesses are getting flatter. Companies have moved to a model of product-focused multidisciplinary teams. Members of different corporate divisions participate in product development. Scientists now find themselves working on multidisciplinary product development with individuals from marketing, finance, etc. Within multidisciplinary teams, specialists have frequent problems with communication, culture, and leadership.

Even academia is changing, as modes of research are evolving from individual investigator to multidisciplinary teams. Multidisciplinary research is proving to be a problem for many specialists who have difficulty relating to individuals from diverse disciplines. Specialists who thrive in this arena are those who have a sprinkling of generalist in addition to their specialty. They can see the big picture and they can relate to the value of other team members.

This brings me to the word of the day: “versatilist”. Wikipedia defines a versatilist as someone who can be a specialist for a particular discipline, while at the same time being able to change to another role with the same ease. Unlike specialists, who possess depth in one area, and generalists who have breadth but no depth, versatilists exhibit both. They apply a depth of skill to a progressively widening scope of situations. Versatilists are highly marketable because they can be redeployed within an organization in response to change.

If you want to have a great career, consider training to become a versatilist instead of a specialist. The university is a cradle of knowledge, and every professor has an open door policy. Don’t hesitate to reach out to different disciplines and to get involved in other activities besides your thesis.

INSIGHT

The Great Degeneration by Niall Ferguson – “How institutions decay and economies die”

Innovation Reinvented  by Roger Miller & Marcel Cote – “Assesses best practices and options for inspiring innovation in the workplace”

Lateral Organizations by Harold Jarche – “Sense making for the connected workplace.”

Paradox Lost: Explaining Canada’s Research Strength and Innovation Weakness by the Council of Canadian Academies. Advisors:

• Marcel Côté, Founding Partner of SECOR Inc. (Montréal, QC);
• Bob Fessenden, Fellow of the Institute for Public Economics, University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB)
• Peter Nicholson, Former President, Council of Canadian Academies (Ottawa, ON).

ENTREPRENEURS

Praveen Raj Seetharaman Srinivasan. Combining my 3 years of international experience in office administration, also with my keen entrepreneurial interests, I am interested in opportunities to contribute to a developing organization in a science-based business. I am interested in working at any field for entry level administrative jobs. I am confident that I have the relevant technical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to manage my time successfully, and the capacity to excel in my future career. Contact seethara@ualberta.ca or 403-671-8142

Kersten Kloss. Generating new business opportunities.  VIDEO

Mohit Nayar.  MBA in Technology Commercialization graduate with a B.Tech. in Information Technology and three years of work experience.  Seeking opportunities in Business Analysis and Development. Contact mnayar@ualberta.ca or 780-710-4900

Goran Jeftic.   BCOMM with finance major, linguistics minor with work experience in sales, marketing, and economic/business analysis looking for position in finance, banking, or business analysis. Fluent in speaking, reading, and writing English, Serbian, and German. RESUME.  Contact jefticgo@hotmail.com  or 403-671-0889

EVENTS

Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) – “Bringing Nuclear Energy to Western Canada”  on November 7th, Edmonton’s Matrix Hotel   RSVP jgarcia@globalpublic.com

Alberta CleanTech Industry Alliance (ACTia) – Regional Networking and Learning Events

Alberta Congress Board (ACB) – “Five Million Albertans.  Really?  Ready?” October 24-27th, Jasper Park Lodge

Association of Science and Engineering Technology (ASET) 2014 Education Conference –  “Building the Future: Innovation in Science and Technology”. June 6, 2014, Edmonton

SEEKING

Volunteer. ABCtech is seeking from among its subscribers a volunteer to conduct a seminar on On-line marketing employing Google’s Custom Analytics Campaign. Contact info@ABCtech.ca or (780) 990-5874 or TF 1-866-241-7535

Members.  ABCtech is offering a $100 annual membership to its Subscribers 16.170) including: two (2) free corporate ads in QuikTech Notes and discounted admission to ABCtech’s events (incl. the AGM) and those of its alliances. For more visitwww.ABCtech.ca  or contact 780-990-5874 or TF 1-866-241-7535

Patrons and Secondments.  ABCtech is a non-profit society sustained by volunteers, secondments and funds generated through its events, projects and membership fees.  The recent Subscriber Survey revealed strong support for the Society to maintain its role in advocacy and industry development and a surprising level of support that funding include corporations and government without sacrificing ABCtech’s independence. With the encouragement of our Subscribers and in light of our vision and mission, reach and influence, ABCtech is seeking Corporate Patrons – corporations Made-in-Alberta aligned with our vision and supportive of our activities in helping diversify Alberta’s economy through the commercialization of emerging technologies. Let’s chat ….coffee? Anytime!

Contact pkinkaide@ABCtech.ca