Canadian Government Executive - Volume 25 - Issue 02

12 / Canadian Government Executive // April/May 2019 TRADE By Ed Bernacki Canadian Exports by growing our management skills Growing P ork is a good export product. Yet resource-rich countries like Canada earn billions of dollars by exporting what we dig, drill, and grow. What is the vision to prompt our businesses to grow, innovate, and contribute more to export sales? Canada has over one million businesses. Innovation Canada invested almost $1 bil- lion to create five clusters involving 450 companies. Clusters bring together busi- nesses, academics and government to fo- cus on a specific industry or opportunity. Many countries support clusters. Most countries invest in academic and sci- entific research, and then question its value. Visit any science, medical or technology research centre, and you will find people under pressure to show results. They know successful research does not guarantee pri- vate sector interest. I recall a scientist at SCION, the New Zealand forestry research centre, showing me research ready to ex- ploit – but industry was uninterested. Adding to the Canadian dilemma is tax- payer-funded research that is then sold to foreign companies. A CBC report suggests half of Canada’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) patents are now owned by foreign compa- nies, for them to profit from. Jim Balsillie, former co-CEO of BlackBerry, told CBC, “The problem is that taxpayer-funded re- search went to foreign multinationals who now charge Canada for the use of technol- ogy that our taxpayers paid for.” The risk is turning technology into a commodity that global firms purchase and exploit. Need for better business management skills Compounding this problem is the low level of management research in Canada. Is the quality of management in Canada a problem? What hinders Canadian compa- nies from designing more profitable prod- ucts and services? I have lived and worked overseas for many years. Policy in some countries sug- A Globe and Mail journalist made an interesting observation of trade when Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited China some years ago. A photo opportunity at a wharf showed cargo going to and from Canada. The journalist noticed the contents of the shipping containers. What did China ship to Canada? Computers. What did Canada ship to China? Ham.