|
Sarnia, ON – The UWO Research Park’s Board of Directors approved its Strategic Plan today, establishing the Park as an accelerator of business and community development by facilitation of innovation, technologies, competitive advantage and markets with global scale.
“This Park is in the innovative solutions business,” said Board President Carolyn Jamieson. “The Park will increase development in this community, and promote a culture of innovation.”
The Strategic Plan was created with input from community leaders, and presented at today’s meeting. It indicated that 90% of community leaders agreed that a park could play an important role in their company and that 80% believed the most important tasks for the UWO Research Park are to coordinate research, talent and capital, to network, to solve problems and to move more technologies to market quickly.
Based on that feedback, the plan calls for the primary areas for research and development, technology transfer and education and training at the UWO Research Park be in the fields of advanced materials, industrial bio-products, energy technologies, environmental management and process technologies. The Park will be closely aligned with industry sectors that include automotive parts, building products, petrochemicals and refining and power generation.
The plan also outlines four objectives for the Park: accelerate growth, advance innovation, attract, retain and inspire (ideas, talent, capital and companies) and activate innovation potential. “The intent of these objectives is to focus on the priority of moving more technologies to market more quickly,” said Jamieson.
“We plan to publicly launch the plan early in 2005,” said Jamieson. “The Communications & Marketing Plan is scheduled to be presented at the next Board meeting.”
In addition to the Marketing and Communications Plan, the Board’s Staff Advisory Committee will be working on implementing the short-term and long-term goals reflected in the strategic plan. Some of these include: establishing an Opportunities Team which will complete an Innovation Inventory Project, launching a Research Council that will address issues to improve regional innovation and competitiveness, launching a technology centre which will provide space and services for industries developing new technologies, and establishing an Education Council that will develop an education package to industry and the community.
The Board acknowledged the work of stakeholders and community leaders that made the completion of the plan possible.
The UWO Research Park Sarnia-Lambton Campus was created in November 2003 with the inception of the Community Development Corporation, owned by the County of Lambton. The Research Park manages and operates the property owned by the CDC. The CDC is itself governed by a Board of Directors with representation from The University of Western Ontario, the County of Lambton and the City of Sarnia.
UWO Research Park, Sarnia Lambton Campus
MISSION – The University Research Park – Sarnia Lambton Campus will be the innovation conduit that advances business and community development by linking world-class resources to leading intellectual talent, innovation to leading edge commercialization, and regional industry to global markets, in a principled, entrepreneurial manner that respects the economic, environmental and social welfare of the region.
VISION – To be globally recognized as an accelerator of business and community development, by creating innovation, technologies, companies, competitive advantage and markets, with global scale.
-30-
Contacts:
Carolyn Jamieson
President, UWO Research Park Sarnia-Lambton Campus Board of Directors
Deputy Mayor Lambton Shores/Lambton County Councillor
Telephone: (519) 296-5810
email: cjscookies@execulink.com
Ker Ferguson
Director
The University of Western Ontario REsearch & Development Park - Sarnia Lambton Campus
Telephone: (519) 858-5198
Fax: (519) 858-5197
email: wferguso@uwo.ca
| 
