I can tell you what at least one issue with Canada and innovation is just by looking at the Financial Post’s notice about their ‘Why can’t Canada do anything with its big ideas?‘ live chat on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 2 pm (presumably EST). Hint: those of us who live in the ‘other’ parts of the country like it when the timezone is specified since it makes it easier for us to participate. (Yes, I did happen to glance at the bottom of the notice where there is a computer-generated note informing me that the chat starts at 11 am in my timezone [PST] but that’s not enough. I [and likely others] don’t always catch those unobtrusive notices.)

Let’s take at the panel,

Craig Alexander
Mr. Alexander is the senior vice president and chief economist for TD Bank Group. He has 15 years of experience in the private sector as an economic and financial forecaster, and serves as a regular commentator on public policy. Mr. Alexander is regularly called upon by the media to provide perspective on economic and policy issues and writes on a wide range of subjects. In addition to his work in the private sector, Mr. Alexander spent four years as an economist at Statistics Canada, affording him unique perspective on the inner workings of both the public and private sectors.

James Knight
Mr. Knight has been president and CEO of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges since 2007. He is the current Chair of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP), an international network of colleges and their associations. Mr. Knight brings more than 25 years of leadership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), as well as prior experience with the federal government in Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Environment Canada, and as Associate Director of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Mr. Knight brings a depth of national, international and community-oriented expertise to ACCC.

Joel Liederman
Mr. Liederman is the vice president of Business Development and Physical Sciences at MaRS. He carries out technology due diligence, project manages IP development and proof-of-principle projects, develops and executes commercialization plans, and helps launch companies in information and communication technology. Mr. Liederman was a managing partner and company builder with Primaxis Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital company focused on the physical and engineering sciences. Prior to Primaxis, he held positions in engineering design, project engineering management, marketing, sales and business development for various high-profile organizations, including General Electric, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Alcatel and Spar Aerospace.

Derek Lothian
Mr. Lothian is the national manager of communications and innovation for Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) – Canada’s largest trade and industry association. CME’s membership network accounts for more than 82 per cent of total manufacturing production and 90 per cent of all goods and services exports. As the voice of manufacturing and global business in Canada, CME directly represents approximately 10,000 companies, and spearheads initiatives such as the establishment of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition, which touches more than 100,000 companies across the country.

A banker who used to work for Statistics Canada as an economist, an academic and once government bureaucrat for the federal departments of Indian and Northern Affair and of the Environment, a former venture capitalist with an engineering degree who worked for very large enterprises, and a representative from a trade association are the people they’ve chosen (or is it persuaded?) to talk about capitalizing on Canadian innovation.

I don’t see any experience in this group that directly relates to the question the Financial Post has posed. I have my own question, why not ask me to be on the panel? I don’t have any experience either, I’m perfectly happy to talk about this, and I could add some diversity to the panel not being a male making over $100,000/yr.  in a salaried position. [Final sentence reworded June 27, 2012.]