R&D Investment: Assessing the Return

Jeffrey Crelinsten is CEO of Research Money Inc. and publisher of RE$EARCH MONEY. He is also President and CEO of The Impact Group, a consultancy he co-founded in 1987, specializing in science, technology and innovation policy, communications and education. Jeffrey has been studying challenges facing tech entrepreneurs and the innovation ecosystems that try to support them for over 25 years. He developed the R$ conferences to bring together leaders from the private and public sector to address critical issues around innovation policy and knowledge-based commerce.

Before founding The Impact Group, Jeffrey taught science and human affairs at Concordia University and had an active career as a science documentary writer for radio and television.

Jeffrey is Senior Research Fellow at the Innovation Policy Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. He is a founding director of the International Commercialization Alliance and is a past-President of the Canadian Science Writers Association. Jeffrey has a B.Sc. in physics from McGill University, a M.Sc. in astronomy from University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in history of science and science policy from University of Montreal.

Janet Eastman started her broadcasting career in grade 10 when she and some schoolmates set up a mini radio station that broadcast on the local cable TV channel. Janet received an Honours Diploma in Radio Broadcasting from Mohawk College in Hamilton. She started her radio broadcasting years at CHYR Radio Station in Leamington, and in 1984 landed a position at CHEZ 106.1 in Ottawa. During her time in radio, Janet started her volunteer career at Ottawa Cablevision. There she was responsible for club and concert listings for an entertainment program. Shortly thereafter, Janet was invited to host Soundtrack — an upbeat, rock and roll television show. At the same time, Janet provided intermission coverage/interviews at the Ottawa 67’s games. Her hockey career expanded to hosting Overtime — the official television magazine show of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club. In November 2001, Janet became the host of Ottawa Citizen Business Television, a daily, news-style local business show. Janet provides a fresh and informed perspective of the day’s business news and newsmakers. Ottawa Citizen Business Television is currently in its second season.

Anthony Eyton has enjoyed a wide-ranging federal public service career that included: assignments abroad as Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank, Ambassador to Brazil, and Consul General in New York; assignments in the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce as Director General of the Trade Commissioner Service and Canadian Regional Offices, and Assistant Deputy Minister (International Market Development); and assignments in the Department of External Affairs and International Trade as Assistant Deputy Minister (Personnel) and Assistant Deputy Minister (International Economic and Trade Policy). Mr. Eyton joined the ARA Consulting Group in 1997, a firm of international consultants that was subsequently integrated into KPMG Consulting in 1999. He headed up the international trade and investment consulting practice at the firm, and undertook a variety of assignments in Toronto, Ottawa, Washington, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Bahamas and the United Arab Emirates. In April 2000, Mr. Eyton was appointed President and CEO of Precarn Associates Inc., a not-for profit, industry-driven consortium that has enjoyed unqualified success in facilitating innovation and Canadian competitiveness through the application of new intelligent systems.

Ron Freedman is co-founder of THE IMPACT GROUP and president of Research Infosource Inc., a business intelligence firm which publishes Canada’s Top 100 R&D Companies List and Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities List. He has worked as a consultant to the public and private sectors on various aspects of S&T policy and communications for 25 years. Ron’s graduate education was in the fields of environmental studies, adult education and science policy. Ron is also co-publisher of Research Money, Canada’s leading research policy newsletter. Currently, he is working on The Innovation Atlas of Canada, which will be available in Fall 2003.

Mark has written extensively on research and innovation policy and funding issues since 1994. As the Editor of RE$EARCH MONEY, he has interviewed hundreds of industry executives, senior government officials, research managers and other leaders in Canada’s science, technology and innovation communities. Mark has worked as a journalist and editor for several publications over the past 35 years, including “Network Letter, Report on Wireless”, “Canadian Communications Reports”, “The Electronics Communicator” and “The Ottawa Citizen”. He resides in Ottawa and is an avid music and film aficionado.