The low productivity of Canadian companies threatens our living standards

[Colin Parkinson]

And yet the Danes beat us in productivity and happiness.

When you don't have to build 100 km of road and power grid to service a town of 15,000, it gives you extra money for other stuff. Comparing Denmark and Canada is the Ultimate in Apples and Oranges.

 

[RangerRay]

Something I’ve been harping on. Don’t expect capitalists to save capitalism.

Opinion: Red tape is sticky because capitalists do not necessarily love capitalism

The desire to preserve wealth can often overpower the drive to create new income

www.theglobeandmail.com

Archived here:

https://archive.ph/ccGqk

But there’s more behind the push to increase regulation than mere necessity. A basic error behind the assumption that everyone hates red tape is to assume that capitalists love capitalism. In fact, as soon as a business succeeds, the temptation to protect its position by freezing out new entrants grows stronger. A large recent study in the U.S. found a strong tendency among incumbent firms to lobby for regulations that raise fixed costs, thereby making it hard for new firms to enter the market.
The same protectionist tendency exists among workers as well, since one of the most common barriers to entry has become occupational licensing, something Canadian professionals and tradespeople who have ever contemplated changing provinces know all too well. Similar drawbridge-raising is ubiquitous in the housing sector, with property owners using planning meetings to block new developments that would effectively increase supply and lower prices.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Something I’ve been harping on. Don’t expect capitalists to save capitalism.

Crony capitalism is a political problem. Every entrepreneur works every possible angle; he isn't really doing his "duty" if he doesn't. If politicians create opportunities for lobbying, of course corporations are going to lobby - to fail to do so would be to yield an opportunity to competitors.

All that has to happen is for politicians to say "no".

 

[Kirkhill]

Related to productivity is Research and Development

Ranked: Countries Spending the Most on Research and Development

China has overtaken the U.S. in R&D spending, and the gap is razor-thin. Here are the top countries driving the innovation race worldwide.

www.visualcapitalist.com

Canada - 33 BUSD (41,000,000 people) $804
Sweden - 20 BUSD (10,000,000 people) $2000
S. Korea - 126 BUSD (52,000,000 people) $2423
UK - 87 BUSD (70,000,000 people) $1242

$/capita investment in R&D

And thus we buy South Korean TVs, Cars, Smartphones and Subs.

 

[Kirkhill]

GDP with R&D %

Canada - 2,390 BUSD (1.4%)
Sweden - 620 BUSD (3.2%)
S. Korea - 1,870 BUSD (6.7%)
UK - 4,255 BUSD (2.0%)

S.Korea spends 475% of what we do on R&D.
That funds a lot of mistakes.

Development includes commissioning new plants. Getting them to work to spec and getting them to work optimally, not necessarily the same things. One of the most challenging aspects I found when commissioning, or trialling, a plant was getting the client to commit enough raw material to the cause to permit adequate testing.

If I had my way a full scale commissioning would require enough raw material to run the plant at designed capacity for at least 6 hours a day for two weeks with no saleable product being produced. But my clients were usually reluctant to make that kind of commitment. Most wanted to jump straight into production for market.

Available government support programs are slow, cumbersome and stingy.

 

[daftandbarmy]

GDP with R&D %

Canada - 2,390 BUSD (1.4%)
Sweden - 620 BUSD (3.2%)
S. Korea - 1,870 BUSD (6.7%)
UK - 4,255 BUSD (2.0%)

S.Korea spends 475% of what we do on R&D.
That funds a lot of mistakes.

Development includes commissioning new plants. Getting them to work to spec and getting them to work optimally, not necessarily the same things. One of the most challenging aspects I found when commissioning, or trialling, a plant was getting the client to commit enough raw material to the cause to permit adequate testing.

If I had my way a full scale commissioning would require enough raw material to run the plant at designed capacity for at least 6 hours a day for two weeks with no saleable product being produced. But my clients were usually reluctant to make that kind of commitment. Most wanted to jump straight into production for market.

Available government support programs are slow, cumbersome and stingy.

When your country's unofficial motto is: well that looks a little too risky for me..

... then this stuff happens...


Canada falling behind in R&D, report warns

Universities provide one of the few bright spots, according to the Council of Canadian Academies.

A new study of Canada’s science, technology and innovation (STI) landscape warns that the country’s future is under threat as it falls further behind its international counterparts in the world of research and development. Calling Canada “an innovation laggard on multiple fronts,” the report released this week by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) says its analysis found ample evidence that the country needs to improve its research and development efforts — and ensure that the results are put to better use — if Canadians are going to preserve their place on the world stage.

“Canada’s greatest natural resource is its talented, well-educated and diverse population,” it says, pointing out that 63 per cent of Canadians between ages 25 and 64 have a post-secondary degree. But it warns that an educated population needs the opportunity to fulfill its promise.

“Our greatest weakness is an economy that consistently underuses and undervalues the capacity of Canadians to create prosperity for future generations.”

Canada falling behind in R&D, report warns - University Affairs

Universities provide one of the few bright spots, according to the Council of Canadian Academies.

universityaffairs.ca

 

[Kirkhill]

When your country's unofficial motto is: well that looks a little too risky for me..

... then this stuff happens...


Canada falling behind in R&D, report warns

Universities provide one of the few bright spots, according to the Council of Canadian Academies.

A new study of Canada’s science, technology and innovation (STI) landscape warns that the country’s future is under threat as it falls further behind its international counterparts in the world of research and development. Calling Canada “an innovation laggard on multiple fronts,” the report released this week by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) says its analysis found ample evidence that the country needs to improve its research and development efforts — and ensure that the results are put to better use — if Canadians are going to preserve their place on the world stage.

“Canada’s greatest natural resource is its talented, well-educated and diverse population,” it says, pointing out that 63 per cent of Canadians between ages 25 and 64 have a post-secondary degree. But it warns that an educated population needs the opportunity to fulfill its promise.

“Our greatest weakness is an economy that consistently underuses and undervalues the capacity of Canadians to create prosperity for future generations.”

Canada falling behind in R&D, report warns - University Affairs

Universities provide one of the few bright spots, according to the Council of Canadian Academies.

universityaffairs.ca

One of our problems is we seem to associate all research with universities, and that research isn't often perceived as having real world benefits for industry. The D in R&D is the part that routinely gets disregarded and yet that is where successful commercialization happens. That is where we learn how to make money out of bright ideas.

 

[Halifax Tar]

When your country's unofficial motto is: well that looks a little too risky for me..

... then this stuff happens...


Canada falling behind in R&D, report warns

Universities provide one of the few bright spots, according to the Council of Canadian Academies.

A new study of Canada’s science, technology and innovation (STI) landscape warns that the country’s future is under threat as it falls further behind its international counterparts in the world of research and development. Calling Canada “an innovation laggard on multiple fronts,” the report released this week by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) says its analysis found ample evidence that the country needs to improve its research and development efforts — and ensure that the results are put to better use — if Canadians are going to preserve their place on the world stage.

“Canada’s greatest natural resource is its talented, well-educated and diverse population,” it says, pointing out that 63 per cent of Canadians between ages 25 and 64 have a post-secondary degree. But it warns that an educated population needs the opportunity to fulfill its promise.

“Our greatest weakness is an economy that consistently underuses and undervalues the capacity of Canadians to create prosperity for future generations.”

Canada falling behind in R&D, report warns - University Affairs

Universities provide one of the few bright spots, according to the Council of Canadian Academies.

universityaffairs.ca

That's an unfortunate acronym.

 

[daftandbarmy]

That's an unfortunate acronym.

Well, it's mainly about universities so...