Village Gamer

Ottawa – CATAAlliance has announced that Peter Allen, President & CEO, DragonWave Inc., and recognized innovation leader, has endorsed the call for the adoption of the CATAAlliance Innovation Nation Platform, as a compelling model to improve the nation’s competitiveness and prosperity.

Peter Allen joins a growing list of business and community leaders, including Terry Matthews, Chair of Wesley Clover and Chairman of Mitel and March Networks, Dan Dodge, Co Founder & CEO, QNX Software, Dr. James Goodnight, CEO, SAS, Rod Bryden, President & CEO, Plasco Energy Group, Samantha S. Sannella, President & CEO, the Design Exchange, Rob Ashe, President & CEO, Cognos, Lionel Hurtubise, former CEO & Chair, Ericsson Canada Inc., Dennis Melnbardis, Lead Partner, Communications & High Tech, Canadian Practice, Accenture, Micheál J. Kelly, Dean of the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, the Hon. John Manley, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Mike S. Zafirovski, past President & CEO, Nortel, Chris Fawcus, President & CEO, Aon Reed Stenhouse, Dr. Marc Garneau, MP Westmount, Villle-Marie Canada’s first astronaut, Dr. Charles Despins, President & CEO, Prompt and Arvind Chhatbar, President & CEO, Enablence Technologies Inc., to call for the adoption of the Innovation Nation Platform.

“The award of national prosperity will go to those countries that lead the world in the design, development, production and distribution of goods and services,” says Mr. Allen, “These countries will attract and retain investment and talent. For nations to prosper they must become leading innovation nations; we all need to do our part to get there.”

Among the core planks being developed for Innovation Nation is a national brand for Canada based on regional advantages, creating an industrial strategy based on strategic approaches to government procurement and global supply chains, adopting best innovation tax credit (SR&ED) practices, removing trade barriers as part of responding to the flat world and attracting and training and retaining the best talent.

CATAAlliance is also looking for measures that would advance executive leadership and promote the adoption of high technology tools in government and the private sector.

John Reid, CATAAlliance President, concluded, “We are living through an economic revolution created by technology, global interdependence and increasingly open markets” adding, “Canada is already a leader in many business sectors. But to maintain and grow this leadership, we have to expand our markets and be the best in the world. We are calling on all Canadians to work with us to create the necessary entrepreneurship, innovation, risk taking, and public policies for the Innovation Nation.”