I am interviewed in the TJ today. I had a wide ranging discussion with the reporter and he settled on my comments regarding innovative economic development. I wanted to supplement that with a little more analysis here. I think it…
Continue ReadingPriorities No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3
If I was the czar of New Brunswick tomorrow, I would ask everyone to focus on job creation and economic development,” That would be priority No. 1. It would be priority No. 2 and it would be priority No. 3.…
Continue ReadingUbisoft Opening New Ontario, Toronto-Based Development Studio
Before some of you start decrying a place like New Brunswick’s ability to attract such a facility, someone who should know said NB was working on landing Ubisoft back in 1996. 800 high paying animators in Toronto. I guess that…
Continue ReadingSpace-based server farms
I just heard that Virgin Galactic is proposing to build massive computer server farms in space to eliminate the huge costs associated with cooling them. Why not put them in Canada? Should be cheaper and certain times of the year…
Continue ReadingOn legacy
I used to think that politicians shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about their legacy and, in fact, when I would mention this to the few that I have known over the years they would say something rhetorical like “I’m…
Continue ReadingAn Iggy Moment
Browsing through the local bookstore here is Sao Paulo today and randomly came across Michael Ignatieff’s Blood and Belonging. Looked for Stephen Harper’s book….. I bought it. I didn’t have much interest in the past but figured this was some…
Continue ReadingDC Talking on The Mark
Here’s a slightly modified version of a recent blog published on The Mark.
Continue ReadingRetrospective Auditing of Economic Development
The TJ outlines their recommendations for a makeover of BNB. I would offer one more piece of humble advice to the new Minister of BNB. I think it is time for a retrospective audit of economic development outcomes in New…
Continue ReadingDispatches from the Road: Buzios, Brazil
I’m convinced more than ever in the importance of good economic development policy and efforts. Brazil is one huge test market for such things and some have been successful and some have failed spectacularly. The fundamentals are the fundamentals. Education…
Continue ReadingNBSC Survey
The NB Securities Commission has a survey they would like interested folks to fill out on investor information in New Brunswick. I think this is important and if you are interested in such things, I encourage you to fill it…
Continue Reading