Lessons from Canada's hockey culture to help drive Canada's global innovation game.

With the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship fully underway in Halifax, Canadians are once again excited about the potential for their national ice hockey team to bring home the gold. But while Canada has a strong reputation in the world of ice hockey, it could stand to improve its performance in the global innovation game.

While watching Canada play and dominate other teams, I wondered if what makes Canada so good at ice hockey could be applied to innovation.

A big part of the country's success has been its investment in and support for hockey. From kids learning to skate at an early age to developing players receiving top-notch training and resources, Canada puts a lot of time and money into developing its hockey talent and programs. This includes things like access to ice rinks, coaching, more diversity, and other resources that allow players to hone their skills and compete at the highest levels.

One small but great example of the support for a hockey culture in Canada is Hockey 4 Youth. It is an amazing organization run by a friend of mine, Moezine Hasham , who looks to increase social inclusion for new Canadian kids. Moe's organization and a team of volunteer coaches teach hockey to new Canadians, helping them integrate into Canada and forge new friendships. If you are interested in supporting the work Moe and his team do, DM me or reach out to him directly.

While hockey in this country is embedded in the national identity, innovation is not.

One reason is reductions in investment in the areas of science and technology, with federal government spending expected to decrease by 6.3% to $14.3 billion in 2023.?While $14.3 billion might sound like a lot, Canada lags behind other countries in research intensity (expenditure on research and development as a percentage of GDP), the result of a continued downward trend since peaking in 2001. In 2001, Canada ranked 13th?out of 36 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the proportion of GDP but slipped to 21st?by 2020. Canada is one of only five OECD countries to have decreased its research intensity since 2001, from 2.02% of GDP in 2001 to 1.70% of GDP in 2020.

In addition to governments spending less, businesses in Canada are generally more risk-averse than in other countries, making it difficult for R&D investments in new ideas and innovations to be supported, and even more so now that we are in a recession.?

And, while economic investment is vital, the absence of an "innovation" identity in Canadian culture may be more significant.

Unlike hockey, innovation is a "nice to have," not a "must have," in Canada.

I feel there are several benefits from our hockey obsession that can drive an innovation culture here in Canada. Here are just a few thoughts.

Winning spirit: Hockey fosters a competitive spirit and a drive to win. Canadian hockey players, both at the amateur and professional levels, are constantly striving to be the best and to win. This drive to succeed translates into other areas of life, including business and innovation. Let's win "gold" in the "global innovation" tournament!

Teamwork: Hockey also encourages teamwork and collaboration. In order to succeed on the ice, players must work together and rely on one another. This teamwork mentality carries over into the innovation and business worlds, where collaboration is key to success. Let's build more innovation communities! Let's have more corporate partners and "coaches" for young start-ups. Communitech's Future of X Collaboratives is one such "teamwork" program that allows corporations, government, academics, not-for-profits, and tech companies to work together to solve Canadian problems with Canadian innovation.

Adaptations: Hockey requires constant pivots, adaptations, and innovation. From new equipment to new strategies and tactics, the game is constantly evolving. This constant need for innovation is also present in the innovation and business worlds, where companies must continuously adapt to stay competitive. Let's be more adaptive!

Talent: Hockey has an organized system that includes youth programs, junior leagues, and college and professional leagues. Players progress through these levels and are constantly challenged to improve their skills and compete at higher levels. This progression helps players develop their talent and reach their full potential. Let's build a more structured made in Canada innovative talent system and not depend on external talent immigration as the answer. In the business and innovation sectors, companies could adopt a similar approach to talent development by providing opportunities for innovative talent to progress through different levels within the organization or innovation community. This can include training programs, mentorship opportunities, and leadership development initiatives. By investing in the development of the innovation pipeline here in Canada, businesses will have a pool of talent in their own backyard.

Resilience and determination: Finally, hockey promotes a culture of resilience and determination. Failure has important lessons on the road to winning. Elite hockey players are known for their grit and determination to never give up, even in the face of adversity. This attitude of resilience is something Canada will need in the innovation world, where tech start-ups and entrepreneurial leaders must be able to bounce back from setbacks and continue pushing forward.

So, what can Canada do to improve its performance in the global innovation game? Here are a few ideas:

• Encourage creativity and innovation in young people. Just as kids are encouraged to start learning to skate at an early age in hockey, we should also be encouraging kids, especially girls and women, to be creative and inventive from an early age. This could include things like investing in arts education and providing resources and support for kids to explore and develop their ideas.
• Rebalance investment in science and the arts. In the past, funding for STEM, and science education has often come at the expense of funding for the arts. It's time to reverse this trend and recognize that arts education is just as important for fostering creativity and innovation as science and math education.
• Provide more (ice-time) opportunities for innovation. Organizations like Enactus Canada provide a platform for students to develop innovative community empowerment projects and business ventures. By providing more opportunities like this for young people to explore their ideas and bring them to fruition, we can help foster a culture of innovation in the country. If you are a corporate social responsibility lead looking to invest in a great organization making an impact and driving innovation, reach out to me and I will introduce you to Allyson Hewitt
• Invest in fundamental research. While Canada's current government has shown a commitment to investing in fundamental research, the country still lags behind other countries in terms of funding. By increasing our investment in this area, we can help support the development of new ideas and technologies that can drive innovation and economic growth.
• More teamwork between the private and the public sector. Just as partnerships between corporations and hockey help to promote the sport and grow its quality of talent, the collaboration between private sector corporations and the innovation community is necessary to drive progress and advance technology and ideas. Just as hockey partnerships bring together diverse resources and expertise to support the sport, partnerships between private sector corporations and the innovation community bring together diverse perspectives and resources to support and promote innovation.

Overall, Canada's love of hockey, as well as its infrastructure expenditures, may serve as an excellent "playbook" for encouraging innovation and economic success in the country. From instilling a competitive attitude and collaborative mindset to promoting adaptability and resilience, the country's hockey playbook has the potential to be a game changer for global innovation success.

Ultimately, if Canada wants to compete and win in the global innovation game, it will take a concerted effort to build not only investments but also a culture that supports and encourages creativity and innovation.

By treating innovation more like hockey, we can start to close the gap and become a leader in the world of innovation too. Go Canada Go!!!