Look past N.B.'s IT myths

Below is a an opinion piece I sent to the Telegraph Journal. It was in response to their editorial There's an app for urban growth. At the end I reveal one of my many biases in producing the UNBSJ documentary.

I'm writing in response to your editorial "There's an app for urban growth." Although I agree with many of your points, I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I hear an economic argument that relies heavily on the words "entrepreneurship" and "innovation." I'm especially skeptical when they are applied to a technical sector like IT.

These words are mythical, often referring to genius tech wizards that are out there somewhere in IT land and technology that doesn't exist yet, in which the wizard holds the key. We only have to look at our own history to realize that relying on the promise of the tech industry is a naive approach: the Bricklin, the wood-fibre pallet, the McKenna Miracle and the Energy Hub.

I realize that if you want to be cutting edge you need to take risks, but there's no reason we have to dive into this sector blindfolded and tied, hoping for a mythical saviour, aka, innovative entrepreneur to guide us through.

I don't mean to disregard your argument completely. More investment in mobile technology, specifically in the tourism industry ,was a good example of the opportunity which exists in Saint John. Also, I appreciate your recognition of the importance of our post-secondary education institutions as essential infrastructure for such development. However, let's be realistic.

High speed internet access is not unique to New Brunswick. In this regard, we are at par with most of the country. If anything, access to high speed Internet is at risk in Canada. Traditionally, we have done well, but usage-based billing could change that entirely (an initiative being pushed by Bell, Rogers and Shaw). Furthermore, NBtel's Living Lab is a thing of the past. Some interesting technology was developed and marketed successfully during its time, but most of those products and research have been sold to companies outside of the province.

I would argue that education is key. There's a reason why Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and so many others are university drop outs. Even the first couple of terms of a university or college program can be a powerful learning experience. However, starting the next multi-million dollar company while maintaining a rich academic experience is a near impossible feat. Add to that the financial pressures of student life - try getting a small business loan while your credit is already burdened by student loans. Under these circumstance, entrepreneurship is a risk many students are not willing to take and rightfully so.

If you really want to support cutting-edge entrepreneurship in New Brunswick, post-secondary education needs to be cheaper or, dare I say, free. Not all tech billionaires are college drop outs. Some of them are graduates.

UNBSJ and NBCC-SJ already have programs that foster progressive thinking, but they need more support. Engineering programs specifically are a financial burden for colleges and universities, which often rely on revenue generated by less resource-heavy programs such as the social sciences and business administration. Co-location of UNBSJ and NBCC-SJ and its inherent pooling of resources could have helped with this challenge, but that boat has already sailed. Co-location was a popular alternative to the Polytechnic system proposed in the 2007 Royal Commission on post-secondary education, but instead our previous government decided to invest more than $30 million into an aging college campus located in one of the most unappealing lots in the city.

At the very least, co-location would have improved campus life - not directly important regarding entrepreneurship, but definitely a factor with recruiting young people outside the region and retaining those that already live here.

If we are serious about becoming an incubator for small IT firms, we need to take a more proactive approach. Let's not wait for a mythical tech wizard to create the next killer app. Instead, let's build some real infrastructure, incentives and support mechanisms for entrepreneurs. Let's give them a reason to do business in Saint John.

Published September 7th, 2011