IATUL International Conference,

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Technical Intelligence in a S-T Organization A
Perspective from an Information End-User
IATUL International Conference, Quebec City June
2nd, 2005 Dr. Blaise ChampagneDirector
General Industrial Materials Institute National
Research Council Canada
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Outline of Presentation

1. NRC-IMI at a Glance
2. An Information End-User Perspective
3. Librarians TodayThe New Dynamics

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National Research Council
The National Research Council (NRC) is the
Government of Canada's premier R-D organization
for the development of an innovative society
and knowledge-based economy.
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National Research Council
COMPONENTS
1. Institutes/Centers2. ST
Information Centres (CISTI) 3. Industrial
Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
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National Research Council Canada

• NRCs Industrial Materials Institute
• R-D activities on two sites 450 people
• Boucherville
• Saguenay (Aluminium Technology Center)
• Head office of IRAP-Quebec
• CISTI Information Center
• CIMI (Physical incubation of companies)
• 2 University laboratories
• 10,000 visitors/year

CISTI
NRC Institute / Innovation Centre IRAP Office
ATC Saguenay Site
Boucherville Site
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Outline of Presentation

1. NRC-IMI at a Glance
2. An Information End-User Perspective
3. Librarians TodayThe New Dynamics

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From Information to Knowledge
INFORMATION (Extracting meaning from data)
DATA (Raw material without meaning)
Organized data for a purpose
Source The Knowledge Creating Company, I. Nonaka
and H. Takeuchi
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Insuring Performance in a Dynamic Knowledge
Environment
Competencies Knowledge INSIDE ones own
organization
Intelligence Knowledge OUSIDE ones own
organization
 What we DONT KNOW 
 What we KNOW 
Sources of knowledge

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Knowledge Management in a Nutshell
Purpose
 Insure the flow of knowledge towards a common
goal 
Processes
People
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Shaping the Future with Partners
Knowledge-Based Partnerships
Wealth
NRC-IMI Mission
Economic and Social Value
Collective Intelligence
Strengthen innovation and economic growth
through advanced materials R-D in concert with
partners
Common Goal Creation Diffusion Commercialization
Commercialization
National Challenges
Commercialization
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NRC- IMI Partnerships Portfolio
200 agreements over the last 5 years
71 million dollars in value
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36
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7
23
Companies by size of employees
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Partnership Continuum to transform knowledge in
wealth
COLLABORATION CONTINUUM
CREATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
DIFFUSION
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To the fore of the nations challenges and
global S-T networks
COLLABORATION CONTINUUM
DIFFUSION
CREATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
Competitive
Non competitive
Pre competitive

• Emerging national issues and challenges of Canada
• Knowledge foundation for tomorrow industries
• Reinforce Canadas participation in global ST
  networks.

Provide expertise and infrastructure for MULTI
DISCIPLINARY INITIATIVES beyond the capacity of
any single organization to deal with.
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Global Converging Technology Drivers
BIO TECH Pharmaceuticals Diagnostics Research/Info
Tools Industrial
INFO TECH Hardware Software Communications
Genomics Bioinformatics Proteomics
Biosensors Biochips
Bioelectronics Microfluidics Nanobiotechnolgy Drug
Delivery
Nanodevices Nanosensors Nanoelectronics
NANO TECH Electrical Structural Biomedical Energy
Environment
Source Collaborative Economics, Inc.
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NRC-IMINIL Nanomaterials Laboratories
Partners

• Unique in Canada

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CRTI Project on Nucleic Acid BiosensorsDemonstra
tion with Bacillus anthracis
NRC-IMI participates in the CRBN Research and
Technology Initiative (CRTI), a laboratory
networks across the federal government that
collaborate with industry, academia and first
responder communities to provide new knowledge,
technology, and research necessary for CBRN
(Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear)
response and preparedness.
Complementary Duplex
NRC-IMI Nanostructured Polymer Material
Capture probes on solid support
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Fostering ourCollective Intelligence
COLLABORATION CONTINUUM
DIFFUSION
CREATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
Competitive
Non competitive
Pre competitive

• Secure access of industry to next generation
  technologies
• Strengthen productivity and continuous knowledge
  development of the industry workforce
• Raise SMEs scientific and technical capabilities
  to network with MNEs regionally, nationally and
  at the international level.
• Provide a training ground for highly qualified
  people.

Dissiminating knowledge by grouping companies and
JOINTLY DEFINING R-D PROGRAMS on advanced
technologies of common interest.
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Global DriversAdvanced Materials Technologies
Cost effective production of environmentally
conscious materials for use in products/systems
that are safe, attractive and economical to
operate.
MATERIALS DESIGN
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Creating and Supporting Multi-Partner Initiatives

• NRC Technology Group on Polymer Nanocomposites
  (PNCTEC)
• NRC Technology Group in Blow Moulding (SIGBLOW)
• NRC Technology Group in Thermoforming (SIGFORM)
• NRC Technology Group on Surface Engineering
  (SURFTEC)
• NRC-IMI Technology Group on Polymer Foams 
  (FOAMTECH)
• AUTO 21, CRIAQ, HCAT (US-Canada), INCA
  (Europe-US-Canada)
• NRC Multi-Client Project on Processing of Long
  Thermoplastic Fibres
• NRC Special Interest Group in Injection Moulding
  (SIGIM)
• NRC Special Interest Group on Die Casting
  (SIGCAST)
• NRC Consortium on Strip Casting (Projet Bessemer
  Inc.)
• NRC Technology Group on Polymer Compounding
  (BLENDTECH)

On-going
Completed
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Knowledge DiffusionLimit hexavalent chrome
releases to the environment
HVOF Coating Development at NRC-IMI
F-18 Nose Landing Gear Messier-Dowty
US-Canada initiative to bring about the approval
of HVOF for use as a replacement for chrome
plating by OEMs on landing gears
Bombardier-de Havilland Dash 8 Main Landing Gear
- Menasco
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Diagnostics of Aircraft Structures by
Laser-Ultrasound Diagnostics(Europe-US-Canada)
Improved NDE Concepts for Innovative Aircraft
Structures and Efficient Operational Maintenance
(INCA)
Canadian Supplier of equipment (licensee of
NRC-IMI)
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NRC Technology Group on Polymer Nanocomposites
(PNC-Tech) Next Generation of Polymer Composites

• One area getting particular attention today is
  the use of polymer nanocomposite technology to
  improve plastic performance in both physical
  properties stiffness and toughness as well as in
  scratch and mar resistance.

Group members
ADS Composites Div Pultrall Agence Spatiale
Canadienne American Leistritz Extruder Corp.
Atofina BASF Aktiengesellschaft Bombardier Bell
Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd Composites Atlantic
Limited Crompton Corp Decoma International DND Dup
ont Canada Inc. General Motors of Canada IPEX
Inc. Lassonde Inc.
IPL Inc Mark IV Automotive Nanocor Inc. Pactiv
Corporation Polymer Sheet Applications (PSA)
Inc. Polyair René Matériaux Composites Shawcor
LTD SNC TEC SODEC RDP/PAT Sygertech Toyota
Central Research Development Labs. Inc.
Step-assist on the 2002 GMC Safari (shown) and
Chevrolet Astro van is the auto industry's first
exterior application of TPO based nanocomposites
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NRC Technology Groupon FoamtechNo more CFCs

• Foamtech has been working to find replacement
  foaming agents for extruded PS foam board since
  CFC 12 was banned
• Successful formulations with adequate performance
  are being developed jointly with companies

Group Members
ICI-Polyurethanes (Imperial Chemical Industries
PLC) PCA Canada Inc., Subsidiary of Tenneco
Packaging Owens-Corning Foamular 3M Canada
Company Andrew Corporation Kimberly-Clark Shawcor
Ltd. The Dow Chemical Company Sealed Air
Corporation AtoFina Chemicals Inc. Pactiv
Corporation Saint-Gobain Performance
Plastics American Leistritz Extruder Corp. 3M
Canada Company Compagnie chimique Huntsman du
Canada Inc.

Cell Morphology
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Strenghtening the Economic Development
COLLABORATION CONTINUUM
DIFFUSION
CREATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
Competitive
Non competitive
Pre competitive

• R-D in Collaboration with Industry
• Regional competencies to support clusters
• Specialized infrastructure for the physical
  incubation of new companies
• Prototype for market development opportunities
  locally and abroad.

Help existing companies to commercialize improved
goods and services. Provide infrastructure
linking complementary sets of expertise to
support the creation and growth of new companies.
Examples
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Alcan-NRC Joint Agreement Advanced Aluminium
Fabrication
Alcan has contributed 10.5 millions to
NRC-ATC/IMI programs to jointly develop advanced
aluminium fabrication for commercialization of
value-added products and services
CRDA-Alcan
NRC-IMI/ATC
Seed Technology being developed at STAS facilities
Press Conference at STASSeed Project - October
2003
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CrossRoad for Industrial Materials Innovation
(CIMI)Growth of New Companies
Co-managed with VALOTECH, a regional non-for
profit organization dedicated to
networking Supported by Canada Economic
Development
Valotech MEMBERS More than 100 entreprises and
organizations

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CrossRoad for Industrial Materials Innovation
(CIMI)Growth of New Companies
2004
Biomatera
Terallium
CLS3
2000
Megatech Simulation
Groupe Minutia
Kromascience
Kaizen
Imaginum
Biorthex
Somotek
Synthesarc
Pharma Laser
RTica
Metafoam Technologies
Imfine
ECT5
AGS Taron
AS Compopistes
Maeta
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Outline of Presentation

1. NRC-IMI at a Glance
2. An Information End-User Perspective
3. Librarians TodayThe New Dynamics

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Future R-D Organization Information Challenges
Librarians Competencies
Global Trends

• Always a matter of value
• Figure out what end users needs as opposed
• to what they might be asking for.
• Increased use of Roadmapping, Benchmarking and IP
  information.

Search
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Librarians Key Actors of the Future
S

• Ways of gathering
• Scanning
• Surveying

earch
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SearchWays of gathering

• Scanning existing information (efficiency)
• Categorized Data and information organized in
  key components.
• Calculated Statistical analysis or computer
  models.
• Corrected Errors removed.
• Condensed  Need to know  versus  Nice to
  have !

• Surveying tacit knowledge (effectiveness)
• Comparison - Interviews for comparing meaning of
  information in other context.
• Connections - Linking communities of interest.
• Conversation - With experts to determine gaps
  and what is not known.

(Source Working Knowledge, Thomas H. Davenport
and Laurence Prusak)
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Librarians Key Actors of the Future

• Adapt content to the Institutes environment,
  strategy and goals
• Adapt format for integration in a plan weaving
  all elements together

C
ommunication

• Capture what is known and prioritize right
  information
• Provide insights
• Draw conclusions and possible actions

A
nalysis
S

• Ways of gathering
• Scanning
• Surveying

earch
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Conclusion Librarians From Transaction to
Relation proactive mindset
In close relation with the end-user
INTEGRATION
PROACTIVE
ANTICIPATION
Informing without a request
Following on a request
FOLLOW UP
REACTIVE
Responding to a request
TRANSACTION
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Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Jean-Paul Plante of NRC,
with whom I had many interesting discussions and
for his proactive support in the preparation of
the presentation
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