U of S Receives 1 Million Dollars for new Joint Research Chair

Posted July 14, 1999


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? July 13, 1999
99-07-02-AG

U of S Gets $1 Million for New Joint Research Chair in Ag Economics and
Commerce

The University of Saskatchewan will receive $500,000 from federal granting
councils over the next five years and a matching amount from industry for a
new research chair that will establish the U of S as a centre of expertise
in the management of technological change in agriculture.

A key goal of the research will be to assist the agri-food industry to grow
more rapidly and commercialize more products successfully.

Speaking on behalf of Mr. John Manley (Minister of Industry), Mr. Ralph
Goodale (Minister of Natural Resources) said: "Our ability to innovate in
the future will depend as much on our creativity in the research lab as in
our ability to develop a cadre of experts who know how to manage the
innovation process efficiently and effectively."

Federal funding comes from a program that aims to promote research into the
management of technological change. NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council) contributes two thirds of the federal investment, while
SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) provides the
remainder.

?In the coming years, the U of S has a unique opportunity to contribute to
and lead global research into the management of technological change in
agriculture,? said Dr. Peter Phillips, who assumes responsibility this month
for the new NSERC-SSHRC Chair in Managing Knowledge-Based Agri-Food
Development.

?Saskatoon is an ideal centre for this as it has a strong base of academic
research in related disciplines, and all the major agricultural
biotechnology companies are currently undertaking research in Saskatoon or
have links to the local research community," added Phillips who is currently
Van Vliet Chair Professor at the U of S and a former assistant deputy
minister for Saskatchewan Economic Development.

Private sector funding will come from producer funds obtained from an
endowment ($400,000), as well as from Ag-West Biotech Inc., a not-for-profit
company facilitating biotechnology initiatives in Saskatchewan ($100,000).

In addition, the U of S will contribute $90,000 in in-kind and financial
support over the five years of the program.

Phillips will examine intellectual property rights related to agri-food
research and commercialization, as well as marketing of new biotechnology
products and ways of gaining access to international markets.

He will also work with provincial and federal departments to identify
issues, disseminate research results, and provide policy advice.

?The newness of the technologies has raised concerns about long-term
environmental, health and safety issues,? Phillips said. ?The goal will be
to develop a better understanding of how firms, industry and governments,
alone or jointly, can resolve these concerns and establish a climate that
supports growth.?

The new Chair will be part of the Centre for the Study of Agriculture, Law
and the Environment (CSALE) on campus. The Chair is a joint appointment
between the College of Agriculture?s department of agricultural economics
and the College of Commerce?s department of management and marketing.

?I?m delighted that Dr. Phillips, who currently occupies the prestigious Van
Vliet Chair in agricultural economics, has agreed to be appointed to the new
chair,? said recently retired Agriculture Dean John Stewart.

?It is important that this industry be developed in an atmosphere where
ethical and social issues associated with this new technology are debated
and understood. The ideal place for this debate is at the university.?

With close links to the U of S?s new virtual college of biotechnology,
Phillips will develop and teach a new class in managing technological change
in the agri-food industry. He will also supervise graduate students, develop
courses for company executives, and provide advice and analysis to the
industry on issues related to technological change.

Phillips will be assisted by a research associate and an advisory committee
of academic and industry researchers. It?s anticipated that at least five
students will undertake and complete research during the five years of the
program.

Succeeding Phillips in the Van Vliet Chair for the period July 1, 1999 to
June 30, 2002 will be University of Calgary economics professor Bill Kerr.
Dr. Kerr has studied and published in many areas of agricultural trade and
agricultural trade policy.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Peter Phillips
Chair in Managing Knowledge-Based Agri-Food Development
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4021

Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
Office of the Vice-President Research
(306) 966-2506
Visit our U of S Research web site: www.usask.ca/research