University critical to tech expansion, Google exec says Google executive
BYLINE: BY NORMAN DE BONO, SUN MEDIA
London must market itself as a place technology industries can locate and grow -- and the University of Western Ontario is critical to such a strategy, a high-ranking Google executive says.
Shuman Ghosemajumder, who manages product strategies for U.S. technology giant Google, addressed a meeting of London business and technology people yesterday morning with a message that the city can compete for technology industries, but needs focus and a clear strategy from its university.
"There is tremendous talent here and it offers a combination of a good place to live and talent from Western, there is opportunity," he said after the breakfast meeting at Hilton London organized by the London Economic Development Corp. (LEDC)
"The starting point is having a value, something people want to see happen and pursue it," Ghosemajumder said.
"They need to know how they can arrange resources to make it happen."
Ghosemajumder grew up in London and graduated from UWO with a degree in computer science.
In addition, London's tech sector needs to continue to foster an atmosphere of collaboration, sharing knowledge and experience, said Ed Elliott, vice-president of development and co-founder of EK3 Technologies in London, who attended the talk.
"We have to continue to find places where young tech companies can collaborate and work together, to foster a relationship," he said, praising the work done by TechAlliance and the LEDC to do just that.
EK3 has shown the innovation to which Ghosemajumder refers.
The company uses its own research lab at Western to develop "digital merchandising" technology -- such as the screens used in Tim Hortons to display products.
Along with research, Western and Fanshawe College also need to supply workers for the technology sector where staff can be in short supply, said Larry MacKinnon, director of technology business development for the LEDC.
"The university and Fanshawe are big parts of our sector. They will feed it with research and talent," MacKinnon said.
Though not familiar with Western's strategy on aiding technology development here, Research In Motion in Waterloo, Corel in Ottawa, Microsoft and Google all had research relationships with major universities to aid their growth in the early stages and Western must play a similar role, Ghosemajumder said.
"With respect to technology, a university encourages research, to develop an application where it can be commercialized."
Often communities that are "lucky" enough to get a success story or two then get a reputation-- and their growth stems from that, he said.
"Look at Silicon Valley. There were thousands of start-ups from a few really big hits . . . . Obviously, a lot of it is luck.
"You need a big hit."