A homegrown world-renowned physicist and a former Frank Zappa band member and innovation guru are among the feature attractions at ORION and CANARIE's Powering Innovation: A National Summit, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Nov. 3 and 4.

ORION, Ontario's advanced research and education network, and CANARIE, Canada's Advanced Network, are joining forces to co-host a national Summit that will focus on issues of research and innovation enabled by new and advanced technologies.

Internationally distinguished physicist and Toronto native Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor and Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley and former president of the University of Toronto, gives the Summit opening address and explores the theme of cross-border collaborations in research.

Dr. John Kao, innovation strategist and author of the bestselling book, Innovation Nation also addresses the Summit. Dubbed "Mr. Creativity" and "a serial innovator" by The Economist, he is considered a leading authority on the subjects of innovation, organizational transformation, and digital media. Teaching at Harvard Business School from 1982-1996, he specialized in innovation and entrepreneurship. With faculty appointments at the MIT Media Lab, Yale College, and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Kao is also known for playing keyboard in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention in the late 1960s.

Also presenting is Dr. Gail Anderson, Professor of Forensic Entomology and Associate Director of Simon Fraser University's Criminology program, who makes use of innovative and advanced network technologies as part of her work. She is a forensic consultant to the RCMP and police across Canada, and has testified as an expert witness in court numerous times. With the collaboration of colleagues and graduate students, she is presently developing a database of forensic insects across Canada, so that forensic entomology can be used with confidence across the country.

CBC Radio "Spark" host Nora Young will also share her insights on the impact of technology in our lives.

Break out sessions and panel discussions on topics ranging from introducing new web 2.0 capabilities in research and learning, to the introduction of Google Apps for Education in institutions of higher learning.

"We're very excited about this Summit," says Summit Program Co-Chair Andre Quenneville, ORION's Director of Public Affairs. "We see this as an opportunity to showcase some of Canada's and Ontario's most exciting and innovative research before a national audience."

For many delegates, the Summit will also give them their first look at critical scientific research facilities that few Canadians are aware of, yet help position Canada among the world's leaders in many fields, including physics, cancer research and nanotechnology.

Cybera, Alberta's advanced network organization, is also playing a critical role to planning the Summit, and will bring insights on the province's efforts to deploy Canada's first "cybertechnology" strategy.

Sara Diamond, President, Ontario College of Art & Design, partners with SHARCNET to host "Advanced Visualization - A boom with a view," which will hear from experts and innovators who are leading the use of advanced visualization technologies in science and design, which are transforming collaboration and research in such diverse fields as bioinformatics, human-computer interaction, geography, and environmental sciences.

The green-friendly Summit also presents well-known green IT guru Bill St. Arnaud, CANARIE's chief research officer, and Charles Despins, president and CEO of Prompt, who will talk about the environmentally-friendly future of broadband.

The conference is expected to bring up to 300 delegates from universities, colleges, research facilities, centres of excellence and other organizations - including government and industry - from across Canada.

Summit organizers are also inviting researchers, institutions and the private sector to exhibit at the event and to showcase their innovative research and enabling, advanced technologies.

Online registration will be opening soon on the Summit web site. Registrants from ORION or CANARIE member institutions receive a discount after the early-bird deadline of September 30. For more details on speakers, the latest program updates and to pre-register, visit www.OrionCanarieSummit.ca.


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