The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"*Look Back in Anger â€" The Lessons of the Somalia Inquiry" Peter Desbarats, one of three Commissioners of the Somalia inquiry, is the author of "*Somalia Coverâ€"Up â€" A Commissioner‘s Journal". (Enter at University Ave: & Hazel St Parking Lot #20. $4 exit Thursday, January 22 4 pm r more in| Peter Desbarats Paul Martin Centre Free Admission Reception Wilfrid Launer University presents s s 4â€"() 7 I fee} 75 University Avenue W. Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3CS A recent study by UWs Department of Management Studâ€" ies, showed that for each dollar spent by the government subâ€" sidizing this program, the return to society was between $1.72 and $1.96; a return ratio of almost two to one Parks isn‘t surprised. "Homeâ€"grown inventors have come up with the ideas for frozen fish, the snowmobile, the humane animal trap and the collapsible beer carton." "Pretty Canadian, huh?" At the next stage of investigation, the idea is presented to focus groups which are made up of several senior analysts including a technical advisor from the National Research Council. They assess the information. A final report is generâ€" ated within six to eight weeks. Park says that the centre has evaluated more than 12,000 ideas and assisted "upwards of 50,000 innovators" since its inception. The centre employs 30 people including, at anyâ€" one time, five coâ€"op students from UW. Recently, the centre has expanded into the U.S. market, opening a oneâ€"man branch in Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the University of Michigan. "We want a presence in the U.S.," explains Parks Inventors that come knocking _ fiG& sds on the centre‘s door will be asked «oqmatn to fill out a confidential disclosure form. Once completed, the idea is : f then worked through "37 critical factors" for as:essmw}, including Carolyn Parks such questions as: "does your invention meet the needs of the proposed market and might there be any other applications?" and "can your idea be raanâ€" ufactured economically or must a new process be develâ€" oped?" Park says that the mast successâ€" ful ideas seem to be the ones that are the easiest to understand; ideas like "Quickâ€"sand Kitty Litter®, {the name says it all}, which has sold more than two million units. 9 > P | Among the ‘widely successâ€" & P ! ful‘ ideas that have come from P al | the Centre is the "abdomâ€" | t enizer", an exercise device that was developed by a Canadian [WEP: WeÂ¥ eARTITITA[RE chiropractor. This tummyâ€" tamer has been the bestselling product the centre has ever assessed, selling mare than seven million units worldwide _ The notâ€"forâ€"profit centre was devised to assist inventors who have a good idea but are unsure what to do next. The centre‘s Inventor‘s Assistance Program provides a professional and confidential evaluation of the idea for a modest fee. The fee, $345, is 50 per cent subsidized by Industry Canada. The inventor retains all rights to the product. The centre is solely concerned with whether the idea is feasible or not "We get on average about 45 submissions a month." says Parks. "Of these, 15 per cent receive a positive rating of proâ€" “LKING ceed with caution. The other ‘ 85 per cent are told to stop Tucked away on the second floor of a building on Columâ€" bia Street West, the Canadian Industrial Innovation Centre has been helping inventors with great (sometimes quirky} ideas turn them into reality. The centre was conceived more than 20 years ago; first as part of the Office of Research at the University of Waterloo and later as a storeâ€"front since 1981 What does pablum, the paintâ€"roller, insulin and fiveâ€"pin bowling all have in common? Give up? They‘re all Canadian inventions But you dont have to tell Carolyn Parks that; she already knows. As marâ€" keting coordinator for the Canadian Industnal Innovation Centre, the 26â€" yearâ€"old McMaster MBA grad spends her days promotng Canadian invention "Sure, Canadians are very inventive," she tells me. "We see a lot of ideas here every day." Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #136379 Published every Wednesday by The Fairway Group A division of Southam Inc Jan 21, 1998 MALKING WITH ... Innovation ‘R‘ Us WATERLOO CHRONICLE Of the ideas that garner the positive rating, Parks says that less than three per cent will be successful. Less than one per cent will be "widely successâ€" ful".