Archive - Historical Material

Key performance indicators are used to track the impact of CISTI Document Delivery Services on R&D (research and development) and in turn the economic growth and wealth generation within Canada. The National Research Council (NRC), of which CISTI is a part, and in particular CISTI's Document Delivery is an integral part of the Canadian Innovation System, a national strategy focussing development on the needs of the R&D community, which increasingly is made up of "small and medium enterprises" (SMEs) and is responsible for most of the growth in the Canadian economy over the past ten years. SMEs are supported through NRC's national network of 250 industrial technology advisors (ITAs) who work with some 10 000 firms a year, in all regions of the country and in all industrial sectors. These technical advisors are part of IRAP (the Industrial Research Assistance Program). For more than 50 years, IRAP has helped SME firms create and adopt innovative technologies that yield new products, create high quality jobs, and make industry more competitive.

The role that CISTI plays to support them will be described in this paper. CISTI also has a regional presence through its regional information specialists who assist local SMEs with their information needs. Some projects where SMEs are supported by CISTI will be discussed. This SME example demonstrates the cycle that investment in efficient document delivery/interlending services that support the success of SMEs, which in turn grows the Canadian economy, is a model that can be used in both developing and less developed countries.