Starting the New Century: Technological Change in the Canadian Private Sector, 2000-2002 - ARCHIVED

Technological changes are occurring at home, work and play. In the workplace, change occurs in how business is conducted, its production processes and office procedures and much of this change is related to the introduction of new or significantly improved technologies. This paper is based on information from the 2002 Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology (SECT) (see the Appendix) and concentrates on the acquisition of significantly improved technologies in the private sector. The private sector and its two major subsectors, the goods producing and services producing sectors, are presented by employment-size groups. The technological change rates by major sector are also provided.

Technological change in the workplace includes the seemingly simple purchases of off-the-shelf technologies such as accounting software; colour printers with double-sided printing and facsimile capabilities; and sophisticated medical diagnostic machines and equipment. Acquisition of new or significantly improved technologies is not limited to purchases, but also includes leasing and licensing as well as customizing and developing technologies. Another technology acquisition method, which could incorporate all of the other technology acquisition methods, is 'putting into place an improved production facility' by, for example, retro-fitting pulp and paper mills. At the turn of the new century, the Canadian private sector is not resisting the lure of change - 4 out of 10 private sector firms introduced technological change from 2000 to 2002.