I was fortunate to be part of a group from the University of Guelph who last week heard outgoing Minister of Research and Innovation Hon. John Wilkinson describe his vision for a research infrastructure designed to get innovators out of their silos and into a province-wide network. It’s an admirable goal, and one that comes at a crucial time for the province as it struggles to maintain activity as Canada’s manufacturing engine. I write about the network in this week’s Urban Cowboy column in the Guelph Mercury.