William I. Atkinson

Topics

Presentations

Technology Against Terrorism

Nanocosm – The Very Big Change in Business That’s Coming From the Very Small

Neat Stuff: New Technologies You Have to Know About

Technology, Size And Innovation: Why Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better

The Prototype Company: Building a Culture that Creates and Sustains a Great Firm

Summary Profile

William Atkinson has spent his professional life with two goals: understanding science and technology, and sharing the big and little miracles he's found. Unlike some futurists, William Atkinson is a realistic optimist. He knows where today's technology came from, where it is, and where it's probably heading. He doesn't pretend to second sight. But he'll share what he's found, so that you can make your own informed decisions.

William’s first book Prototype: How Canadian Innovation is Shaping the Future – an examination of the origins of the New Economy, including biotechnology and informatics; hi-tech successes and failures; and how new technology is transforming traditional sectors.

His book, Nanocosm: The Big Change That’s Coming from the Very Small, takes a critical, humourous, and all-encompassing look at nanotechnology as it currently exists and as it will soon become. It was praised in The Wall Street Journal as a "comprehensive romp, by an experienced science popularizer, through the many fascinating details of the colorful figures who helped to "discover" it."

William Atkinson speaks with wit, humour, direction, and intelligence, providing socioeconomic contexts for our new technology. As Atkinson sees it, high-tech is more than bells, whistles, and flashing lights: it is a human enterprise with vast human consequences, both social and financial. He presents technical knowledge clearly and engagingly, giving intelligent citizens throughout democracies the tools they need to assess and invest in the innovations that shape their world.

Client Testimonials

"Explaining things at the cutting edge is the hardest work of all. Atkinson has a terrific way with words, and makes everything from growing a virtual forest to aligning airplane parts with lasers seem simple."

Report on Business Magazine

"Bill did a great job, he was very well informed of the issues and did a super job of getting the key messages out. His presentation style is also very good, (he) is a good judge of the audience and mixes facts well with a bit of humour! I would not hesitate to recommend Bill for other functions."

Syngenta