Replay: Online chat about Hamilton's "innovation" economy

Before Hamilton gained the nickname "Steel City," it was known as an "ambitious" one. The title was coined by a Toronto reporter, and was meant to be derogatory. But Hamilton adopted it as a positive and later earned the mantle by not giving up in the face of adversity and developing a world-class, innovative manufacturing sector.

Now, the city is home to the regional innovation incubator. A local angel investors' group put $1.5 million into small businesses in Hamilton and the surrounding region since Sept. 2011. Employment numbers have been increasing steadily for the past six months, and full-time occupations have been seeing the same upward trend over the past six years.

In her book The Power of Why, CBC's senior business correspondent Amanda Lang shows that Canadians lag behind in innovation and commercializing ideas — or in our productivity — and that it starts with our kids' curiosity.

Is the new face of Hamilton changing the national innovation game?

CBC Hamilton hosted a live webchat on the topic with Lang and three of Hamilton's top business innovators and entrepreneurs: Ron Neumann, executive director of Innovation Factory; Stephanie McLarty, CEO of REfficent; and Jim Rudnick, CEO of Snap-pay.