Research and development partnerships help businesses innovate
Today’s economy is fast-paced and based on global competition and mobile talent. Success requires insight and innovation. It is built on flexibility, speed and access to the right resources at the right time. In this complex environment, companies of all sizes increasingly recognize the need for collaboration and are turning to universities, colleges, research […]
Canada’s innovation is lagging
It has been a persistent problem in Canada’s economic performance that innovation, as reflected in investments in research and development, is lagging. The fact that our competitiveness is tied to innovation, and R&D, is not disputed. Neither is the fact that Canadian business investment in R&D has been dropping. It has been in decline […]
High time we put Conservative economic ‘stewardship’ myth to rest
Conservative economic “stewardship”—it’s high time we put that myth to rest. For too long, the Conservatives’ reputation for economic stewardship and commitment to innovation has gone unchallenged. The stark reality, however, is that Canadian productivity has plummeted under the Harper government’s Conservatives, costing the Canadian economy billions of dollars. To make matters worse, Conservative […]
Post-secondary, private sector collaboration an increasingly popular policy tool for innovation
Partnerships between the private sector and post-secondary institutions are becoming an increasingly-popular policy tool as the federal government looks to improve Canada’s innovation track record by leveraging its funding to colleges and universities. Post-secondary—private sector partnerships were on the agenda at the Conference Board of Canada’s Business Innovation Summit last week in Toronto. Minister […]
We’re advancing the innovation agenda
The success of economies around the world rests on one factor more than any other: the ability of their public and private sectors to innovate. Authoritative bodies here at home and abroad all agree on this. One has only to consult recent reports by the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, the Expert Panel on […]
Canada’s digital strategy stalls
It’s been more than two years since the federal government held online consultations on a strategy to develop Canada’s digital economy and Industry Canada has yet release a plan, despite assurances by Industry Minister Christian Paradis to introduce a strategy by the end of 2012. Speaking with The Hill Times, Minister of State for Science […]
Feds look to bolster business innovation
Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear says that new investments in small and mid-size business innovation are part of a wider strategy to bolster innovation and commercialization in Canada, but critics say the federal government’s approach still falls short nearly a year and a half after the release of the Jenkins […]
We need to bring people together to turn research into innovation, innovation into enterprise
OTTAWA—In September, Site Selection, a prestigious American trade publication aimed at business executives who determine the location for new production facilities, ranked Hamilton as the top Canadian city for companies interested in launching new industrial development projects or expanding existing ones. When commenting on the ranking, Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina pointed out how his […]
Don’t trade off science policy for innovation policy
OTTAWA—Innovation is a word that is used a lot—too often perhaps—but it is rarely succinctly defined. In a recent document issued by the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, Canada’s Future as an Innovative Society: A Decalogue of Policy Criteria, we define this concept as follows (with thanks to Peter Nicholson): “Innovation occurs whenever […]
Canadians clearly deserve better from their science advisory apparatus
OTTAWA—“It is not enough for scientists to have responsibility as citizens. They have a much greater one than that and different in kind. For scientists have a moral imperative to say what they know. It is going to make them unpopular. It may do worse than make them unpopular. That doesn’t matter.”—C.P. Snow. By […]
