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 […]
Innovation in Health IT will improve health, fuel growth
It may sound like a magic elixir that boosts productivity while also improving care, but when it comes to our health system, we’ve all seen the results of innovation. Recent advances have led to improvements in childhood cancer survival and minimally invasive surgery, to name just two examples with global impact. Here in Canada, […]
Time to unleash new cultures of innovation
Successful innovation emerges from robust cultures of innovation. This new insight is the central conclusion of a steady stream of research reports that have overturned 20th century assumptions about applied research, technology transfer, and commercialization. Leading businesses and organizations now seek to unleash cultures of innovation within their operations and in partnership with post-secondary […]
Feds should be nurturing innovative, technology-intensive companies
Canada’s future depends very much on its participation in the knowledge economy. Research and development, innovation, and commercialization will all drive Canada’s economic growth in the coming years and decades. We have a rich base of innovative, technology-intensive companies, including many in the natural resource sector, and the government should be nurturing these businesses […]
NCE R&D models continue to solve today’s innovation needs
The suite of research, commercialization and training programs administered by Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) brings together a critical mass of public and private sector talent in a unique, high-impact innovation ecosystem. Networks and centres funded through the NCE address challenging social and economic issues through a team approach that encourages synergy […]
Feds refuse to talk to our innovators about how things might be improved
Policy leaders across the world’s most advanced countries loudly proclaim economic advancement within the 21st century will rely increasingly on innovation and technology. Many have successfully implemented strategies to increase innovation. In order to boost competitiveness, such as massive investments in science and technology and empowering their country’s best minds to explore and discover. […]
No guarantee CETA concessions will bolster pharmaceutical R&D investment in Canada
Canada-Europe free trade negotiations are entering the final stages, and stricter patent protection for prescription drugs is on the table. The deal could mean higher costs for Canadians, but experts say there’s no guarantee it will revitalize Canada’s pharmaceutical R&D sector. The federal government is considering significant changes to its intellectual property (IP) regime […]
Carbon pricing driving innovation in British Columbia and Alberta
The federal government says carbon pricing is off the table, but if it changes its mind it can look to Canada’s western-most provinces for inspiration. Alberta has had a carbon tax in place since 2007, while British Columbia has been taxing emissions since 2008, and there are signs that the programs are promoting innovation […]
