COVID-19 innovations hold lessons for national policy
As the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020, we witnessed an unprecedented mobilization of the world’s scientific community to develop solutions. Canadian researchers and companies are making vital contributions to these efforts, especially in the area of therapeutics and vaccines. These accomplishments should be celebrated, but also studied, as they can teach us a great […]
Collaborative IP strategies for publicly funded R&D needed now and for the future
It has been said that a crisis brings out the best and the worst in people. This pandemic is no different. So many people and so many nations have come together in hopes of finding solutions more quickly by sharing and pooling their resources. They have clearly put the collective good ahead of their own […]
How the pandemic has driven us to up our game in research and teaching
HAMILTON—Tragedy, suffering, and uncertainty have trailed in the wake of COVID-19, bringing social and economic turmoil, and hurting people everywhere. The pandemic is a grand challenge that threatens our safety and our very existence. This challenge is also a unique opportunity for universities to lead and innovate in ways that will benefit humankind well beyond […]
Liberal government must end COVID-19 vaccine secrecy
Canadians cannot fight COVID-19 in the dark. Experience has demonstrated that an effective pandemic response requires clear, transparent, and open communication from governments at all levels. This is essential for maintaining public confidence in recovery plans and the legitimacy of the institutions implementing them. Unfortunately, the Trudeau government has demonstrated a disturbing tendency to operate […]
Biotechnology Policy Briefing
Linking science, health and policy more effectively: foresight for the next normal
OTTAWA—Hindsight is 20/20—or so they say today. But what happened to foresight? It’s Nov. 7, 2001. The place is Ottawa. The meeting is with health ministers and officials from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the U.K., the U.S., and the EU. The topic is health security and bioterrorism—a few months following the events of […]
Statistics say: biotechnology in Canada
Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving industry. It is also somewhat misunderstood. Biotech has wide-ranging applications outside of the most obvious field, medicine. These graphs seek to answer some basic questions on the state of the biotech industry in Canada. According to the 2018 Deloitte Biotech Industry Data survey, nearly half (45 per cent) of Canadian […]
Unleashing productivity growth through open science innovation
Canadian labour productivity is negative this year. As a country, we are producing less, while using more resources. For the first time, the federal government created an innovation strategy aimed at reversing this. While its effects have yet to reach the economy, the strategy still remains tentative. We need to do more: develop innovative approaches […]
Potential agricultural, human health benefits of gene editing outweigh risks
Gene editing is the latest technology focused on modifying the DNA of a species that offers the potential for large improvements in human, animal, and environmental health. The benefits could be particularly great for the world’s poorest—Bill Gates claims gene editing can help lift millions out of poverty through reducing food insecurity and human health […]
ISED working with BIOTECanada to get better, much-needed industry data
BIOTECanada, the industry association that represents more than 200 Canadian biotechnology companies, has been in talks with Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada for “over a year” in an effort to get much-needed, comprehensive federal statistics on the biotechnology industry in Canada, says BIOTECanada president Andrew Casey. The department did not respond directly to questions […]
