Investing in state-of-the-art research infrastructure pays off, today and tomorrow
When Philippe Schick, the vice-president of engineering at Cooledge Lighting Inc., began looking for a laboratory to help his company make its product market-ready, he considered options across Canada and beyond. In the end, the Burnaby, B.C.-based business discovered that the best place to test its thin-film technology was right in its own backyard. […]
Digital health innovators embrace the challenge
OTTAWA—“There’s a way to do it better—find it,” said Thomas Edison decades ago. A similar motivation drove the Canadians who developed insulin, cardiac pacemakers, electric wheelchairs and prosthetic hands. These and other health innovations have since improved the lives of an untold number of patients from around the globe. Indeed, we can be proud of […]
Industry insiders applaud Automotive Innovation Fund renewal, but experts say it’s a political move
Automotive industry associations in Canada are applauding the federal government’s decision to renew the Automotive Innovation Fund for another five years and say the $250-million “is a highly-welcome decision,” but economic experts say opening up Canada’s market to more competition would better stimulate innovation within the industry. “It’s something which we had suggested to […]
SDTC: Putting Canada’s clean-tech innovation to work
At home and around the world, clean-tech is in demand. At increasing rates, innovations are making the transition from the lab to the market, boosting revenues of Canadian companies, creating jobs and enhancing export opportunities. Clean-tech is an important part of Canada’s innovation framework—and on behalf of the Government of Canada, Sustainable Development Technology Canada […]
Time to readjust Canada’s global compass on science, innovation
“Although its accomplishments may not be widely recognized at the present, the International Space Station ISS) will go down in history as a first of its kind and a formidable example of an effective foreign policy tool. ISS brought (and somewhat forced) nations to work together, causing them to think not from a microcosm […]
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 […]
