Government won’t cuts health transfers in next budget, says Aglukkaq
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says the timeliness of the government’s response to the H1N1 vaccine rollout in the fall “was exemplary,” but wants to better communicate its message next time around. She said the government will turn to its pandemic flu plan again in the future, is pleased that 45 per cent of the population […]
Canadians need to ask tough questions about future of healthcare:
If Canada’s healthcare system continues on the same path, some predict that in 25 years it will take up 100 per cent of provincial budgets, says the president of the Canadian Medical Association. “Canadian have to decide what it is they want, and that may mean looking at some of the basic principles. Do we […]
Goodyear says feds’ top priority is economy, boosting innovation
The federal government is trying to stop Canada’s innovation decline through its science and technology strategy and by investing more than $5-billion in new S&T initiatives, says Science and Technology Minister of State Gary Goodyear (Cambridge, Ont.) in an email interview with The Hill Times for this week’s “Innovation Policy Briefing.” You were at the […]
Establish Canada as hub for next wave of knowledge industries and make it a national priority
VANCOUVER, B.C.—If you want to get into the mining business, you need an ore body. If you’re going into the oil business, you need oil. And if you’re a nation looking to build a knowledge economy, you need knowledge workers—and plenty of them. Therein lies the conundrum facing our governments as they seek to transform […]
Transforming science and technology into innovation
“Well informed people know that it is impossible to transmit their voices over wires and that, were it possible to do so, the thing would be of no practical value.”—Boston Post, editorial, 1865 OTTAWA—Recent reports and editorials have highlighted Canada’s lagging performance in science—and technology-related innovation and competitiveness. Analysis reveals that, despite a strong science […]
Public wants in on science and technology policy
OTTAWA—Imagine opening a magazine and seeing an advertisement proclaiming, “More doctors smoke our brand than any other cigarette,” followed by a report showing a man proudly standing beside a scale model of a nuclear-powered car. Today, such publications are quite inconceivable, yet they existed only 50 years ago. We all know that our trust in […]
Canada must place good policy above partisan politics on innovation, science, and technology
MONTREAL—”Could do better.” Three words on a school report card with which many parents and students are all too familiar. You are not living up to your potential, the teacher says, you need to apply yourself. Look past the repeated scolding, and there’s an underlying optimism in this message. Many often miss it: You can […]
Time to open up knowledge generation to people untrained in science
VANCOUVER, B.C.—Until recently the notion of “democratizing” science—reforming the scientific elite—seemed ridiculous to me. I had spent years of my life in graduate school, surrounded by fleece-wearing, coffee-drinking, slightly introverted physicists. I saw no evidence of an elite. But working in women’s health research over the last few years, I have begun to understand how […]
A new model of innovation for successful societies
OTTAWA—As the first decade of the 21st century draws to a close, a new model of innovation is placing people squarely at centre stage. In recent decades, the dominant concept of innovation has evolved from a linear-transfer “push” model, to a more iterative “chain-link” model, and most recently to a complex model connecting researchers to […]
Feds need to tap into global innovation opportunities
Although the federal government is doing a good job at investing in research and development, Canada is still in the bottom half of OECD countries when it comes to innovation and both businesses and governments should be looking at different ways to tap into global innovation opportunities, say experts. “I think the first thing that […]
