Aerospace sector looks to government for help as pandemic grounds once high-flying industry
The Canadian aerospace sector and parliamentarians are calling on the government to help the once-mighty industry ahead of the Nov. 30 fiscal update, as the pandemic has slashed revenues, jeopardized jobs, and has cast a dark shadow on the medium- and long-term prospects for a return to some kind of normalcy. But even before the […]
Stakeholders push feds to quickly reach transitional U.K. trade deal, as government says new pact ‘close to the finish line’
With Canada’s export competitors in the midst of trade negotiations with Britain, stakeholders are urging Canada to quickly finalize a transitional trade agreement with the U.K. Canada-U.K. trade will stop being covered by the Canada-EU trade deal—called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)—following the end of the Brexit transition period at the start of […]
Superclusters’ long-term economic impacts, benefits will only become evident over next few years
The Innovation Superclusters Initiative is a flagship co-investment with private industry in five sectors in which Canada has demonstrated significant competitive advantages: digital technologies, protein industries, next-generation manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and ocean science. These sectors represent the world-leading ecosystems of tomorrow, and will unleash Canadian innovation further and faster through public-private partnerships. The five superclusters […]
An innovative economy requires an innovative government
We’ve got to do more with less. I’m betting that every minister has uttered this phrase more than once during his or her mandate. The trouble is, if you really want to do more with less, you need to innovate. You must embrace change. You must be willing to throw out your current assumptions, procedures […]
Innovating and leading in the new normal
Disruption is a term that pops up in almost every discussion about innovation. Yet in Canada, organizations typically reward predictability and control over disruptive innovation. From LinkedIn posts to virtual seminars, the focus of the conversation tends to be on how we can ‘manage’ disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced disruption into our everyday existence. […]
Artificial intelligence will underpin Canadian innovation and global competitiveness
Data has been called the oil of the 21st century. And artificial intelligence (AI) platforms and tools are commonly described as the new refineries that will convert the data into value-added products, services and platforms. Globally, it is estimated that, by 2025, there will be over 450 exabytes of digital data generated every day—that’s equivalent […]
COVID-19 will accelerate automation, and we must embrace it
WATERLOO—Over the last decade, the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence has emerged as a critical topic of discussion. By some estimates, almost half of existing jobs could be automated within a generation. Not surprisingly, then, managing this future of work has become a primary concern among the public and policy-makers alike. In 2018, under its […]
Time for a more inclusive innovation economy
TORONTO—Canada performs below its innovation potential. We have exceptionally well-educated and creative people producing world-class research and a handful of innovative and growing firms making a mark on the world stage. Yet, innovation and commercialization across the economy more widely are lacklustre. Canadian firms continue to falter on business spending on research and development, technology […]
Putting genomics data to work for all Canadians
We are living in the age of big data—a time where organizations are inundated by massive volumes of complex information daily and must find ways to make sense of it. For businesses, figuring out how to parse the onslaught of data can lead to growth and innovation opportunities. For governments, the goal is ensuring citizens’ […]
Time to take out Canada’s innovation toolbox
The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to rethink business models, supply chains, and capacity to respond to disruption across every part of our lives. While we have largely found new ways to live and do business, economic recovery will require significantly more. This presents an opportunity to mobilize Canada’s underutilized innovation infrastructure. Since the 2015 […]
