Let’s hard-wire inclusion into Canada’s innovation economy
Ministers are on the road this fall, talking to Canadians about what the next federal budget should include. One of the key questions being asked is how to put Canada on a path to “inclusive growth.” By many economic indicators, Canada is excelling. Unemployment is low and Canada led the G7 in real GDP growth […]
To get the benefits of innovation, Canada needs a national effort
Canadian efforts to extract social and economic benefit from innovation have not only been late but tepid. For too long, pundits and policy-makers considered innovation manna that falls from heaven without any strategy or government involvement. We have focused on attracting jobs and getting access to foreign technology rather than on building a Canadian innovation […]
Clean-tech innovation: why are there still barriers?
The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been positioning itself as promoting clean growth and innovation. The “superclusters” may prove to be very effective enablers of innovative technologies. At this stage, they remain experimental. But the easy things to promote innovation and clean-tech are still untouched. It is hard to know why. It is […]
Innovation Policy Briefing
Stakeholders divided on need for renewable targets in new clean fuel standard
Some stakeholders say the current rules around renewable fuel have a place in Canada’s anticipated clean fuel standard, while others say that the government should stick to mandating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but allow producers to reach those targets their own way. “[The government] should not in any way, shape or form dictate how […]
Access to capital, government red tape among top barriers cited by biotech firms, survey finds
Access to capital remains the biggest challenge for Canada’s biotechnology sector, even as most of its companies have tapped into federal programs offered to startup companies, according to a new report released on Sept. 24. While the industry has shown signs of promising growth, a survey polling 208 biotechnology companies in Canada found 57 per […]
Now’s no time to slow support for health research, innovation
Over the last three years, it is clear that the Canadian government has shifted its focus to investments in innovation and technology development for the future—dubbing Canada as a “nation of innovators.” Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada has prioritized investment in supporting business growth, creating jobs, and supporting research that will inform policy directly […]
Should genetic privacy exist in agriculture?
OTTAWA—As of last year, Canada has a genetic privacy law. It sets rules for the privacy of our personal genomes and non-discrimination based on genetic information. This law has become necessary because decoding our personal genomes—and those of other people—had become increasingly quick and cheap. All species have genomes, of course, and since the same […]
‘The conditions are ripe’: industry says it’s time for feds to consider a national bioeconomy strategy
With Canada’s biotechnology sector showing signs of new growth, industry advocates say it’s time the federal government consider a national biotech strategy, more than a decade after one created in 1998 was nixed by the Conservative government. In January 2018, the Public Policy Forum released a report recommending the creation of a national life sciences […]
If government strategy isn’t coherent, it’s a complete waste of money
When it comes to science and technology, government involvement is key. Let’s take the pharmaceutical industry as an example. From 1969 to 1987, the mandatory licensing regime offered little patent protection, driving up the production of generics in Ontario. Ontario was pleased with this policy that provided little innovation but ensured a high economic turnout. […]
