On climate change, can Trudeau go where Trump says no?
TORONTO—Justin Trudeau’s priority in meeting Donald Trump was to find common ground with the unpredictable United States president. The prime minister wants to ensure Canada doesn’t feel the lash of Trump’s protectionist stance on trade. So, it’s not surprising that Trudeau seems to have avoided bringing up the awkward subject of climate change. Few issues […]
The time is now to position Canada as a global leader in Agri-Food
February 16 is Canada’s Agriculture Day; a day to celebrate the food we love and where it comes from, focusing not only on farmers and producers but also on Canada’s food processing sector, our retailers large and small and, of course, consumers. Although Canada’s Agriculture Day is a new addition to the calendar, it is […]
Jobs, skills, and learning in the age of self-driving cars
In January, I visited the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. What struck me was how much this large technology trade show had transformed into an auto show. This trend was most obvious in the self-driving cars that I saw. These concept models reflect how quickly the lines separating cars and computers are dissolving. I’m […]
Observers urge care in earmarking funds for innovation clusters
People who study innovation appear cautiously optimistic the government’s plan to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into innovation networks and clusters will succeed, but they warn the devil’s in the details. In its 2016 budget, the federal government promised up to $800-million over four years, starting in 2017-18, to boost innovation networks and clusters. […]
Canada’s innovation agenda: can moonshots work?
“Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.” —Paul Krugman, The Age of Diminishing Expectations (1994) It is not worth the ink to repeat the ways in which Canada has fallen behind in productivity. We can recite the stats of how we lag compared to other countries, how our research and […]
Ottawa must completely redraft its innovation strategy
Multinational corporations tend to concentrate their strategic activities, including research and development (R&D), at or near the head office rather than in their foreign subsidiaries. Since Canada’s economy relies mostly on local branches of foreign corporations, mostly American, structural reasons explain why Canada has one of OECD’s worst records in terms of R&D intensity. In […]
Poor IP rights protections hurt patients, economy
VANCOUVER, B.C. / Troy Media/ – As the old adage states, “You’ll be known by the company you keep.” As such, the implications for Canada’s biopharmaceutical sector are rather dismal. While an extensive body of evidence demonstrates that patents and other intellectual property protections are critical to the future of innovation and the development of […]
The Top 100: Navdeep Bains, the ‘minister of everything’
For Navdeep Bains, the minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, or, “the minister of everything,” as some say, the working relationships he has been cultivating are the beginning and the end of his political power and influence this year. It is expected that in 2017, Bains will roll out the wide-spanning innovation agenda the Liberals see […]
Ottawa must be prepared to spend, back programs to foster Canadian talent: advocates
The federal government must complement investments in skills training with better labour market information and other tools to ensure Canadians can secure lucrative jobs in the modern economy, according to advocates. Namir Anani, president and CEO of the Information and Communications Technology Council, a self-described national centre of expertise for the digital economy, said that while Canada has […]
From ‘InnovAction’ to innovation, it’s time to get serious
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Mulroney government’s Canadian Strategy for Science and Technology (InnovAction), the 15th anniversary of the Chrétien government’s two-pronged innovation strategy, and the 10th anniversary of the Harper regime’s Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage. And lo and behold, as if right on cue, comes another agenda—this one a summary of […]
