Losing our competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive world
Every day university researchers across Canada and around the world are conducting extraordinary research, but Canada still isn’t making the most of these discoveries by turning them into innovative products to sell globally. Innovation requires momentum. It requires not only concerted effort by researchers pursuing bold and risky ideas, but also deep connections with those […]
Canada’s lack of competition and unequal access to technology leads to a loss of innovation and to productivity failure, making all of us poorer
When the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its recent report that Canada’s real GDP per capita only increased by a meagre 0.8 per cent a year from 2007 to 2020, ranking us 26th among 38 advanced countries, that was not the worst news. The disaster on the horizon was the OECD predicts […]
Joining forces on global research and innovation: Canada and the EU advance efforts on Horizon Europe
A few days ago, the European Commission and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) announced the conclusion of exploratory talks on Canada’s potential association with Horizon Europe, the European Union’s signature Research and Innovation Framework Programme. This is a milestone achievement. In the coming months, both parties will start their respective internal processes to […]
Research & Innovation Policy Briefing
Continued dawdling on vaccine waiver position leaves NDP and advocates ‘extremely frustrated’
Nineteen months after India and South Africa put forward an intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 vaccines, Canada’s continued delay to signal an opinion on the matter has left many with a bitter taste in their mouths. The waiver was submitted at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council in […]
Setting Canada’s global technology agenda after COVID
New technologies are now a foundation of the global economy, with two titans—the U.S. and China—duelling over technology leadership. Both threaten to decouple the governance and infrastructure of the world’s digital technologies, creating separate supply chains they plan to dominate. After the resolution of the hostage crisis with China, in Canada we now await a […]
Driving economic recovery together: infrastructure is the key to strong communities
As we consider our future in a post-pandemic world, and with a new federal budget, it is a good time to reflect on how we can continue to build strong, resilient local communities. Municipalities touch the lives of Canadians everyday, and as Canada recovers from the pandemic, this is the moment to learn from the […]
Digital infrastructure and broadband connectivity are vital for meeting emission objectives
As president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), I welcome the opportunity to reflect on the recent announcement made by the federal government regarding their Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) and to highlight the digital divide between rural and urban municipalities that needs to be addressed. SARM is an independent association that […]
Scrap the overbuild policy to boost broadband infrastructure
Many will read this op-ed using a wireless device. Most Canadians don’t realize how much of a luxury that is. While it is laudable that the government has repeatedly committed to improving broadband access for rural and remote communities, many federal policies continue to frustrate this goal. For this reason, we have repeatedly raised the […]
Canada’s bold AI strategy has been a success—let’s double down
The upcoming federal budget provides an opportunity not only to identify future priorities, but also to reflect on past decisions, strategies, and investments. Although our collective impulse may be to focus on what’s new, the secret to sustaining success is often found in building on what’s already been done—and done right. In 2017, the federal […]
