Innovation is the talk of the town
Innovation is the talk of Ottawa, with the government having made it the centrepiece theme of its last budget, and currently preparing to roll out billions of dollars in innovation-enhancing policy programs. Yet while artificial intelligence, augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and other fields are getting the lion’s share of attention, it is critical we not […]
Why this backbench MP is lobbied more than most ministers
Canada’s most-lobbied backbench MP in 2017, Francis Drouin, is a “rising star” who’s developed a reputation as a rural champion, say lobbyists. Mr. Drouin’s 136 communications posted to the lobbyist registry in 2017 are connected to agriculture, tied to his work on the House Agriculture Committee and the interests of his Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Ont., constituents. A […]
Canada needs to think bigger to see true growth in its cleantech industry
The worldwide movement to fight climate change is electrifying unprecedented momentum in the global cleantech market. This momentum is characterized by a global race to innovate, develop, verify, and bring solutions to market. Canada has the potential to lead the pack. There’s no question we have the talent; Canada’s clean technology sector continues to punch […]
Health Canada adding staff, launches new branch, in preparation for legal pot
Health Canada is taking the lead on the marijuana file in Ottawa in advance of the summer deadline for legalization, overseeing product licensing and regulations, quality monitoring, health research, and public education. In preparation, the department is transforming significantly, according to experts and a former Liberal health minister, adding new inspectors and staff to deal with backlogged licensing […]
Forthcoming national IP strategy needs incentives to spur Canadian growth
It is well established, both in Canada and abroad, that all forms of intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial designs, trade secrets, etc.) are important to business scalability and sustainability. However, for many years Canada has been lagging behind other jurisdictions in taking advantage of this knowledge by failing to establish policy incentives for developing […]
Canada already leading on the international science front, says IDRC head
Re: “Canada is back? Not so fast when talking international science,” (The Hill Times, Dec. 6, 2017, p. 16). I have read with interest the recent article of Daryl Copeland you published on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. The issues raised are very important, especially in this current sociopolitical climate in which the erosion of trust […]
PCO’s innovation unit nudging more women to join the military
Young women are not sure they can successfully complete basic training when they consider a career in the Canadian Armed Forces, and think they are committing for life, says Elizabeth Hardy. But neither of these are true, she said, when in reality nine out of 10 women pass basic training, and many do better than […]
Canada needs to adopt Blockchain technology to meet ambitious agriculture and food goals
In February, Dominic Barton and the Advisory Committee on Economic Growth set an audacious goal for the country. To become the world’s trusted supplier of safe sustainable food for the 21st century and in doing so double our agri-food exports. The aspiration to market our food as “safe and sustainable” took a beating in August […]
Canada is back? Not so fast when talking international science
Were the earth to be equipped with a collision warning system, the alarm would almost certainly be clanging incessantly. A plurality of expert opinion is now convinced that the health of the planet is deteriorating and that, as a direct result, humanity’s long-term survival is in jeopardy. Although some aspects of that argument have been […]
Ex-StatsCan chiefs make last-ditch appeal to fix ‘egregious flaw’ in stats agency governance bill
A pair of former chief statisticians made a last-ditch plea to Senators last week to fix what one said was an “egregious flaw” that “fundamentally undermines” a government bill’s aim to give Statistics Canada more independence. In an appearance in front of the Senate’s Social Affairs, Science, and Technology Committee Nov. 30, Wayne Smith and […]
