Let’s drop the false distinctions between discovery versus applied science
Last week, for two days in Ottawa the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Peru’s National Council of Science and Technology and Technological Innovation, in partnership with Canada’s International Development Research Centre, hosted the 6th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council. The heads of 56 research funding agencies from 50 […]
Canada must move fast to preserve Last Ice Area
This World Oceans Day, June 8, brings into focus Canada’s often-overlooked third ocean, the one that borders our country at the top of the world. The Arctic Ocean, along with much of the North itself, has been undergoing rapid change due to the warming of the planet. Ice-dependent species are watching their habitat disappear with […]
Universities, industry, and research say substantial investments in research needed on regular basis
Post-secondary institutions and industry advocates are applauding the Trudeau government for rolling out millions in new funding for research since assuming office but say robust investments and other inducements are needed on a regular basis to ensure Canadian schools and businesses remain competitive on the global stage. In the 2016 budget, the Trudeau government earmarked […]
Liberals’ superclusters plan attracts interest from industry, skepticism from others
The Trudeau government’s $950-million plan to foster nodes of investment for burgeoning innovation fields is “rehashed corporate welfare” that will likely fail to generate promised returns, warns a government watchdog group. Aaron Wudrick, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, called the scheme a “terrible idea” that would fall flat because of the inability of […]
Government committed to supporting Canadian students, advanced research: Duncan
An acclaimed academic and former professor, Science Minister Kirsty Duncan has been tasked with the monumental task of recasting Canadian scientific policy. In the first full year of Liberal rule, her office oversaw the assembly of an expert panel led by former University of Toronto president Dave Naylor to study basic science in Canada. In its […]
Let’s put the ‘super’ in ‘supercluster’
These are exciting times for research and innovation in Canada. With a continued emphasis on innovation as a key to job creation, new areas of focus were announced in Budget 2017. With the additional input of the Naylor report and feedback from stakeholders working to improve research and innovation in our country, there are clear […]
Uber cranks up federal lobbying to fight requirement to charge HST
Three years since launching its alternative transportation service in Canada, Uber has recently become a significant lobbying presence federally in reaction to changes introduced in this year’s budget. Uber Canada Inc., the Canadian division of Uber Technologies Inc., has five active registrations in the federal lobbying registry, all of which are no more than a […]
Accelerating innovation for jobs and growth
When my father left India for Canada in the 1970s, he had five dollars in his pocket and no friends or family here. But he was an ambitious risk taker. He worked three jobs, while my mother worked the overnight shift at a cookie factory. Their hard work eventually allowed my father to start his […]
Trump’s backward move on climate change disadvantages U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump just hammered another nail in the American coffin. In his petulant conversations about pulling out of the global climate change consensus, he is labouring under the misimpression that his withdrawal would influence the agreement. Instead, he is reinforcing the impression that his leadership is leading the United States down the wrong […]
Skilled trades must remain part of conversation on innovation, say advocates
As the Trudeau government seeks out avenues to bolster innovation, advocates are urging Ottawa to tap into the opportunities available in the skilled-trades field, arguing innovation isn’t restricted to the digital sphere. Bob Blakely, operating officer for Canada’s Building Trades Unions, which represents more than 500,000 construction workers, argued that not only have technological advancements […]
