Ottawa’s innovation strategy should focus on cities
TORONTO—There was plenty of good news for Canadian tech companies in the Liberals’ innovation-heavy budget. There was $400-million for the Business Development Bank of Canada to invest in late-stage companies, a package worth $2.2-billion to support clean technologies, and new investments in talent development to help Canada attract the best and brightest. One of the […]
Bains most lobbied cabinet minister since Trudeau won power in 2015, hands down
Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, is, hands down, the most lobbied member of the Trudeau cabinet since the government came to office in 2015. Since the Liberals took over in November 2015 until earlier this month, a total of 245 communication reports outlining contact with Mr. Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) have […]
Budget criticized for lack of public-service investment, no Phoenix fix
“Meh,” was how one public service union leader reacted after the federal government’s budget was unveiled last week, though there were positive reviews coming from educational interest groups, mixed reaction from the health sector, and a range of other assessments from those who had some interests riding on this federal budget. Chris Aylward, national executive […]
Feds want innovation, just not right now
TORONTO—If there is a core innovation message in the 2017 budget it is that we want and need a much more innovative Canada—but not right away. Increasing our capacity for innovation is critical for Canada’s future, as Finance Minister Bill Morneau said, over and over again, in his budget papers. So why not move on it? […]
Europe-Canada trade deal’s investment court faces tough road, but ‘the mood is shifting’
The heavy lifting is done for proponents of the Europe-Canada trade deal, but the future of the investment protection system that fuelled the toughest opposition to the agreement remains up in the air. Business leaders are also concerned about how the government will fill in the details of the agreement with regulations, particularly when it […]
Want to stop populism? Try universal basic income
LONDON, U.K.—There’s a new idea that might be the solution to runaway populism. Well, it’s not that new, really—it has been kicking around in left-wing circles for a least a quarter-century—but it has suddenly gone mainstream. It’s called universal basic income (UBI), and pilot programs to see if it really works in practice are being […]
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. […]
