As smart cities become our norm, we must be smart about a data strategy
Canadians’ attention has been drawn to the issue of smart cities by the public debate over the merits of Sidewalk Labs’ proposed Quayside development in Toronto. The project brings home a vision of cities embedded with sensors that continuously harvest data about infrastructure and human activity alike. The intense discussions that have broken out around […]
Microgrids eyed as new way to deliver macro impact
On Aug. 14, 2003, the lights went out across much of Ontario and several northeastern states. The Milky Way, normally only visible in more remote communities, could be seen from downtown Toronto, as light pollution was no longer obscuring the solar system. Some 10 million Ontarians were affected, while nearly 50 million Americans were left […]
Canada’s Conservatives will connect communities
As an MP and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s shadow minister for innovation, science, and economic development, I get many invitations to talk about rural internet access and get outside the so-called Ottawa bubble. Hearing directly from those who live in rural or remote communities is important for us to truly put people before government. A […]
Reframing Canada’s global AI leadership: a realistic path to the top
All signs point to artificial intelligence (AI) being key to the new economy and perhaps even the 21st century as a whole. But in the world of policy, AI is an abused term that is subject to misinterpretation and political posturing, not to mention real confusion. In Canada, many decision-makers and commentators seem to agree that […]
In the global race for AI, how do we ensure we’re creating a better world?
There is a new gold rush. In the same way that early prospectors raced to stake their claims to extract wealth from the ground, companies are rushing to patent aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) so that they can extract wealth from algorithms and data. This time, however, it is not just about money—though that is […]
Superclusters move toward first projects as Bains says innovation program ‘kicking into high gear’
Canada’s five “superclusters” will spend 2019 getting their not-for-profit entities set up and rolling out their first projects meant to boost sector-wide productivity and collaboration under the Liberal government’s cornerstone innovation program. The federal government reached funding agreements with the five winners of its Innovation Superclusters Initiative last November and December, hashing out what portion […]
What happens to people in the age of AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and related emerging technologies will drastically change our society over the next couple of decades. Not only will automated systems soon take over jobs such as truck driving and manufacturing, they will eventually disrupt employment everywhere else, too. The current headlong rush to automate will create some employment in selected sectors, such […]
Here are the building blocks of a good digital strategy
Canada’s future competitiveness and growth prospects are inextricably linked to our ability to seize the opportunities created by the rapidly evolving digital economy. Evolving digital technologies create an opportunity for new products, technologies, services, business processes, societal tools, and organizations to generate new wealth, but they also challenge the existing system of production and our […]
How Canada is building a nation of innovators
The winds of change are powerful and persistent in the global economy. New technologies and new applications of data and digital tools are driving a fourth industrial revolution in economies and societies around the world. We can either put our heads in the sand and lose our opportunity for leadership, or we can take charge […]
Innovation
