We need a return to funding basic research
It was in the spring 2012 budget that the previous Conservative government established the primacy of utilitarian, mercantile science over basic research and pure intellectual inquiry. The budget decreed that federal funds would go to research that was “business-led [and] industry-relevant.” The significant deficit in industry investment in research and development affects our economy. We […]
On innovation, Canada can learn from Israel
Last spring Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains announced the federal government’s goal of making Canada an innovation superpower. Since then, the consultation process for the Canada Innovation Agenda has included a review not only of our historic approach to innovation but also of the best practices that have given other countries the edge in the new […]
Don’t skip the early-career scientists when doling out research dollars
At first glance, the parade of cabinet ministers on university campuses across Canada yesterday might have looked like evidence of a new era in federal support for science. Scott Brison was on hand at Dalhousie University in Halifax, which will work with the University of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland’s Memorial University on a multidisciplinary […]
Biotechnology and Life Sciences
Strong privacy laws needed in digital age
OTTAWA—Privacy laws around the world may differ on certain issues, but all share a key principle: the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information requires user consent. The challenge in a digital world where data is continuously collected and can be used in a myriad of previously unimaginable ways is how to ensure that the […]
Angel investors key to creating a 21st-century innovation economy
VANCOUVER—Entrepreneurship is thriving in Canada, but we must provide it with the fuel it needs for growth. In Canada, we chronically undercapitalize our promising companies, leaving many entrepreneurs struggling to find early-stage risk capital just when they need it most. As a result, many look to the U.S., where capital is easier to secure, and […]
Never mind Trump, look what Clinton’s saying
TORONTO—Donald Trump gets more of the headlines. But if we are smart, we should be paying more attention to Hillary Clinton. She is more likely to be the next American president, and she is setting out a platform that has important implications for Canada. At the top of the list is trade. While Clinton is […]
If only I had chickens around, I might not have gotten malaria
LONDON, U.K.—I had malaria once, and it was extremely unpleasant. I had been working in Yemen, but I actually contracted it when I was flying home. The flight made a stop in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, and the plane was parked out on the runway while waiting to pick up passengers, right on the edge […]
Why a West Coast aquarium is working with the feds to study the Arctic
Not long after the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre first opened its doors six decades ago, a team of adventurous employees and researchers travelled to the Arctic to explore the icy, windswept reaches of Canada’s North. In the years since, our Arctic research expeditions have become an annual practice, with scientists heading north each summer […]
Government group cites tech as key to energy future
Perhaps taking its lead from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments earlier this year about wanting Canada to be known more for its “resourcefulness” as opposed to its “resources,” an organization within the federal government says Canada’s energy future may lie in technological innovation, rather than in fossil fuels. Policy Horizons Canada’s document, entitled Canada in a […]
