Canada’s role in international science must be improved if the country is to withstand the onslaught of globalization and rapidly expanding economies of nations such as India, China, Brazil and Russia. The federal government appears to recognize that Canada’s stature and role on the world S&T stage needs to be improved, having committed to stronger domestic and international partnerships in its 2007 S&T Strategy.
But to date, little has occurred other than policy formulation for a Global Innovation Strategy (GIS) and modestly funded programs such as ISTPCanada (see lead story). The next Budget must contain a major statement on international S&T, its role in the nation’s future economic aspirations and a strategy (complete with new funding) that will tie it all together into a potent, cohesive package.
ISTPCanada and other agencies have shown that bilateral collaboration holds great promise for Canada at a relatively modest cost. Just think what could be accomplished if bilateral funding was significantly ramped up. The Israeli experience with bilateral R&D collaboration (of which they have more than 100) has transformed that tiny nation’s economy and placed it at the cutting edge of many commercially successful technology niches.
The importance of engaging internationally is considered so important that one of Canada’s largest scientific bodies made it its sole recommendation to the Finance committee (see page 4). It’s time for this government to get serious about S&T and Canada’s potential in the global innovation system.
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