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reports and analyses of the forces driving science and technology investment in Canada
editor: Mark Henderson How it looks to me.... by Mark Henderson FEATURE REPORTS | RESEARCH BRIEFS | PERSONALITIES How it looks to me.... by Mark Henderson, editor, RE$EARCH MONEY Depending on who you talk to, the proposal for a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has the solid backing of the Health minister. Following the meeting of the CIHR task force and Allan Rock, work was accelerated on developing an appropriate governance structure and completing the business case analysis for the $500-million/year proposal. Everyone agrees Rock was impressed -- he said so repeatedly. But opinion seems split over whether the minister should have offered the voluntary task force members some administrative assistance in preparing their case for Cabinet scrutiny. Considering the magnitude of CIHR and its importance to the future well-being of every Canadian, CIHR deserves all the support it can get. If that means furnishing the task force with a few talented bodies to flesh out the vision, so be it. The economic and social benefits could go far towards achieving this government's top stated priority of raising the Canadian standard of living by improving its health care system. Increase, focused, collaborative research is also certain to be welcomed by industry, which is always seeking the means to grab the upper hand in the face of intense global competition. The CIHR business case forcefully demonstrates how cutting-edge research can be transformed into profits as well as healthier Canadians. The talent is merely waiting to be properly harnessed.
FEATURE REPORTS...
RESEARCH BRIEFS
Janssen to fund R&D for Allelix antipsychotic technology Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc has entered into a collaborative R&D agreement with Belgium's Janssen Pharma- ceutica NV to develop its glycine re-uptake inhibitor technology platform. The agreement, through Allelix's US subsidiary -- Allelix Neuroscience Inc -- will see Janssen make an upfront payment of $6.2 million, plus a $3.1 million fee, annual R&D payments and annual R&D funding in return for worldwide marketing rights. Allelix will also receive royalty payments from the sale of products resulting from the partnership, likely multiple antipsychotic medications for the treatment of schizophrenia. The agreement also involves Johnson & Johnson Development Corp, a unit of Janssen's parent firm which is a shareholder of Allelix common stock. R&D funding is slated for two years with an extension option....
Lumonics merges with GSI to create international powerhouse Lumonics Inc, Kanata ON is merging with General Scanning Inc, Watertown NY, to create one of the largest producers of advanced laser-based manufacturing systems in the world. The new firm -- to be called GSI Lumonics -- will have combined sales of US$300 million and sales in 40 countries. When the merger is completed early next year, Lumonics president/CEO Warren Scott Nix will become president/COO, while his GSI counterpart -- Charles Winston -- becomes the new firm's CEO....
IBM donates $1 million for high-performance computing research IBM Corp, Armonk NY, has made a $1-million donation to establish a high performance computing facility at Queen's Univ. Touted as the largest education grant ever awarded by IBM's education division in Canada, it was made to the High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory (HPCVL) consortium comprised of Queen's, the Univ of Ottawa, Carleton Univ and the Royal Military College of Canada. The high computing expertise will be used in more than 100 projects at the partner institutions for research into astrophysics, information technology, drug development, communications, manufacturing, environment, finance, economics and policy studies. HPCVL is a member of C3.ca, a national association dedicated to improving Canada's high computing performance network....
Newcourt donates $3.75 million for financial services research Newcourt Credit Group is making a $3.75-million donation to three Toronto-based universities for research into the financial services sector. The donation was made through the 17-year-old Toronto Community Foundation, a full-service organization that creates donation strategies for corporations and individuals enabling donors to create philanthropic legacies. York Univ will receive $2 million through its Schulich School of Business to strengthen its teaching and research into the financial services sector. The Univ of Toronto receives $1.5 million to establish and endow a chair in structured finance at the Joseph L Rotman School of Management. Ryerson Polytechnic Univ receives $250,000 to permanently fund the Newcourt Ryerson Business Forum, focusing on current business issues....
PERSONALITIESGedas Sakus has announced that he will step down as president of Nortel Networks Technology -- Canada's largest private-sector R&D enterprise and the amalgamated R&D operations of Northern Telecom Ltd and Bell-Northern Research. Sakus' role in engineering the re-organization capped a 36-year career with Nortel that began upon his graduation from the Univ of Toronto with a BSc in electrical engineering. Starting out as the first engineer hired for the firm's Bramalea switching plant. He has been president of both Bell-Northern Research and Nortel's Public Carrier Networks division. The 59-year-old Sakus holds a position with the Information Technology Association of Canada and is a member of the Advisory Council on Science & Technology, reporting to the prime minister. He was recently inducted into the Univ of Toronto's Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction.... The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) has reached within its own executive ranks to choose Jim Hutchinson as its new president and CEO. Hutchinson began his new duties September 1. He replaces Ron Woodward, who accepted the position of president at Red Deer College. A 13-year SRC veteran, Hutchinson has held several executive positions, most recently as VP and COO. He will continue to help SRC provide applied science and technology infrastructure expertise to public and private partners.... Duncan MacIntyre has been appointed president and CEO of CME Telemetrix Inc, replacing company founder Aidan Furlong, who remains as vice chairman and director. MacIntyre has spent much of his career with Monsanto, holding various positions including VP and GM of Monsanto Canada Chemicals and VP international of its Chicago-based Nutrasweet subsidiary. He is the founding president and CEO of Canada's National Quality Institute. MacIntyre's immediate responsibility is to move CME's EMG products and non-invasive glucose monitor closer to commercialization....
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