This month will go down as one of the most significant in the short history of Canada’s biotechnology industry. With Toronto Bio2002 conference serving as a backdrop, many public and private sector groups used the event as a launching pad for new initiatives, major announcements and a greater measure of credibility.

You’d have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to realize that the governing Liberal party is threatening to come apart at the seams. Partisan politics have taken centre stage in the national consciousness, at the expense of virtually all other issues.

The federal government is once again on the hunt for an effective S&T policy to guide and coordinate an increasingly critical component of the nation’s future health and prosperity. The public portion of the innovation agenda’s consultation phase has been launched and Industry minister Alan Rock is apparently committed to pushing through a full blown strategy by the end of the year.

Observers of Ottawa’s collective S&T effort could be forgiven for asking whether there’s anyone minding the store. At a time when the federal government has committed to doubling its R&D effort and positioning innovation as a key policy thrust, critics from a variety of sources are uncovering a litany of shoddy practices and weak oversight.

For those standing at the gates waiting for the consultation phase of the innovation strategy to begin, you may be surprised to hear that it’s already begun. Federal officials have been fanning out across the country engaging in discussions with industry groups before the schedule has been announced.

Quebec has once again taken the bull by the horns in its ongoing campaign to stimulate the province’s technology sectors. This time the province is combating its woeful record for attracting foreign venture capital (VC).

Dr Ronald Worton knows his way around stem cell research. The esteemed research executive and scientist wears many hats, among them scientific director of the Stem Cell Network, a new Network of Centres of Excellence.

The long wait is over. The government has released its innovation papers after many months of delays, internal wrangling and serious spin doctoring. And what we’ve been handed is a familiar “blueprint for economic growth” rather than a true innovation strategy.

Photonics and aerospace manufacturing are both high-profile, advanced technology industries and rank high on government priority lists. So it’s no real surprise to see the key research players in these sectors banding together to prime their respective innovation engines (see pages 4 & 6).

The federal government’s nuclear policy is a mess and requires urgent action to ensure that its research underpinnings aren’t irreversibly damaged. From the sorry, ongoing saga of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd to Ottawa’s ill-considered decision to abandon support for nuclear fusion research, it’s clear that this country’s nuclear policy is lacking a clear strategy and a coherent vision.