The impact of the new Quebec government’s turnaround on S&T is already being likened to the governments of Mike Harris and Gordon Campbell in Ontario and British Columbia. A scant few weeks after taking power, Charest’s Liberals are going after business subsidies with a vengeance that appears to be more ideologically than practically driven.

With increasing globalization and tight financial markets, the commercialization conundrum facing Canadian technology companies is getting more difficult and perplexing by the day. Models and strategies that gained considerable cachet one or two years ago have failed to deliver, prompting another round of concepts that appear to have learned from past mistakes.

Much has been made in recent weeks about fears that Canada may suffer at the hands of the Bush administration for failing to support the recent invasion of Iraq. A more constructive approach may be to look for opportunities that arise from the shifts in fiscal and research policy being undertaken by the US government.

The Ontario government has taken a courageous stand in the fight against cancer with what is possibly the single largest research investment in the province’s history. The Cancer Research Institute of Ontario (CRIO) represents a bold step forward in capitalizing on existing strength in cancer research as well as a forward-looking approach to economic development.

Government faith in biotechnology’s ability to deliver in a knowledge-based economy continues unabated. New Statistics Canada data show that federal investments in biotech R&D are accelerating and reached $513 million in FY01-02, while the Quebec government has expanded its menu of support.

It appears as though the federal and Ontario governments could use a refresher course on openness, transparency and timely disclosure. This issue of RE$EARCH MONEY contains several examples of new initiatives in which these fundamental tenants of democratically elected governments have been brushed aside.

Those who think that the work funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is far removed from critical public policy issues should think again. The chronically underfunded granting agency supports much of the research that informs the current debate on innovation, not to mention Canada’s future as a civil society armed with a robust, internationally competitive knowledge economy.

Developing vibrant world-class clusters is no easy feat, particularly when other countries are pursuing similar objectives. The fuel cells cluster in Vancouver is a case in point (see page 2). Anchored by Ballard Power Systems Inc, the Vancouver area has witnessed a remarkable coalescing of companies, institutions and government laboratories.

Canada’s drive to rise into the upper ranks of innovative nations is about to arrive at a critical juncture. Having spent billion of dollars building the nation’s research base, government must now take the next step and create bridges from discovery to the marketplace.