Person: Benjamin Bergen

New advanced research agency high on federal innovation minister’s lengthy to do list

Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne is facing a very busy year, with a mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that includes more than 30 assigned tasks. They include establishing a new advanced research projects agency, launching a Canadian critical minerals strategy and a national quantum strategy and creating a global centre of excellence for eliminating methane gas emissions.

The Short Report – Aug. 25, 2021: $100M to study safer railways, planning Canada’s first Mental Health Innovation Incubator, SSHRC Anti-Black Racism committee, and more…

FEDERAL ELECTION More than 200 Canadian tech and business executives are asking more of their peers to sign an open letter calling on federal political leaders to outline how Canada can achieve “prosperous, secure, equitable and sustainable” growth in a post-pandemic economy. Released Aug. 24, the letter stresses the need for Canada to adopt Canadian-made…

Canada needs a targeted industrial strategy to improve innovation performance, experts say

Canada’s continued poor performance in innovation and business productivity is due to a failure to link publicly funded research and innovation programs to an industrial strategy based on the country’s strengths, say innovation experts. Meanwhile, studies by University of Toronto researchers show the federal innovation agenda has negatively impacted funding for basic, investigator-driven research but hasn’t addressed the underlying problem of industrial innovation in Canada.