Article Type: Generic

“National Priorities and Regional Advantages:
Opportunities for Atlantic Canada in Canada’s Science and Technology Strategy”
November 21, 2007
World Trade Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Speakers include: Christa Bleyleben,Executive Director, Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment, Rory Francis, Executive Director, PEI Bioalliance and Jorge Niosi, Professor, Department of Management and Technology, UQAM,
Canada Research Chair on the Management of Technology
Partners: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency &
Nova Scotia Economic Development
FMI: www.

Targetting SR&ED and early procurement

Canada’s place in the top echelon of nations developing and commercializing hydrogen fuel cell technology is in danger unless the federal government implements a long-delayed national strategy and increases its support, says the head of the association representing the industry.

The Conservative government biggest research and commercialization program to date is now underway, with 25 out of 110 hopefuls green lighted to submit full applications by the end of the month. The last Budget allocated $350 million over three fiscal years to the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR).

Return on investment (ROI) stemming from Canadian health research is the focus on a major new assessment by the Canadian Academy of Health Research (CAHS). The assessment will be conducted over the next 12 months to determine the best metrics for measuring ROI of health research from all sectors and funding organizations from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and provincial governments to pharmaceutical firms and not-for-profit organizations.

It’s called the participative web (P-web) or Web 2.0, but regardless of its title the explosion of two-way Internet communications is emerging as one of the most critical strategy and policy challenges for government and industry alike.

The BIOCAP Canada Foundation is winding up operations and developing a university-based mandate after failing to secure federal follow-on financing from the federal government. The innovative Queen’s Univ-based organization features a novel pairing of industry, academic and government researchers seeking ways to boost and integrate the use of biomass into Canada’s overall approach to energy usage.

Aerospace, automotive, construction and bioproducts technologies have emerged as the top-line priorities in the National Research Council’s (NRC) freshly minted business plan. Launched last month, the plan aims to realigning Canada’s premier R&D agency into a sector-focused organization whose activities are increasing driven by industry needs and its role in strengthening the national system of innovation.

NSERC and SSHRC ponder next steps

Open access is coming to researchers funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) with the introduction of a new policy that puts pressure on Canada’s other granting councils to follow suit.

Just four months to complete work

A four-member expert panel assembled to examine the issue of transferring federal, non-regulatory laboratories to the academic and private sectors has until December to report back to Treasury Board with its recommendations.

Government science was the focus of a unique symposium held earlier this month with many speakers and participants calling for a greater government commitment to strengthen Canada’s federal laboratories.