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The British Columbia government has released its latest research and innovation strategy, although its release is somewhat anticlimactic given the recent flurry of major new program initiatives. The slim 13-page document (including front and back page covers) contains no new funding initiatives but it does provide a concise rationale for the new programs announced in recent weeks and a clear framework for future investments.

Canadian surface science has received a major boost with the official unveiling of a new reflectometer at the National Research Council’s Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (CNBC) in Chalk River ON. The $2.

Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics Inc (TRT) has landed a lucrative US licensing deal that could see the Toronto-based start-up become a world-leading supplier of mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells to cord blood banks around the world.

Key commitment in S&T Strategy

The new consolidated national advisory council for science, technology and innovation has been launched with the appointment of Dr Howard Alper as its inaugural chair.

Canada is taking the lead in the Public Population Project in Genomics (P3G) with a $34.5-million investment in the Quebec-based CARTaGENE project. Canada now leads in three international genomics consortia, including the International Regulome Consortium and the Structural Genomics Consortium and is a significant player in several others.

Toronto’s information and communication technology (ICT) cluster is the third largest in North America and is the undisputed global leader in digital media. A new report— Toronto’’s Competitive Positioning in the ICT Sector —examines seven of the world’s most successful ICT centres and finds that Toronto is a global ICT powerhouse with strengths in several areas.

Rebounding telecom crash

The Canadian photonics sector appears to be making solid gains following the destructive shockwaves created by the telecom meltdown. Solid growth trends — particularly in the life sciences and defence and security sectors — have elevated hopes that the pervasive impact of photonics may translate into diversified strength and increased sales.

Canadian firms that receive both R&D grants and use R&D tax credits are responsible for more world-first product innovations and are more successful in commercializing those inventions, says a new European study.

Other partners to follow suit

The Province of Ontario is first up to the plate with funding to support bilateral research under the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP). Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty announced late last month that the province would invest $30 million in a new Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) between the two jurisdictions, which is aiming to secure $500 million over five years from Canadian and Californian sources.

Federal S&T Strategy

The federal government has released its long-awaited S&T Strategy that — if adequately supported and properly executed — could have a positive, long-term impact on how S&T and the commercialization of research contribute to Canada’s social and economic prosperity.