Article Type: Generic

Industrial R&D spending intentions for 2005 indicate a slight year-over-year improvement of 1.6% before inflation. But expenditures remain 3.3% below the record level achieved in 2001. The continuing industrial R&D slump is attributable in large part to depressed R&D outlays by communications equipment manufacturing and semiconductor and components manufacturing industries, which remain below 2001 levels.

Friesen, Morin and Filmon lead the charge

A group of prominent Canadian health experts from all sectors is backing an industry-driven proposal for improving the health care system and increasing its social and economic outputs without a request for direct public funding.

By Vincent Wright

Canada’s leading voice for nanotechnology business development is partnering with the National Research Council’s (NRC) Industrial Materials Institute (IMI) on a roadmap that could lead to the country’s first fabrication facility for commercializing potentially disruptive, nanoscale innovations.

Announcement takes S&T community by surprise

The Ontario government has announced the creation of a new Ministry of Research Innovation (MRI), marking the first time the province has established a Ministry solely devoted to S&T.

Finance minister Ralph Goodale will decide soon whether to approve $150 million in new funding to support Canadian participation in a two-year global study of the polar regions. The funding would support participation by Canadian researchers in the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-08 — a two-year global initiative that will see approximately $1 billion spent by more than 100 nations to conduct interdisciplinary scientific programs focusing on the north and south poles.

October 6 in Moncton NB: Second Regional RE$EARCH MONEY Conference.
Theme: Growing Technology-based Business in Atlantic Canada.
November 8 in Ottawa: Fifth Annual RE$EARCH MONEY Conference.
Theme: Ensuring a Future for Industrial Research in Canada.

By Debbie Lawes

A more aggressive adoption of information and communications technologies (ICT) – fuelled by at least $455 million in new federal funding – could reverse Canada’s lagging productivity and competitiveness in world markets, according to Industry Canada.

Rx&D calls for new innovation strategy

The slide in R&D spending by Canadian pharma continues with 2004 expenditures by 84 reporting firms declining both in absolute dollars and research intensity. R&D spending as a percentage of revenue fell to 8.

Phase I opens officially in the fall

Now the hard part begins. After five years, nearly $200 million in public and private financing and countless volunteer hours by a group of committed individuals, Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District is set to open.

The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program hopes to convince the federal government to more than double its annual budget allocation when it comes up for review in 2007. The program — which currently receives permanent funding of $77.