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The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has approved $23.8 million for 124 projects across the country under its New Opportunities Fund (NOF) and Infrastructure Operating Fund. Established to assist universities in their recruitment efforts of top researchers, the NOF has awarded $300 million to date, helping institutions retain or attract 2,080 researchers.

The Ontario government surpassed its Quebec counterpart in R&D spending in FY01-02 for the first time in recent history, and preliminary data show the trend continuing in FY02-03. In FY01-02, the Ontario government spent $443.

November 9, 2004 at the Ottawa Congress Centre: The Fourth Annual RE$EARCH MONEY Conference, “Commercialization: What’s Working, What’s Not” will bring business leaders together with policy makers and the research community to look critically at different models for commercialization being practiced and proposed around the country.

The National Research Council (NRC) is in the midst of an extensive consultation and strategic planning phase that will help to delineate the organization’s proposed role in commercialization in preparation for the next Budget.

The Liberal and Conservative parties have very different views on how Canada should exploit its expertise in science and technology and implement an effective innovation agenda. Now that the federal election is a horse race with no clear winner in sight, RE$EARCH MONEY examines the election platforms of both major parties and analyzes their respective approaches to business subsidies and regional innovation.

Alliance-Lite Policies

A picture of the Conservative platform on S&T and innovation is emerging that places an Alberta-style emphasis on a low tax environment, frowns on public assistance to business and calls for an Auditor General (AG) “value for money” review of all federal granting programs.

NRC would get major new funding

The Liberal Party has laid down its clearest vision yet of what it believes Canada must accomplish to become a truly 21st Century economy. As expected, commercialization is the centrepiece of the Party’s election platform for science and technology, stemming directly from the government’s ongoing policy of building upon its $13 billion in research investments over the past eight years.

The Liberal Party has made a surprise, mid-campaign announcement of $1 billion over five years for the automotive, aerospace and other manufacturing sectors. The funding — to be cobbled together from five departments — appears to be aimed at shoring up sagging support in vote-rich Ontario and accelerates plans to introduce a package of incentives for the auto sector to complement a similar commitment by the Ontario government.

Sustainable Technology Development Canada (SDTC) has announced the results from its largest competition to date and is laying the groundwork to enter new areas of investment. SDTC invested $32.4 million in 11 projects in the latest round, including a demonstration project led by Westport Innovations Inc (see page 7).

Support is growing for the next president of the National Research Council (NRC) to be chosen from among the ranks of the private sector. Such an appointment would be a dramatic departure from historical tradition but could be a master policy stroke as the organization seeks to transform itself into the Canada’s premier agent of commercialization.