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A recently formed research consortium is working to expand an evolving set of indicators that will allow the tracking of innovation at the provincial level. The Canadian Science and Innovation Indicators Consortium (CSIIC) is in the initial stages of developing the new indicators, basing their research on work already conducted by the European Commission.

A new innovation report from the Conference Board of Canada (CBOC) says governments should accelerate their smart regulation initiatives and ensure that new policies and programs to encourage private sector innovation are consistent with existing policies and practices.

The private sector is the main driver behind increases in Canadian R&D personnel, more than doubling the number of positions between 1991 and 2000 and adding new positions for every year but one. The only other sector to increase its numbers during the same period is the higher education, which posted a modest 16.

The fuel cells industry is applauding the federal government’s decision to dedicate $215 million to stimulate hydrogen R&D and demonstration projects while cautioning that much more is needed for Canada to become a major global player.

Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) is launching a new targeted business assistance program as part of the federal government’s $215-million investment in the hydrogen economy. The h2 Early Adopters (h2EA) program marks the first time TPC has introduced a new program since its inception in 1996.

Improvements in investment conditions in British Columbia have resulted in a flurry of new funds with an emphasis on early-stage and seed financing. The catalyst is being provided changes to the Small Business Venture Capital Act (SBVCA) introduced by the Gordon Campbell government and an opening up of the venture capital market to more players.

Federal politicians have spent the past few weeks crisscrossing Atlantic Canada to selectively announce projects awarded funding under the second competition of the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF). A total of 54 projects were awarded $136 million in funding, with $155 million coming from other sources.

The forestry research community is demonstrating that life can continue after funding from the Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) has run its course. A new network has arisen following the expiry last year of support for the Mechanical Wood-Pulps NCE (MWPN).

Canada’s advanced internet organization has launched a new $4-million program to develop broadband applications for its national research and education network. The CANARIE CA*net 4 Advanced Applications Program (AAP) will provide up to $250,000 on a cost-shared basis for projects in several areas, including network research, advanced network and application security, video conferencing, university portals and distributed or grid computing.

A small Toronto-based venture capital firm has parlayed is knack for creating and growing early-stage software companies into a successful business with a spectacular divestiture that earned it the prestigious Annual Deal of the Year Award.