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With the election of a Liberal government in Ontario for the first time in 15 years, the province’s approach to innovation is bound to change. Less ideologically driven in its approach to economic development, the party’s innovation platform aims to close the productivity gap with the US that it alleges doubled under the previous administration.

S&T to drive 21st Century economy

Paul Martin has once again delivered a bellwether speech that contains a host of tantalizing clues on how the incoming prime minister plans to use innovation and science and technology to strengthen economic and social development.

The president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has won the support of Industry minister Alan Rock for six new innovation initiatives, including developing a roadmap for “big science” projects, boosting research capacity at smaller universities and funding community college collaborations with industry.

A growing number of players from all sectors of the innovative economy are helping to raise the possibility of using Canadian science and technology to assist developing nations. The latest indication came in a September 18 speech by Paul Martin to the Montreal Board of Trade.

Genome Canada plans to establish a series of patent offices to accelerate and add value to intellectual property (IP) being generated by its five affiliated regional genome centres. The offices — contingent upon new funding — are modelled on the patent operations of large pharmaceutical companies and would also bundle technologies to make them more attractive to private sector investors.

McGill Univ is home to Canada’s newest research facility with the official opening of 740 Dr. Penfield, a centre focused on genomics, proteomics and bone research. The six-storey centre — part of the McGill University Health Centre at 740 Dr.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is erecting another major building block in its long-term strategy of becoming Canada’s main engine of health research and innovation. President Dr Alan Bernstein and other CIHR executives have been consulting with a variety of stakeholders over the summer on a draft version of its Blueprint 2007 Strategic Plan, which pegs the need for a $1-billion annual budget at FY07-08 (see chart).

Bell Canada and Nortel Networks Corp have entered into a joint R&D initiative as part of a comprehensive agreement to develop Internet protocol (IP) applications and services for what’s being called a Next Generation Network.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has a cash flow problem that’s severely constraining its ability to fund new research projects. The funding crunch has compelled the organization to cut 5% from ongoing research grants starting in FY04-05 and defer payments to researchers who have significant unspent balances in their accounts at fiscal year end.

The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program has approved the creation and funding of two new Networks. In a press release that was quietly released in early July, the NCE steering committee headed by Dr Tom Brzu-stowski gave the nod to ArcticNet and the Canadian Advanced Foods and Bio-Materials Networks (CAFBN).