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Backers of the novel Neptune Project should know this month whether the British Columbia government will match the $31.9 million made last year by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CF) (R$, July 8/02).

A unique project to make biomolecular knowledge available to all researchers through an open source database has received a total of $29 million in funding from the federal and Ontario governments and three private sector partners.

The increase in biotechnology R&D spending in 2000 failed to match the overall increase in industrial R&D outlays for the first time in four years as the sector grew 7.6% to $712.4 million. Overall industrial R&D spending rose 11.

The dismantling of Quebec’s ambitious S&T agenda has begun. The June 12 Budget by the new Liberal government of Jean Charest has taken direct aim at the majority of tax incentives designed to encourage private sector innovation.

Building upon the experience of FINE

The ongoing efforts of federal laboratories to reach out and collaborate amongst themselves and with other sectors have taken a new turn with the decision to identify and implement broad, cutting-edge research projects without additional funding.

The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) association has updated its influential 2001 report on innovation and is recommending that industry take immediate action to improve productivity and competitiveness rather than wait for governments to launch long-awaited initiatives.

The crushing financial downturn that is crippling the telecommunications industry has researchers on both sides of the Canada-US border calling for increased public support of fundamental research to ensure continued innovation and economic growth.

Who controls process remains unresolved

A draft report from a key Innovation Strategy workshop on developing commercialization capacity has established a course of action and a three-year timeframe to tackle what many consider to be the most pressing obstacle in Canada’s drive to become a truly innovative nation.

The explosion in computing power and the accelerating pace of global competition is prompting an increasing number of Canadian firms to turn to mathematics research to gain competitive advantage. The upswing in interest of pure and applied mathematics research has had a profound impact on MITACS, short for Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems.

CANARIE Inc is seeking transitional funding for its applications development programs following its failure to obtain renewed financing in the last federal Budget. The not-for-profit agency — best known for its development of world-leading, high-speed research networks — will be asking Industry Canada for approximately $30 million to continue its program funding for the next two years.