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A report on Canadian innovation by the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (S&T) calls for unspecified increases to several key federal S&T support programs and agencies, revives the call for a minister of science and levels criticism at the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Has the Innovation White Paper got the blues?

The lid has been snapped shut on official information about the federal government’s Innovation White Paper, but that doesn’t mean there’s any lack of opinion or rumours surrounding the eagerly awaited document.

Industry Canada is promising prompt implementation of key innovation elements of its new policy framework for Canadian shipbuilding and industrial marine industries. Released earlier this month, the framework says the government will “facilitate access” to existing federal S&T programs and facilities to help make the ailing industries more competitive.

A groundbreaking five-year study of Canadian regional innovation systems and their interaction with technology clusters has been given the green light by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Adherex Technologies Inc has forged ahead in an uncertain financial market and completed a $10-million initial public offering (IPO) that will provide sufficient funding for the early-stage biotechnology firm to reach clinical trials in two years time.

The political environment for CANARIE Inc’s drive to fund the next generation of high-speed research infrastructure through CA*Net 4 has been given a significant boost with the release of the eagerly awaited Report of the National Broadband Task Force.

The Federal Partners in Technology Transfer (FPTT) presented its annual awards on May 30. Three awards were presented in the area of technology transfer. They went to:

MDS Nordion, Kanata ON, and the National Research Council (NRC) for the development of an improved technique for radiation treatment of cancer patients.

Pent-up demand from policy makers will only be partially satisfied by Statistics Canada’s release of a major survey on R&D personnel in Canada. Given the long time lag before satisfactory numbers can be obtained and tabulated, the data are primarily of historical interest only.

Still silent on commercialization

Ontario has unveiled its largest research awards program since establishing the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology (MEST) in the latest move in a game of one-upmanship between the province and the federal government.

Watch for the next issue of RE$EARCH MONEY for first exclusive report on Canada’s Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders List in two years. The authoritative new ranking will include comprehensive R&D data from the last two fiscal years (1999 and 2000).