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Saskatchewan’s new $11-million Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) is beginning operations under a cloud following the late-September mass firing of the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) president/CEO and its 14-member board of directors.

IBM Canada Ltd has made a $150-million investment in its Bromont PQ assembly plant, further enhancing the capacity of the parent firm’s largest microchip assembly facility. The investment is part of a previously announced commitment by IBM to pump $7.

A contribution of $120 million by three Research in Motion Ltd (RIM) executives to establish an institute for theoretical physics is being viewed as a powerful incentive that could trigger a massive increase in philanthropy dedicated to fundamental research.

The Liberal government has made research, innovation and the knowledge-based economy central planks in its re-election strategy, with a commitment to increase its spending on R&D by at least $1 billion by FY04-05.

Three finalists have been announced for the new Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, with the winner to be announced at a December 7 ceremony hosted by the Governor General of Canada.

The Quebec government’s new tax holiday program for major investments is being utilized by one of the province’s fastest growing firms in the hot technology sector of fibre optics. EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc has been granted a 10-year tax credit that exempts the Vanier PQ-based manufacturer from paying taxes on company income, capital and the employer contribution to Quebec’s Health Services Fund.

A strong case can be made that the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC) is in an enviable position as attention increasingly turns towards urgent global issues such as climate change, energy efficiency and energy conservation.

The Royal Bank of Canada’s goal of creating a seed investment fund for agricultural technologies has finally been realized with the announcement of $42 million in financing for Foragen Technology Management Inc.

Martin’s mini-budget targets the CFI for $500 million in new funding

Canada’s research community was the surprise beneficiary of the Liberal administration’s pre-election Economic Statement and Budget Update this week, with the announcement of $500 million in new funding for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and $100 million over five years for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) (see page 2).

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has received a “special allocation” of $100 million over five years to conduct research into three areas considered key to understanding the ramifications of the New Economy.