Research Money asked Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to respond to four questions about criticisms of the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) program. In response, ISED says SIF is producing “significant benefits” for Canadians, including new jobs created, co-op placements and investment in R&D and new technologies.
Topic: federal innovation programs
Canada needs a targeted industrial strategy to improve innovation performance, experts say
Canada’s continued poor performance in innovation and business productivity is due to a failure to link publicly funded research and innovation programs to an industrial strategy based on the country’s strengths, say innovation experts. Meanwhile, studies by University of Toronto researchers show the federal innovation agenda has negatively impacted funding for basic, investigator-driven research but hasn’t addressed the underlying problem of industrial innovation in Canada.
Opinion: Stop putting “lipstick” on Canada’s innovation mess and solve early-stage funding gap
Canada needs to stop putting “lipstick” on Canada’s innovation mess and solve the funding gap for early-stage entrepreneurs and SMEs, Michael Nitefor, president and founder of Air Lab, Inc., says in an editorial.
Federal government must improve “catastrophic” innovation performance, say innovation experts and business groups
Innovation experts and business groups are stepping up calls for the federal government to fix a “weak and out of balance” innovation ecosystem. Canada continues to lag other countries in innovation performance and productivity, according to international indexes.
Ottawa defends innovation performance and initiatives to strengthen ecosystem
Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada, in a detailed response to growing criticisms, defends the federal government’s innovation performance, policies and programs.
Fewer federal innovation programs still offer substantial funding, say senior government officials
The federal government has shrunk the number of innovation programs it offers, but there’s still ample funding and opportunities available, government officials say.