Major tech sectors in cities and provinces across the country saw growth in venture capital investment in the first quarter of this year, but all the sectors face challenges attracting and retaining a workforce given the global competition for tech talent.
Topic: SMEs
Changes to government policy could enable SMEs to deliver effective and meaningful workplace inclusion programs
Changes to government policy could enable small and medium-sized businesses to offer meaningful workplace inclusion programs for people often excluded from the labour force such as youth with autism, to help address Canada’s labour shortages, Ling Huang, co-founder and CEO of Edmonton-based Technology North, says in an op-ed.
The Short Report: Jan. 19, 2022: $550M in federal research investments, a review of Canada’s energy policies, COVID-19’s impacts on children, and more
Ottawa announces over $550 million in federal research investments, the International Energy Agency reviews Canada’s energy policies, an international study details COVID-19’s impacts on children, MDA wins a second contract for a 2023 moon mission, and more.
Q&A: Innovation Asset Collective co-founder Jim Hinton on winning the race to the patent office
Jim Hinton is a patent lawyer based in Kitchener-Waterloo and the co-founder of the Innovation Asset Collective (IAC), which launched this year with $30 million in federal funding. Research Money spoke to Hinton about the challenges facing tech developers, researchers and policymakers surrounding IP.
New program launches to help Alberta innovators commercialize digital health technologies
Alberta Innovates has launched a new program called Accelerating Innovations into CarE (AICE)-Concepts that provides funding to help early-stage entrepreneurs commercialize digital health technologies.
Q&A: Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, on growing the country’s ocean-based economy
To recognize the annual United Nations World Oceans Day (June 8) and its theme “One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together,” Research Money spoke with Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, about the opportunities and challenges in growing the country’s ocean economy and the Ocean Supercluster’s activities.
Superclusters doing “good things” for Canada’s innovation ecosystem despite criticisms, says former federal deputy minister
The superclusters should be assessed by a broad innovation policy framework and with a longer time frame than their initial five-year mandate, says John Knubley, the former deputy minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada who was responsible for the creation of the superclusters initiative.
After billions in funding, Strategic Innovation Fund failed to improve Canada’s innovation performance, experts say
Nearly $3.4 billion in federal spending through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) during the last three years has failed to improve Canada’s “disastrous” innovation performance and productivity, say some innovation and policy experts. An analysis by Research Money of SIF data shows that Ontario, Quebec and foreign-based firms have received the lion’s share of SIF funding.
Strategic Innovation Fund producing “significant benefits” for Canadians, ISED says
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.
Oil and gas innovation network offers $80 million in clean technology competitions
The Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN) is making up to $80 million in federal funding available through oil and gas industry challenges to accelerate the development and commercialization of clean technology.