Speaking Points

The Honourable Tony Clement, PC, MP
Minister of Industry

Funding for the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership

London, Ontario
March 23, 2009

Check Against Delivery

Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to join you today to launch an exciting proposed initiative that will take action on some of Canada's top priorities.

The health of the economy is top of mind for all of us today as Canada, like countries the world over, copes with the effects of the global recession. The advancement and promotion of science and technology (S&T) in Canada is essential to our economic growth and recovery. Our government acknowledges this, and we are committed to supporting Canadian researchers and innovators.

Our government has placed a clear priority on S&T. As we consider Canada's long-term competitiveness and productivity, S&T will play a central role in developing a knowledge-based economy for Canada and in addressing many of our pressing societal challenges.

There is increasing awareness that, in order to compete globally, we must equip Canadians with the skills and training they need for the jobs of tomorrow. We have to prepare current and future workers for new opportunities that will keep Canada productive, competitive and ready to excel.

In 2007, Prime Minister Harper launched Canada's S&T Strategy, which set out a multi-year framework to improve Canada's long-term competitiveness and the quality of life of Canadians.

One of the key areas that most directly impacts quality of life, and where Canada has the potential to become more competitive globally, is health innovation.

As a former Minister of Health at both the federal and provincial levels, I know first-hand that we are underutilizing our potential.

I know that for the system to be sustainable, Canadian health care must be leading edge. We must pursue innovation and adopt new technologies, management techniques and processes.

While improving the quality of life for Canadians through advancements in health care technologies, we can also generate an economic benefit as a result of our pursuit and commercialization of these innovations and discoveries.

I know that Canada has the talent and purpose to compete globally with new health care technologies.

Today, I have the pleasure of announcing that our government intends to make a major investment — here at the University of Western Ontario — that would take concrete action to stimulate our economy, train highly skilled workers and revitalize Canada's health innovation systems. This federal investment would provide specialized student training that would result in improvements to Canadian health care while, simultaneously, strengthening the health of the Canadian economy.

As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada intends to provide $5 million to the University of Western Ontario to help create the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership.

With the support of these federal funds, the Centre would build a competitive advantage for Canada based on excellence in S&T. The Centre would develop a highly skilled workforce that fosters next-generation health technologies — innovations that would create new jobs and business opportunities and grow the economy.

The $5 million would be used to cover the Centre's start-up costs, including the establishment of the position of Chair of Health Innovation, and to cover management and administrative expenses and the costs of health care demonstration projects to be undertaken over the next five years.

The Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership would become an internationally recognized research centre. It would be a global leader in identifying, assessing and commercializing innovative technologies, systems and processes for Canada's health care system and providers that would lead to meaningful progress in patient care.

This new Centre would abide by the mission of the Richard Ivey School of Business, which sets out to develop Canadian business leaders who “think globally, act strategically and contribute to the societies within which they operate.”

Canada's government understands that our country's prosperity depends not just on meeting the immediate challenges we face today, but also on building a dynamic and resilient economy that empowers Canada to flourish in a fast-changing world.

At the heart of this understanding is the recognition that Canada needs to continue to invest in S&T.

In the previous three budgets, our government pledged over $2.2 billion in new S&T funding.

Canada's Economic Action Plan provides a further $5.1 billion to support S&T initiatives. The federal pledge to the Centre is in addition to the $750 million earmarked for the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the $2 billion for the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, which helps upgrade and repair research infrastructure projects on university and college campuses.

Our government has also set aside $500 million for Canada Health Infoway, to encourage the greater use of electronic health records.

These investments are being put to work through Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage — our federal S&T Strategy. The Strategy supports world-class research, innovation and commercialization that results in specialized talent and that provides economic and social benefits to Canadians.

We are targeting the Strategy's resources to areas where Canada has the potential to be a world leader in research and to improve our economic competitiveness. Health research is one of four priority areas.

The University of Western Ontario would play a pivotal role in advancing the objectives of our S&T Strategy. The Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership would be a catalyst for the creation and distribution of innovation throughout the Canadian health care system.

The Ivey Centre would collaborate with the Richard Ivey School of Business, the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the London Health Sciences Centre to identify and test innovations using the latest tools, techniques and theories. Working together, they would determine those that are worthy of further consideration for commercialization and market introduction. The Ivey Centre would then work with private sector sponsors to innovate, lead and spread the best ideas through the health care system.

The Ivey Centre would be action oriented and, in bringing together the public and private sectors, it would combine the best elements of academic rigour with the entrepreneurship and commercial discipline of leading companies.

Equally important, the Centre would cultivate new business leaders who would keep Canada at the forefront of innovation. In the first year alone, it is expected that 20 to 25 highly qualified health sector personnel would take part in specialized training on innovation and commercialization. Many would move into partner companies to further the innovations they developed. These types of activities lead to economic growth and new jobs for Canadians.

This is an investment of which I would be very proud, one that would benefit the health of Canadians and the health of our economy.

I have high hopes for, and great expectations of, the proposed Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership.

Thank you.