Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage—2007

Chapter 2: A Framework to Mobilize Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage

2.1 Fostering Three Science and Technology Advantages

The S&T Strategy of Canada's federal government aims to build a sustainable national economic advantage and a higher quality of life by developing three distinct advantages: an Entrepreneurial Advantage, a Knowledge Advantage, and a People Advantage. These advantages will enable researchers, innovators, and businesses to improve Canada's productivity performance and make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.

Entrepreneurial Advantage

Canada must do more to translate knowledge into commercial applications.

To create an Entrepreneurial Advantage, the Government of Canada will:

• Foster a competitive and dynamic business environment that encourages S&T investments.
• Pursue public-private research and commercialization partnerships.
• Increase the impact of federal business R&D assistance programs.

Knowledge Advantage

Canadians must be positioned at the leading edge of the important developments that generate health, environmental, societal, and economic benefits.

To create a Knowledge Advantage, the Government of Canada will:

• Focus strategically on research in the national interest from a social and economic perspective.
• Maintain our G-7 leadership in public R&D performance.
• Enhance value for money, accountability, and the responsiveness of Canada's three granting councils.
• Explore new approaches to federally performed S&T.

People Advantage

Canada must be a magnet for the highly skilled people we need to thrive in the modern global economy with the best-educated, most-skilled, and most flexible workforce in the world.

To create a People Advantage, the Government of Canada will:

• Enhance opportunities for S&T graduates.
• Increase the supply of highly qualified and globally connected S&T graduates that businesses need to succeed in today's economy.
• Get Canadians excited about science and technology.

2.2 A Principles-Based Approach

The Government of Canada's actions will be guided by four core principles:

Promoting World-Class Excellence

The Government of Canada will ensure that its policies and programs inspire and assist Canadians to perform at world-class levels of scientific and technological excellence. In today's fiercely competitive global economy, merely being good is not good enough. The government will create an environment of healthy competition to ensure that funding supports the best ideas.

Focusing on Priorities

Canada is well-positioned to rise to the challenge of new global competitors. We already have much of the infrastructure, knowledge, and skills required for success. The next step is to build on this strong base by focusing on strategic areas where Canada can be a world leader. We will do so by strategically targeting funding in areas of opportunity that build on national strengths.

Fostering Partnerships

Partnerships involving the business, academic, and public sectors at home and abroad are essential to lever Canadian efforts into world-class successes and to accelerate the pace of discovery and commercialization in Canada. The cost, complexity, and pace of scientific achievement today — along with the complementary skill sets that exist in the industrial, university, and public sectors — demand the creation of smart partnerships. Through partnerships, the unique capabilities, interests, and resources of various and varied stakeholders can be brought together to deliver better outcomes. The Government of Canada will support S&T collaborations. It will also align roles and responsibilities within the federal public sector, and with other orders of government and the private sector, to generate greater social and economic opportunities from the public investment in S&T.

Enhancing Accountability

The strategic importance of S&T to our nation merits rigorous and disciplined accountability mechanisms to ensure value for money. Stronger governance and reporting practices will help to deliver and demonstrate results that make a difference in people's lives. Accountability is important because it puts the responsibility on those who are supported by public funds to demonstrate to taxpayers that results are being achieved.

The following three chapters examine each of the S&T advantages. They look at the current contribution of the Government of Canada, and propose new directions to ensure that federal support going forward is effective, efficient, and responsive to the realities of the 21st century. The Annex to this document contains a summary of the policy commitments contained in this Strategy. These commitments build on a strong base of existing federal support.