Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage—2007

Chapter 6: Making Canada a World Leader for Current and Future Generations

6.1 Building a Better Tomorrow through Strategic Partnerships Today

In keeping with one of our core principles — partnerships — the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of working in partnership with provincial and territorial governments to make Canada a better and more prosperous nation.

In June 2006, the provinces and territories presented the Government of Canada with a discussion paper to facilitate a dialogue on S&T issues. There is a shared understanding among all levels of government that S&T is important to the future of our nation and our regions. There is a shared assessment of the key issues and challenges. And there is a shared commitment to work more closely together to position Canada to succeed.

The ideas outlined in this S&T Strategy have benefited from this dialogue with the provinces. The federal government looks forward to implementing this Strategy in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, and building synergy between federal, provincial, and territorial activities and policies.

It is no longer enough for countries to support S&T only from a national perspective. Canada must be connected to the global supply of ideas, talent, and technologies — as a contributor and in order to adopt and adapt important innovations for the benefit of Canada. The federal government encourages international S&T collaboration through support for multinational collaborative research projects, international S&T missions, outreach activities undertaken by Canadian S&T Councilors and Trade Commissioners, and bilateral S&T agreements with France, Germany, Japan, the European Union, India, and China.

As the Canada-California Strategic Partnership Initiative is demonstrating, there are meaningful opportunities to further strengthen Canada's connection to the global supply of ideas, talent, and technology. Canada needs to do more to encourage international collaboration in order to access the tremendous knowledge being generated elsewhere and lever the enormous potential of such initiatives as the European Union scientific framework program. Canada would also benefit from stronger efforts to attract leading researchers from around the world to contribute to Canadian research priorities.

Policy Commitments

Canada's federal government will make Canada a world leader though stronger domestic and international partnerships by:

• Working with provincial and territorial governments to ensure that our respective policies, programs, and activities together provide the right conditions for S&T advances here in Canada.
• Strengthening Canada's ties to the global supply of ideas, talent, and technology. The government will assess Canada's S&T presence on the international scene and explore options to further improve Canada's ability to contribute to and benefit from international S&T developments, including through the Global Commerce Strategy.

6.2 A Modern Approach to Science and Technology Advice to Government

In the 1990s, the Advisory Council on Science and Technology was established to advise government on how to create a more innovative economy, the Council of Science and Technology Advisors was established to advise government on how to strengthen the federal science enterprise and the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee was established to provide government with advice on important policy issues associated with biotechnology. The Government of Canada is grateful to the Canadians who have participated in the work of these advisory bodies. The contribution of senior representatives from the business, academic, and other research communities has made an important contribution to S&T in Canada.

A decade ago, there were many national and uniquely federal issues that warranted the attention of separate bodies. Today the value of this distinction is less clear. A new approach is required. Most S&T issues need to be considered in the context of a system of innovation that considers private, academic, and government interests, and that situates our national interests in an international context. A single external committee would be able to provide more integrated advice, with a stronger voice.

We also need to broaden the mandate of external advisors. Their role in providing advice on S&T policy issues is important and must continue. In addition, arm's-length, independent, and credible advisors can help to mobilize Canadians around an ongoing effort to become one of the world's innovation leaders. This requires a regular assessment of how we benchmark against other countries, and a public forum from which to challenge Canadians and their governments to respond.

The new advisory body will engage businesses, universities, colleges, and governments in a dialogue on important S&T issues referred to it by the government and share its findings broadly. It will include representatives from federal science advisory councils, universities, colleges, and particularly the private sector, given the tremendous importance of private-sector S&T investment to our nation.

The federal government will strengthen its ability to obtain not only policy advice but also assessments of the state of the science underpinning key public policy issues. The Council of Canadian Academies provides in-depth, independent, expert assessments for Canadians of what is known on topics of interest. The Government of Canada has referred questions on gas hydrates, groundwater, and nanotechnology to the Council, and is requesting the Council to now also examine the factors influencing relatively low investment by Canadian businesses in R&D and advanced technologies. In addition, the Council will provide reference letters on shorter-term or unexpected and pressing issues. On behalf of the Minister of Health, the Council is now preparing a reference letter on the transmission of seasonal and pandemic influenza.

Policy Commitments

Canada's federal government will revitalize external S&T advisory bodies by:

• Consolidating the roles and responsibilities of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology, the Council of Science and Technology Advisors, and the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee into a new Science, Technology and Innovation Council, reporting to the Minister of Industry. The new Council will provide the government with policy advice on S&T issues and produce regular State-of-the-Nation reports that benchmark Canada's S&T performance against international standards of excellence.

6.3 Greater Sophistication in Measuring the Impacts of Our Science and Technology Investments

Canada needs a stronger emphasis on achieving, measuring, and demonstrating results to Canadians.

The Government of Canada invested over $9 billion to support and advance Canada's S&T capacity in 2005. These expenditures supported researchers, universities, research laboratories, and innovative firms in their quest for new knowledge, products, processes, and services. To ensure that these investments are effective in improving Canada's S&T capacity and contributing to our economic and social objectives, it is important to measure the full impact of these initiatives and communicate this back to Canadians. That's why the federal government will increase its effort to develop the indicators and measures that will be used to assess the impacts of government S&T investments.

Policy Commitments

Canada's federal government will increase its accountability to Canadians by:

• Improving its ability to measure and report on the impact of S&T expenditures. The government will improve its understanding of Canadian S&T developments and the impact of federally performed S&T, and will work with the OECD and other countries to develop metrics that will enable comparisons against international benchmarks of success.

6.4 A Better Life for Canadians, Our Families, and Our Communities

Canada's federal government understands the far-reaching implications of science and technology discoveries and applications, and the endless possibilities they provide. Our goal is to seek better lives for individual Canadians and their families: safer streets, better medicines and health care, higher educations that lead to better jobs, and better futures for our children. Science and technology is the way to achieve these important goals.

We understand that science and technology, for example, is crucial to finding solutions to the complex environmental challenges we are facing. Environmental technology will provide us with the knowledge and tools we need to help protect our environment, and to ensure that future generations have clean air, water, land, and energy.

The Government of Canada will do its part, and create a climate of innovation and discovery in our nation.

• For the business community, we will focus on what government does best; providing an enabling environment that promotes private investment in R&D, advanced technologies, and skilled workers.
• For the higher-education community, we will sustain our world-leading commitment to basic and applied research in all domains, while focusing that collective effort more effectively around societal goals that matter to Canadians. We will sustain our commitment to training the next generation of researchers and innovators, upon whom Canada's future success depends.
• For Canadians, we will hold ourselves more accountable for delivering results that make a difference in their lives.

Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage sets out a new and more focused approach to mobilize science and technology to our long-term economic and social advantage. It takes into account where we have come from and where we need to go, the changing landscape within which S&T takes place, and international developments. It positions Canada to succeed by addressing our challenges and building on our science and technology strengths. Above all, it recognizes the important role that the private sector and others play in Canada.

The federal government looks forward to implementing this Strategy in collaboration with other levels of government and Canada's S&T leaders over the coming years. Budget 2007 announced funding for a considerable number of initiatives in this Strategy and positions us well to take early action in this regard. Together, we will build a sustainable national competitive advantage based on science and technology and the skilled workers whose aspirations, ambitions, and talents bring innovations to life.