Canada's R&D performance in doldrums with third lackluster year in a row

Guest Contributor
December 12, 2008

Economic crisis still to register

Statistics Canada has released its final and most substantial collection of R&D data of the year and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. It shows that Canada's gross domestic expenditures on R&D (GERD) are projected to be virtually stagnant for the third year in a row and are actually in decline when measured in 2002 constant dollars. What's more, industrial R&D spending — the focus of both federal and provincial S&T policy for the past several years — is barely increasing, managing just a 1% rise (before inflation) between 2007 and 2008.

Even the higher education sector, which has experienced dramatic gains in recent years, is set to perform only 1% more R&D in 2008 than the year before, while the amount of federal R&D performed will shrink 2.7% (see chart page 2)

In 2008, overall R&D expenditures are slated to increase 0.7%, virtually the same as the 0.6% increase registered for 2007 and down from a 2.0% increase for 2006. When examined in 2002 constant dollars, those marginal increases turn into declines — 0.4% in 2006 escalating to 2.4% in 2007. The decline for 2008 will likely be even larger as R&D spending has remained virtually the same and gains in GDP have vanished into the black hole of the current economic crisis.

Underlining the decline in Canadian R&D is the measure of GERD-to-GDP, which was showing promising signs as recently as 2004 when it reached 2.08 before dropping once again. to 1.88 in 2007.

Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) confirm Canada's relatively poor standing against its peers with 2006 data showing Canada's GERD/GDP ratio at 1.94 compared to the OECD average of 2.26.

Only when Canada is compared to the so-called EU-27 does its GERD/GDP ratio rise above the average — 1:94 vs 1.76. The EU-27 includes countries such as the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Greece and Poland, whose economies arguably do not place them in the category of advanced nations.

The natural sciences and engineering completely dominate R&D spending in Canada, with $26.9 billion or 92.5% of the 2008 total. In contrast, social sciences and humanities R&D accounts for $2.2 billion or 7.5% of the total.

Quebec can lay claim to the highest provincial GERD-to-GDP ratio in Canada (2.7, higher compared to Ontario at 2.27 and the OECD average of 2.26). In 2008 (the last year for which a provincial breakdown is available), Quebec's R&D performance increased a respectable 5.1% to $7.6 billion after a flat performance the year before. Virtually the whole increase is attributable to stronger industrial R&D spending — a claim that can't be made by neighbouring Ontario.

It was Ontario's turn for stagnant R&D, with $12.7 billion in 2008 up a negligible $15 million from the year before. Industrial R&D actually declined nearly $200 million to $8.0 billion, although that still accounts for more than one quarter of total Canadian R&D spending by all sectors.

The severe downturn in Ontario's manufacturing sector is unlikely to diminish the provinces status as Canada's R&D powerhouse. Almost every indicator attests to Ontario's dominance, from the strength of its private sector R&D to its ability to attract nearly half of all foreign R&D funding. But if Ontario's high-tech sectors are hit hard by the economic crisis, the province's R&D numbers could tumble.

An indication of the seriousness with which the high-tech sector is taking the economic crisis was exemplified by an extraordinary appeal for $60 billion in stimulus funding by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance. CATA is calling for new tax measures to benefit the services economy, more generous R&D tax credits, a boost to green technology and support for aerospace and broadband Internet.

Lackluster R&D performance extends west across Canada with none of the western provinces showing anything more than marginal increases or declines. British Columbia had the best performance, with $2 6 billion, in 2006, up 5.5% over the previous year.

The highest gains were realized in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick with increases of 6.6%, 6.1% and 5.8% respectively. Newfoundland's R&D outlays dipped slightly in 2006, after a spectacular 54.3% gain in 2005.

R$

GERD/GDP

($ millions)
YearGERD   GDP   GERD/GDP   
199010,260   679,921   1.51   
199110,770   685,367   1.57   
199211,338   700,480   1.62   
199312,184   727,184   1.68   
199413,341   770,873   1.73   
199513,754   810,426   1.70   
1996r13,817   836,864   1.65   
199714,635   882,733   1.66   
199816,088   914,973   1.76   
199917,638   982,441   1.80   
200020,581   1,076,577   1.91   
200123,132   1,108,048   2.09   
200223,531   1,152,905   2.04   
200324,719   1,213,175   2.04   
200426,833   1,290,906   2.08   
200528,142   1,372,626   2.05   
200628,715   1,450,490   1.98   
200728,881   1,535,646   1.88   
200829,071   ------   ----   

GERD By performing sector and funding sector

($ millions)
YearFederal   Provincial   Business   Higher Ed   Non-Profit   Foreign   Total   
Performing Sector
19991,859   233   10,399   5,082   63        ...17,638   
20002,080   255   12,395   5,793   58        ...20,581   
2001 2,103   276   14,266   6,424   63        ...23,132   
2002 2,190   282   13,540   7,455   63        ...23,531   
2003 2,083   278   14,123   8,143   92        ...24,719   
2004 2,084   290   15,299   9,058   103        ...26,833   
2005 2,414   303   15,791   9,518   117        ...28,142   
2006 2,496   333   16,137   9,624   125        ...28,715   
2007 2,535   319   16,159   9,740   128        ...28,881   
2008 2,467   319   16,316   9,837   132        ...29,071   
Funding Sector
1999 3,216   767   7,917   2,649   380   2,705   17,638   
2000 3,560   878   9,223   2,892   445   3,582   20,581   
2001 4,095   1,023   11,636   2,928   536   2,915   23,132   
2002 4,251   1,152   12,112   3,462   628   1,925   23,531   
2003 4,526   1,354   12,447   3,589   637   2,167   24,719   
2004 4,651   1,370   13,404   4,147   735   2,526   26,833   
2005 5,248   1,341   13,756   4,341   777   2,676   28,142   
2006 5,225   1,407   14,234   4,434   830   2,585   28,715   
2007 5,291   1,404   14,267   4,487   835   2,596   28,881   
2008 5,272   1,414   14,386   4,532   850   2,616   29,071   
Note Components may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: CANSIM, table 380-0001



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