DFAIT’s S&T counsellors help put Canada’s efforts to become more innovative in a global context

Canada’s S&T counsellors reported on the state of this nation’s competitors as part of their annual two-week tour of Canada to provide an overview of recent developments in their host countries and promote their services to the S&T community. The tour was kicked off by a well-attended briefing at the Ottawa headquarters of their employers, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).

For more than three hours, DFAIT’s six S&T counsellors and as many commercial officers provided detailed accounts of their host countries’ most recent R&D and economic data, coupled with updates on strategic planning exercises and policy shifts.

The most dramatic changes arguably occurred in the US, where the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and soaring R&D spending on defence and security dramatically altered the research landscape. The DHS has its own S&T policy infrastructure and R&D portfolio, with a new under-secretary for S&T, Charles McQueary, formerly CEO of General Dynamics, a major military contractor.

This year’s US R&D budget rises an unprecedented 14% to US$122 billion, with the vast majority of the increase allocated towards defence.

In Japan — the world’s second largest economy — ongoing economic stagnation has done little to hamper impressive R&D outlays. Knowledge innovation continues to replace process innovation, with a major emphasis on biotechnology, information and communications technology (especially ubiquitous computing), environmental technologies and nanotechnology.

In the area of nanotechnology, outgoing S&T counsellor Dr Philip Hicks says Japan will almost certainly blast past Canada “like a bullet train” and will be light years ahead of the US within 10 years. “They’re asking the right questions and tackling the right problems,” says Hicks.

Germany — the world’s third largest economy — remains Europe’s R&D powerhouse. Continuing strength in traditional industries such as automotive, chemicals and medical optical devices are joined by emerging competencies in nanotechnology, new materials, photonics, biotechnology and renewable resources.

S&T counsellor Dr Henry Mantsch, described Germany’s research environment as “rich and differentiated” and noted dramatic proposed changes to the country’s entrenched post-secondary system. R&D collaboration between Germany and Canada is “mature and extensive”, said Mantsch guided by a memorandum of understanding in place since 1971.

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