Editorial - 25-11

The Jenkins report on federal R&D spending can't come a moment too soon. Tagged to advise government on how to more effectively spend its R&D dollars and support innovation, the work of the expert panel is occurring at a critical evolution in Canadian S&T.

Some might even refer to it as a devolution. Private sector R&D is falling, even in areas of previous strength such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology (see page 3). The State of the Nation Report details falling productivity and innovation capacity, noting that underinvestment in information technology and machinery contributes to stagnating innovation.

How can this be? Canada is one of the most prosperous, generously endowed nations on earth. The answers to such a broad question can essentially be boiled down to a couple of critical missing ingredients: leadership and vision.

Until the Jenkins panel reports, however, a stasis has settled over our decision makers. With so many other strategic initiatives feeding into the R&D review, no one appears willing to make any bold decisions that address the glaring inefficiencies in our innovation system.

That includes everything from a major overhaul of direct and indirect support for business innovation, reinvigorating federal laboratories, assessing and strengthening the few commercialization programs already in place, boosting the stock of entrepreneurs and managers and working to ease access to capital. When the panel report is released, government must act quickly or our prospects of becoming an Innovation Nation will be irreparably harmed.