Editorial - 15-20

One of the most tumultuous years in recent memory for Canadian S&T is nearly over. What began as a year of great promise and the prospect of a new, coordinated S&T strategy ended in near disarray, as forces both within and beyond the control of government, industry and academia wreaked havoc on even the best laid plans.

The year of 2001 was rocked by the high-tech meltdown, terror attacks leading to war and the onslaught of a recession. The high degree of volatility has posed formidable challenges for RE$EARCH MONEY as it strives to keep readers abreast of pertinent developments in a timely and insightful fashion.

We’ve attempted to cover the essential events of the year, and even provided sneak previews of government’s plans for innovation, skills and training. And for the first time, RE$EARCH MONEY brought together more than 160 stakeholders to discuss Ottawa’s long-term objective of dramatically improving Canada’s global standing as an innovation nation.

Barring any further major disruptions, next year should produce more progress. The Innovation Paper will be released and once discussions are complete, new initiatives should be forthcoming. Among the most eagerly anticipated is a new program dealing with federal S&T, as well as a national commercialization mechanism for university research. And we’ll be there to bring you the news as it occurs, and sometimes even before. On behalf of all of us at RE$EARCH MONEY, I wish you a wonderful holiday and plenty of rest to prepare for the challenges ahead. See you next year.