Former National Science Advisor lambasts government's efforts to boost innovation

Canada is at a stalling point in its science and economic development and efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy could easily slip backwards unless the government gets serious about its science policy, says Canada's former national science advisor (NSA). Dr Arthur Carty, now executive director of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), says the current government's "bricks over brains" mentality is stymying efforts to boost business innovation at a time of unprecedented global competition.

Carty delivered his sobering message about the deterioration of Canada's of science funding and science policy capacity on Parliament Hill November 19th — the first time in more than five years he has publicly commented on the topics since the Office of the National Science Advisor was eliminated in 2007 (R$, March 11/08). The event was organized by Liberal MP Mauril Belanger and also included a presentation by Dr Chaviva Hošek, former CEO of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

While Hošek spoke on the need for a science culture, Carty came armed with charts and data articulating the decline of Canadian science, competitiveness and innovation in the years since the Conservative government came to power in 2006.

"Unfortunately there has been no public dialogue on these issues, only the rejection of any criticism by a government that believes it has invested like no other and in the right places." — Dr Arthur Carty

In a presentation entitled W(h)ither Science Policy and the Innovative Knowledge Based Economy in Canada, he said there have been many changes in the science environment and its funding and management since then. Some of those he described as positive, others questionable,and a few "very disturbing". And while the 2007 S&T Strategy initially "seemed to hold promise", he said subsequently developments have raised concerns throughout the scientific community and beyond.

The Conservative government took power following an unprecedented reinvestment in Canadian science and research when most indicators were showing considerable gains on the world stage. With the exception of business innovation, Canada ranked well in the areas of research and the 2007 S&T Strategy was seen as a plausible mechanism for exploiting that investment.

"As we end 2013, however, the future does not look quite so bright. There are bewildering signs that Ottawa does not really understand the nature of the research enterprise and how it functions — investing billions in infrastructure yet cutting back on the agencies and programs that provide the money for the people and operating dollars to carry out the research. Or is there an intent to gain more control over the research agenda by directing clawed back funds to priorities such as commercialization?," asked Carty. "In Canada ... there has been widespread disappointment and puzzlement in the scientific community over the government's approach, with cuts to the federal granting councils accompanying large investments in buildings, equipment and infrastructure."

Carty also questioned the government's programming emphasis on industry-academic collaboration, arguing that until there is a "paradigm shift from supply side push to demand pull by firms that focus on innovation as a critical part of their business strategy", Canada will continue its precarious decline in global innovation rankings.

Carty also raised concern over the federal government's vaunted investments in higher education R&D (HERD), noting that even this indicator demonstrates declining support. Canada's support (as a measure of GDP has declined between 2007 and 2011, allowing other nations (Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland and the Netherlands) to pull ahead.

"This must be protected as a first priority for government. Canada should "ring fence" its funding for academic R&D to protect against inflation and budget cuts," said Carty.

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