Innovation Paper sets the stage for wide consultation leading to new strategy

Guest Contributor
November 28, 2001

RE$EARCH MONEY Exclusive

Increased productivity and skills development are being offered up as the two central objectives in the quest to move Canada into the top ranks of the world’s most innovation nations. The declaration is contained in the federal government’s long-awaited Innovation Paper, which is being selectively circulated for comment in draft form. RE$EARCH MONEY has obtained a copy of the draft document and it spells out in considerable detail how Ottawa plans to develop an innovation strategy. While consultation with the provinces, industry, universities and other key players is repeatedly highlighted, the quasi-prescriptive paper clearly defines the federal role in stimulating innovation as strategic and indirect.

The paper acknowledges the leadership role of the business sector in improving national innovation performance, with post-secondary institutions providing much of the research and development and highly qualified personnel (HQP). For its part, government’s role is supportive, providing an environment conducive to innovation while making key strategic investments and training HQP.

“The Government of Canada’s microeconomic strategy over the past eight years reflects a substantial change in the role of government in the economy, innovation and R&D. Where once the federal government directly intervened in markets and dominated research in Canada, its new role is more indirect and strategic. The government intervenes only where it can make the most

difference.”

— Draft Innovation Paper

It also confirms the permanent split between the Innovation Paper and its counterpart for skills and learning — the latter championed by Human Resources and Development Canada. The Innovation Paper was originally intended to include both economic and skills innovation, but difficulties in generating a document that encompassed both elements resulted in the current two-track process. A draft of the HRDC paper was covered in a previous issue of RE-$EARCH MONEY (R$, September 24/01).

In the Innovation Paper, the aggressive focus on the so-called innovation gaps frames the document’s modus operandi. As observers of Canadian S&T know all too well, Canada dwells near the bottom of the G-7 in terms of R&D performance, which the Paper attributes to “performance gaps in the creation, adoption and commercialization of knowledge, the supply of highly qualified personnel (HQP) and the innovation environment”.

“In the global KBE, firms that invest significantly in R&D are more likely to thrive. Those that merely adopt “best practice” technologies are forced to compete largely on the basis of cost... R&D should be seen as an investment in the future of the firm rather than a cost of doing business. Increasing business R&D will allow more Canadian firms to become

leaders in the KBE.”

The Paper argues that filling the knowledge gap is essential for firms seeking to become more innovative. To encourage the commercialization of knowledge, the government is proposing to increase funding for existing programs, targeting specific technologies such as information and communication technology, biotechnology, advanced materials and others. Commercialization would be encouraged through increased investment in the Industrial Research Assistance Program and an increase in venture capital through the Business Development Bank of Canada.

The second avenue of attack on the knowledge gap would be achieved by “vastly increasing public and private investment in knowledge infrastructure to improve Canada’s R&D performance”. Supporting targets underpinning the strategy are:

  • Rank among the top five countries in terms of R&D performance by 2010;
  • Double federal investments in R&D by 2010;
  • Triple the proportion of Canadian-based company sales attributable to new innovations by 2010;
  • Raise venture capital investments per capita on par with the US by 2010; and,
  • Have high-speed broadband access widely available to Canadian communities by 2004.

“To close the gaps we face and become an innovative leader, Canada need a consolidated, coordinated and aggressive approach. The Government of Canada proposes the joint development of a national innovation strategy for the 21st Century. This national strategy will be based on a bold objective and clear, shared goals, partnerships, priority setting and reporting to Canadians

on performance.”

— Draft Innovation Paper

The latter objective has been the focus of considerable discussion among the S&T community — debate exacerbated by the current economic slowdown and the imposing cost ($1-1.5 billion) of extending broadband to rural and remote communities. Industry minister Brian Tobin has made the broadband issue a major focus of his fall campaign to convince colleagues that the Innovation Agenda must continue to be a priority of government.

Good news for the research community is contained in the Innovation Paper’s inclusion of CA*net 4 as a major priority. Backed by CANARIE Inc, CA*net 4 has been in front of government for more than two years but has yet to receive a commitment of funding. In response to the delay, CANARIE has issued a request for information to solicit interest from private sector companies which may be interested in forming a consortium to bid on the project, estimated to cost approximately $150 million (R$, August 1/01).

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BACKED

In the area of skills, the Innovation Paper urges prompt action to ensure that Canadian industry has an adequate supply of HQP, although it falls short of endorsing a strategic approach to stimulate specific sectors.

But it does include a host of proposed measures in the areas of immigration and the production of new graduates, and addresses the issue of indirect costs as a way to assist post-secondary institutions in the increasingly complex and expensive aspects of conducting research.

Of all the S&T-related initiatives pitched to government in the past 18 months, few have gained more momentum than the issue of the indirect costs of university research, prompting speculation that the issue could be addressed in next month’s Budget.

Although new to federally sponsored university research, indirect costs would almost certainly be funded through existing mechanisms such as the granting councils, thereby avoiding the introduction of new programs as agreed to by federal and provincial S&T ministers (R$, October 10/01).

(Recent media reports contend that the Budget will indeed address indirect costs, with an infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as increasing the funding of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Those reports also allege that the broadband initiative will have to wait for future funding opportunities.)

An increase in funding for industrial cluster activity would also build on an existing initiative, namely the National Research Council’s Atlantic Innovation Strategy. New areas to be targeted would be existing concentrations in the areas of photonics, nanotechnology, network security, high-speed computing and others.

The Paper states that the goal of its cluster strategy is to establish 10 internationally recognized technology clusters by 2010, adding that the process is complex and time-consuming. Given that sources of competitive advantage tend to be localized, it calls upon players in the innovation system to coordinate efforts.

The role of the federal government in fostering innovation is spread throughout the document, but two specific new initiatives are proposed. The first is aimed at increasing federal science capacity via a new program tentatively called Federal Innovation Networks of Excellence (FINE). The program would see federal departments partner with other innovation players and compete for funds assigned to specific areas of research (see page 8).

The second initiative is the creation of a national academies of science, which has been forcefully backed by Dr Gilbert Normand, secretary of state for Science, Research and Development. Tentatively entitled the Canadian Academies, the new body would be arm’s length from — but funded by — government and provide advice for new areas of investment, regulatory regimes and the formation of new science-based frameworks (R$, July 16/01).

The Innovation Paper also highlights the recently released framework for incorporating S&T decision-making into government policy and regulations (R$, June 9/00). As proposed by the Council of Science and Technology Advisors, the framework contains several principles: early issue identification, inclusiveness, sound science, transparency and openness and review. A sixth principle — uncertainty and risk — is not mentioned.

Other sections of the Innovation Paper address issues such as the need to brand Canada as a location for investment and the importance of keeping Canada’s business taxation regime internationally competitive.

R$

Innovation Paper — Priorities for Action

  1. Address key challenges for university-based infrastructure

    • reimburse universities for a portion of indirect costs
    • leverage commercialization potential of publicly funded academic research
    • increase funding to the granting councils to enable higher funding levels for awards

  2. Renew federal research infrastructure to keep pace with policy and stewardship demands of KBE

    • new competitive program based on government priorities and modelled on Networks of Centres of Excellence, encouraging collaboration between government departments, universities, non-government organizations and the private sector

  3. Encourage innovation and the commercialization of knowledge in the private sector by making specific enhancements to existing programs

    • increase funding for established programs targeting biotechnology information technology and communication (ICT), sustainable energy, advanced materials and manufacturing, and eco-efficiency

    • additional investments in Industrial Research Assistance Program to expand into international ventures and allow firms to access global technology

    • increase supply of venture capital through the Business Development Bank of Canada and its limited partners

  4. Expand and accelerate broadband connectivity

    • develop CA*net 4, the next-generation, high-speed broadband research network
    • stimulate supply and demand for broadband infrastructure and services in rural and remote areas

  5. Produce new university graduates

    • provide financial incentives to graduate studies students

    • double the number of Master’s and Doctoral fellowships and scholarships

    • create a world-class scholarship program similar to UK’s Rhodes School

    • implement support for an international recruitment strategy

    • implement changes to immigration policies and procedures

  6. Modernize immigration system by simplifying and speeding up process for recruiting foreign workers and integrating them into domestic labour market

    • adopt a new Immigration & Refugee Protection Act

    • support and help coordinate development and implementation of recruitment and marketing strategies led by employers

    • improve and accelerate foreign credential assessment in concert with provinces

  7. Stewardship for KBE — more effective decision-making for emerging priorities

    • establish a national academy of sciences to advise government on the formation of science-based frameworks and priorities for new investments in government science and regulatory regimes

  8. Stewardship for KBE — Open up existing stewardship regimes to expert review

  9. Keep Canada’s business taxation regime internationally competitive

    • ensure that federal and provincial tax systems encourage and support innovation

    • maintain tax advantages in light of key competitors’ tax policy regimes

  10. Brand Canada as a location for investment

    • embark on a sustained investment branding strategy to attract foreign and domestic investment. Showcase highly educated, skilled workforce, technology clusters, tax structure, investment and entrepreneurship

  11. Support development of globally competitive industrial clusters

    • build more broadly on National Research Council’s Atlantic Innovation Strategy to realize potential in bio-pharmaceuticals, photonics, nanotechnology, network security, high-speed computing, medical diagnostic technologies and fuel cell technology

  12. Strengthen innovation performance of smaller communities

    • provide smaller communities with funding to develop innovation strategies. Must have some existing innovation base and engage local leaders from private, public and academic sectors



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