Quebec's new government splits research and innovation over two ministries

The new Liberal government of Quebec has coupled its innovation portfolio with the economy and exports while maintaining research and science in the same ministry as higher education. The reorientation underlines the Liberal party's focus on economic development but officials say the new arrangement will require close cooperation between the two ministries as the province continues to implement its National Research and Innovation Policy (NRIP) — unveiled last year (R$, October 28/13).

Under the previous Parti Quebecois government, research and innovation were managed within the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology.

Veteran Liberal MNA Yves Bolduc (Jean-Talon) has been appointed to head the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Sciences as well as the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports. Bolduc was minister of Health under the Liberal government of Jean Charest, which launched the process leading to the creation of a Quebec Research and Innovation Strategy. It was ultimately completed by the minority PQ government as NRIP.

Rookie MNA Jacques Daoust (Verdun) has been appointed minister for Economy, Innovation and Exports. Prior to his election to the legislature, Daoust was the president and CEO of Investissement Québec and engineered its recent merger with Société Générale de Financement (SGF).

"The key is to make sure there's a constant flow and exchange between the two groups … We need a mechanism for exchange which could be a working or discussion group," says Dr Rémi Quirion, Quebec's chief scientist and board chair of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ). "In our five-year research and innovation plan (NRIP), research and innovation are intermingled … Higher education and research remain together which is the best thing and with the Liberal focus on the economy, it put innovation in with the economy."

The Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS) — one of two groups that assisted in the development of the NRIP — is supportive of the decision to keep research and higher education within the same ministry, but expressed concern and dismay that the government's administration for research and innovation has been decoupled.

"We sincerely hope that the new ministries in charge of its application based on this consensus jointly develop their response plans," stated ACFAS president Louise Dandurand in a statement.

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