U15 universities recommend actions to achieve vision for Canadian innovation

Looking out to 2030

Canada's largest research-intensive universities have released a high-level think piece outlining their proposed future role in the nation's innovation ecosystem with the goal of making Canada the world's most innovative nation by 2030. The document outlines the steps members of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities are recommending to enhance skills, focus on research excellence, leverage knowledge and science through partnerships and entrepreneurship and strengthen Canada's culture of innovation.

Each of these four broad areas include a series of suggested actions for federal action, including a call for a "senior Cabinet ministerial position" to champion science, technology and innovation policies and programs.

"We want to be able to focus in on where we play and make a difference and change the way we interact with other sectors," says U15 executive director Suzanne Corbeil. "This is a document to get people's attention. It targets all sectors, especially the federal government and political parties."

While it's too early to determine what the cost of implementing the document's recommendations will be, Corbeil says that additional resources will be required "over time".

In the meantime, U15 members will be discussing the document's vision and aspirations with companies, not-for-profit organizations and others to "refine, expand, then prioritize" its recommendations.

With an emphasis on collaboration and improved coordination, U15 proposes that each of Canada's post-secondary institutions pursue "excellence in its unique niche" rather than having all aspire to world-class research excellence. Such an approach has led to charges of encouraging a two-class university system in which the larger research-intensive universities increase their already dominant share of research funding.

"Lots has been written about the role of differentiation … Every institution has a role to play and it's up to them to find the niche that's best for them," says Corbeil. "Why is Canada so afraid of having top-notch elite universities and excellent colleges? … As for the role we play, what we're saying is, here is what we do well and here is where we can do better."

In the area of skills enhancement, U15 proposes increasing experiential learning opportunities and paid internships, increasing the number of university graduates, especially PhDs, ensuring rewarding academic and non-academic career paths and expanding international joint programs, exchanges for students, faculty and professional staff, and expanding promotion of Canada to international students.

The theme of sharpening the focus on research excellence is backed by several recommendations including:

* taking full advantage of the $1.5-billion, 10-year Canada First Research Excellence Fund to generate globally significant research;

* continued strategic investments in innovative projects to attract international researchers;

* creating a system of open access to data generated by publicly funded research;

* encouraging international collaboration and mobility for researchers; and,

* pursuing a highly differentiated post-secondary system featuring unique strengths, contributions and value propositions.

To leverage knowledge and science through partnerships and entrepreneurship, the document calls for six measures. They include a new partnership model extending far beyond the fee-for-service paradigm, engagement of research universities in trade negotiations and consideration of a pan-North American research council similar to the European Research Council.

Lastly, the document calls for federal action to strengthen Canada's culture of innovation. In addition to a Cabinet-level science champion, it urges the implementation of recommendations made in previous reports. They include the creation of an arms-length Industrial Research and Innovation Council which was first put forward in 2001 by the Expert Panel Report on Federal Support to Research and Development.

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