Editorial - 20-14

With the inaugural report of the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), our understanding of Canada's S&T strengths has taken a major step forward. Not only does the report take a fresh, multi-faceted approach to the subject, it assembles in one place a wealth of information and informed opinion that provides Industry Canada (its sponsor) with a powerful baseline of information that will be used to formulate a new federal S&T strategy.

The report is purposely non-prescriptive and contains no earth shattering revelations. It simply shows where Canada excels and where it does not, and points to areas where Canada has the potential to turn knowledge into social and economic benefit. It also confirms Canada's weakness in translating research into goods and services, particularly in the area of commercialization.

The report has its shortcomings. It does not touch on the skills question and reflects Canada's weakness in technology foresight. But the information it contains gives policy makers more than enough information to formulate strategy. And if future versions of the report are authorized, our understanding of S&T and innovation will also deepen.

It's now up to Industry Canada to take the report's findings and turn them into effective policy, along with the resources to tackle the well-known gaps in the innovation system. The S&T community continues to give the Harper government the benefit of the doubt on S&T and innovation, in spite of the last Budget's near absence of positive new measures. With the CCA report it must now act or risk falling behind the S&T pack.