Editorial - 15-7

As this week’s lead story demonstrates, the MARS proposal is an illuminating example of a private sector initiative that is striving to build the innovative capacity of the Canadian economy. As governments have been repeating for years now, the private sector has a pivotal role to play in transforming the nation into a competitive player in the global knowledge-based economy.

If Canada is to benefit from the recent upsurge in public S&T investment, the private sector must be a much more active player. If not, Canada won’t be able to shed the dubious distinction of leading the OECD in the percentage of domestic inventions owned by foreign interests. Our branch plant legacy will merely be rolled over from natural resources to those of a more intellectual nature — a low-cost R&D factory of greatest benefit to those nations that demonstrate superior commercialization capability.

The central challenge to all players in the innovative economy is to add detailed brush strokes to the broad vision and goals set out by Finance minister Paul Martin. The biggest challenge of moving “from 15th to 5th” in R&D spending is motivating private sector interests to buy into the vision and shake off its underwhelming R&D performance of the past.

Many players in Canada’s innovative economy will continue to be foreign-owned, but if we develop policies to capture a far greater share of the benefits, the goal is within reach. The MARS project could serve as a model for other sectors to follow with similar initiatives. The time for the private sector to step up to the plate has arrived.