Editorial - 25-2

Anyone looking for the benefits of making long-term investments in basic research need look no further than Ontario. The province appears to be on the cusp of a major influx of foreign direct investment in its medical and assistive technologies (MAT) sector with the decision by GE Healthcare to establish a centre of excellence for pathology imaging in Toronto.

GE's decision to located in the heart of Toronto medical research district was made after officials from the Ministry of Research and Innovation provided an inventory of the province's expertise in medical imaging. The pot was sweetened with financial assistance through the Health Technology Exchange (HTX), an organization devoted to accelerating the growth of the MAT sector. According to HTX, a number of other multinational firms active in MAT are in discussions to open up Ontario operations.

The prospect of foreign-based firms lining up to enter Canada's MAT sector would have been unimaginable 15 years ago. In the mid 1990s, basic research was hurting in Canada and our best and brightest sought careers elsewhere.

But that was before the inspired creation of organizations such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation (and its provincial counterparts), the Canadian Institute of Health Research and Genome Canada. Billions poured into Canada's basic research engines targeting areas in which Canada had a fighting chance at competing globally. Any indication that Canada's commitment to basic research is waning could have could have severe negative economic consequences.