ISTPCanada relaunched as Canadian International Innovation Program

The federal program for bilateral industry-led R&D is being taken in-house. The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) quietly announced in late August that the Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP) will be launched later this fall, less than six months after the closure of International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTP Canada) (R$, February 10/15 & April 16/15).

Like ISTPCanada, CIIP will offer funding to projects involving Canadian companies and other organizations that enter bilateral projects with their counterparts in China, India, Brazil and South Korea — the latter once a proposed bilateral trade agreement is ratified in 2016.

IRAP to deliver funding

CIIP will reside within the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (CTS) and will be delivered in collaboration with the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). CIIP will have dedicated funding which will flow to projects through IRAP. Following the official launch, IRAP Industrial Technology Advisors will contact firms that have made inquiries during the pre-launch phase.

Israel is also listed as one of CIIP's "partner countries" although that nation currently conducts bilateral R&D projects through the Canada-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation (CIIRDF) which predates ISTPCanada by many years. IRAP collaboration does not appear to extend to projects involving Israel.

Final details of the CIIP program, including funding levels and the delivery mechanism for projects involving Israel, are still under development.

Typical projects under CIIP are those "involving technology co-development, integrating a technology in a larger product or value chain, or validating or adapting a technology to the special demands of a foreign market", according to information on the CTS website (www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/funding/ciip/ciip.jsp).

CIIP will accept projects that focus on the adaption, validation and co-development of technologies required by the foreign market. Companies seeking collaborators in partner countries will be assisted by Canadian embassies and consulates.

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