Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for that warm introduction.
This is my second time attending the Forum on Science and Technology Policy, and I have to thank the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for inviting me. When I attended in 2009, things were a little different. The world economy was not performing well, and many nations were still in the grip of the recession. I'm happy to be back in these improved times. It truly is a pleasure.
As Minister of State for Science and Technology, one of my roles is to encourage and advocate policies that advance Canada's economic and social interests. These include initiatives that support business growth through innovation, higher-education research and development (R&D), and research partnerships both within and outside our borders.
And so, I am pleased to be here to talk about how Canada is strengthening its economic and social well-being through science and technology.
In Canada, we value our relationship with the United States. We face common challenges and explore new frontiers, both at home and around the world. We take great pride in building partnerships that sharpen our work and improve our lives. Our science and technology (S&T) partnerships span the scientific disciplines and the business world.
In 2011, I witnessed the last shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral—one of the great Canada–U.S. achievements.
Last month, I visited Cleveland to help launch the Council of the Great Lakes Region and I participated in BIO 2013 in Chicago. This week I had the opportunity to tour MIT and Harvard in Cambridge and highlighted IBM's $200-million-plus investment in Canada while I was in New York. Now, here I am in Washington, D.C., to build on the Canada–U.S. research partnership.
I can tell you today that the Canada–U.S. research partnership is alive and strong.
In Canada, our government supports science, technology and innovation through a mix of investment measures and tax incentives. My portfolio includes granting councils and foundations and direct government research activities.
We have three federal granting councils that fund post-secondary research in natural and social sciences, health, engineering and the humanities. Together, they administer our Networks of Centres of Excellence, which cluster academic, public, not-for-profit and private partners in multidisciplinary programs. These centres are found in such areas as health, mathematics, natural resources and digital media.
Canada's National Research Council is our premier federal R&D organization. An impressive 11 Nobel Prize winners have worked there over their careers. It lays claim to international breakthroughs in such fields as nuclear medicine, cardiovascular technology, crop science and computer animation. With a footprint in every Canadian province, the Council is active in the life sciences, physics and engineering, and it provides assistance and advice to industry.
The Canadian Space Agency helps broaden our knowledge of space and works very closely with NASA on a number of fronts. It has also helped industry develop advanced technologies such as the Canadarm and Dextre—devices used on NASA's shuttle missions and the International Space Station (ISS). Right now, astronaut Chris Hadfield is overseeing operations as the Space Station's first Canadian commander. And he has gained a few fans. Well over half a million Twitter followers track his prolific commentary from space and watch his fantastic videos of everyday life on the ISS.
Much of Canada's rich history in the space and aerospace sectors is the direct result of collaboration between the private and public sectors. Last fall, for example, the National Research Council achieved a major milestone for the aviation industry by flying the first civil jet powered by 100 percent unblended biofuel. That historic flight was a significant step for the aerospace industry and for the advancement of sustainable sources of renewable energy. It served as a reminder to all of what is possible when we come together in partnership to work toward a common goal.
I would also like to point to a few of our recent achievements here on the ground.
Physics is one of our country's areas of strength. Our scientists were partners in some of last year's great discoveries, like measuring the intrinsic properties of antimatter atoms and identifying the elusive Higgs boson.
The Vancouver-based TRIUMF particle physics lab, which is Canada's link to CERN, has developed a method of making an important medical isotope in existing cyclotrons, meaning the isotope could be produced without the use of nuclear reactors.
We are also excelling in theoretical physics. My constituency, Kitchener–Waterloo in Ontario, is home to the largest institute for theoretical physics in the world, the Perimeter Institute. Dr. Stephen Hawking has a visiting position there. In fact, our government invested in a major new facility bearing his name, which opened in 2011. The Institute works closely with the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing, which last year participated in a record-breaking achievement of quantum teleportation over a distance of 143 kilometres. This was the farthest distance ever achieved.
In medicine, scientists at the Montréal Neurological Institute and Hospital have developed a new tool that analyzes MRI scans to detect patterns of brain atrophy characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. The computerized technique known as SNIPE can differentiate Alzheimer's from normal aging with an accuracy of 93 percent.
Our government firmly believes that science and technology are the foundations of productivity, competitiveness and growth. So we are establishing the necessary conditions to generate knowledge and equip Canadians with the skills they need to prosper in the knowledge economy.
Guiding these efforts is our overarching science and technology strategy, which Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced in 2007. Recognizing that Canada needs to target resources, the strategy focuses on our strengths in four priority areas: the environment; natural resources and energy; health and the life sciences; and information and communications technologies (ICT). The Science, Technology and Innovation Council, an advisory body chaired by Howard Alper, was established under this strategy.
Canada continues to lead the G7 in higher-education research spending intensity. And the results of our investments are evident in our academic sector. Canada's institutions continue to perform well in global rankings, with the University of Toronto and Montréal's McGill University in the top 20 internationally. The University of British Columbia also consistently places well in such rankings.
As I mentioned earlier, the federal granting councils play a major role in boosting our research performance by funding programs in the natural and social sciences, engineering and health. We are also concentrating significant resources on attracting, developing and keeping outstanding talent. A range of federal programs support researchers throughout their careers—from scholarships for graduates and post-doctoral fellows to well-funded research chairs for professors and established scientists.
These measures are having an impact, and high-quality researchers from abroad are recognizing what Canada has to offer. A recent study showed a net migration of researchers into the country between 1997 and 2010. This trend was particularly evident in clinical medicine, ICT and chemistry.
As well, Canadian researchers are building relationships with researchers and institutes outside our borders. As many of you know, science and technology is very much a collaborative effort. Canada is working closely with the most scientifically advanced countries in the world. We have solid, high-performing partnerships with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Japan and, of course, the U.S.
Under the Canada–U.S. research partnership, there are more than 20 arrangements between science-based government departments and agencies. They include major projects such as the Clean Energy Dialogue and Neptune, the impressive cable-linked seafloor observatory on the West Coast. The U.S.'s National Institute of Standards and Technology works with Canada's National Research Council in developing measurement standards for nanotechnology. And our respective federal institutes for health research—the National Institutes of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—are working together in the areas of infectious diseases, neuroscience, cancer research and cardiovascular health.
A major thrust of our collaborative approach is to improve the investment climate for new ventures, leading to more commercialization of university research by private sector partners. But innovation is a complex economic process. As you know, it is more than a linear, cause-and-effect development of ideas into products. It is a key driver of productivity growth, and understanding what impedes it requires understanding what's going on in business. It means understanding the entire innovation ecosystem.
And while discovery-driven basic research remains essential to our government's approach, we also believe in the transformative potential of science in the marketplace and see the need to improve our business expenditures on R&D.
One of our government's challenges is how to get more businesses to come to the table and engage in more R&D, as Canada's private sector invests less than its peers in other countries. In several key industrial sectors, Canada has lower R&D intensity than the OECD average. Our businesses also have some catching up to do when it comes to investing in machinery and equipment, notably in terms of ICT adoption.
These innovation gaps continue despite a high level of federal support for R&D provided both indirectly, through tax credits, and directly, through various programs.
Now, we know that there is no single cause. But what we also know is that public policy on innovation needs to be informed by a deep understanding of the sector-specific factors that influence business.
To help address these issues, we commissioned an independent expert panel to study federal business innovation programs. Our goal was to ensure that we were making the most of our spending on R&D. The panel made a number of recommendations, which our government is acting on.
First, we doubled the size of the Industrial Research Assistance Program, our highly successful and internationally recognized instrument for advising and supporting businesses in their research and technology development.
We are also transforming the National Research Council by refocusing our efforts on business needs so public research can better help private sector innovation.
And recently, we introduced a program to support new technology through federal procurement, assisting small businesses in building their capacity to compete in the marketplace.
But promoting a more innovative economy also means providing the resources needed for high-potential businesses to grow. That's why we are increasing investments in early-stage risk capital, helping create large-scale venture capital funds, and supporting incubator and accelerator organizations to expand their services to entrepreneurs.
Ladies and gentlemen, the fact is long-term economic growth will be driven in large measure by science. Prime Minister Harper said it best: Science powers commerce. A successful innovation system requires a mix of complementary elements. R&D spending is only one of them. In our view, the role of government is to establish policies that strengthen the science, technology and innovation enterprise from discovery research all the way through to commercialization.
Underlying all of those elements is the vital need for partnerships at all levels. Today, more than ever, successful innovations come from researchers and companies involved in partnership arrangements, whether with knowledge institutions or among firms. This is a significant change from 40 or 50 years ago, when innovations generally emerged from large firms acting on their own. The landscape has changed. And the rate of change is accelerating.
In this new reality, it is member-based organizations, like the AAAS, that are promoting information sharing and research connectedness and are driving social, economic and environmental advancements. Now, and even more so in the future, successful economies are those that create knowledge by supporting research partnerships.
We all have a role to play in bringing people together; in creating a supportive climate for researchers, entrepreneurs and policy-makers; and in helping to advance science and technology to the benefit of both the United States and Canada.
Thank you again for your time this afternoon. I wish you all a productive and inspiring Forum.
