30 May 2013
Ottawa, Ontario
The Government of Canada is committed to fostering international partnerships in science, technology and innovation with a view to bringing new and innovative ideas to the marketplace which generate jobs, growth, long-term prosperity and social benefits in Canada. To this end, on May 30, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada and Chile will strengthen their co-operation in these areas by signing a new, two-year Canada-Chile Science, Technology and Innovation Action Plan. This Action Plan is a key priority under the Renewed Canada-Chile Strategic Partnership Framework signed on May 30.
Building on a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation signed by Canada and Chile in 2008, the new Action Plan will further strengthen bilateral cooperation between business, the public sector, academia, and the not-for-profit sector in both countries. An emphasis will be placed on promoting basic research in targeted sectors, enhancing researcher and student mobility, and accelerating the commercialization of emerging technologies.
The outcomes of the Action Plan will advance the Government of Canada’s prosperity objectives and will ultimately generate economic and social benefits for Canadians. It will also further deepen Canada’s strong engagement in the Americas.
More specifically, the Action Plan will support joint initiatives in: public health, including cancer and aging; sustainable economic development, including biofuels, genomics and aquaculture and mining; and, social sciences, higher education and young researcher mobility. It will also provide a framework to further facilitate scientific knowledge exchanges, seminars, business and technology partnerships, and the shared use of resources and technology.
