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Message from the Publisher
I find it somewhat prophetic, and possibly hopeful, that a heightened appreciation
and desire to honour and include Indigenous ways of knowing is coming at a time of environmental crisis. The lived experience and accumulated wisdom of people who have lived here on the land for millennia will undoubtedly balance and temper the intellectual insights and technological ingenuity of the newcomers who currently wield power and need to learn how to share it for the greater good.
Taking stock of young people's outlook on science and technology
The Canada Foundation for Innovation and l’Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences hosted an on-line discussion to discuss the implications of a national survey of young people’s attitudes toward science. The ensuing discussion revealed the dominance of social media in determining those attitudes, which can range from eager enthusiasm to disinterest and mistrust. Participants also frame a series of Calls to Action for organizations to develop working relationships with Canadian youth around scientific matters.
Marking a Eureka moment
Canada is now a full member of the Eureka network, an international R&D consortium that includes more than 40 countries on five continents. Over the past decade some 300 Canadians have participated in Eureka projects, which have been worth more than $500 million.
New report recommends playing to Alberta’s many strengths
A new report from the Business Council of Alberta outlines several areas of strength that the province can use as the foundation for economic and R&D policy. The report cites agriculture, energy, and medicine as the three pillars of this strategy, with specific recommendations about how each sector should be managed.
Tune in, turn on, and lead in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Canada can be a leader in delivering widespread, well-regulated psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, by investing in research, educating health care professionals and providing the necessary clinical infrastructure, Dr. Ross Marshall, chief scientific officer at The Newly Institute based in Calgary, says in an op-ed.
The Short Report - June 28, 2022: Anand's NORAD upgrade plans for space-based surveillance system; new funding streams strengthen Canada's clinical trials; CIFAR launches Phase 2 of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and more.
NORAD upgrades include plans for a space-based surveillance system and a science program with the US; three new funding streams to bolster Canada’s clinical trials, phase 2 of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy launches, and more.
Latest Issue:
Number 6
Volume 36 June 22 2022
Editorial
Purveyors of 5G hardware are eager to tell us how important this technology will be for Canadian innovation, but new goods and services arising from this technology are likely to come from its users, not necessarily its manufacturers. Although the Chinese firm Huawei was banned as a manufacturer, it remains an active partner with many of the early adopters of 5G systems, which raises questions about whether Canadians will enjoy any of the economic benefits generated by innovation carried out and supported by Canada. It is a tale as old as the inventor of fire, who reaped few rewards compared with those learned how to work with fire.
Bringing Indigenous-led ocean science into Canada’s “blue” economy
Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans has begun funding projects that bring Indigenous knowledge into the development of the country’s “blue” economy, which is based on a sustainable use of marine resources. Their work is part of a larger initiative to help First Nations become more self-sufficient in gathering and using information about such resources.
The Short Report - June 22, 2022: A big investment in CCRM's OmniaBio, feds seek to advance digital charter, forging a new oil sands alliance, launching a climate impact accelerator, and more.
South Korea’s Medipost acquires OmniaBio for contract development and manufacturing; Ottawa introduces legislation to bolster trust in the digital economy; a new oil sands alliance combines Canada’s three major oil producers, KPMG Canada and MaRS Discovery District launch a climate impact accelerator program, and more.
What Canada's new innovation agency can learn from the rest of the world
The new Canada Innovation and Investment Agency faces daunting challenges and will need political autonomy, be free to take risks in picking companies and sectors for funding, and have strong private sector support to succeed in increasing business R&D investment and innovation, say innovation and policy experts.
Novel energy source has its ups and downs
Canada is well positioned to develop a proposed new technology that could turn high-rise buildings into giant “gravity batteries” for producing and storing energy, improving buildings’ energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Dr. Julian Hunt, PhD, research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, says in an op-ed.
Lessons learned and points to ponder — a fading pandemic's legacy
Sound government policy is required to guide the major forces shaping Canada’s post-pandemic future, including: digitization; managing debt; role of government; expectations of business; behaviour and values; and environment and energy, Arden Brummell and Greg MacGillvrary, managing editors at Calgary-based Scenarios to Strategy Inc., say in an op-ed.
Invest in people, Science and Research Committee recommends
The Standing Committee on Science and Research this week tabled its first report, which recommends greater integration of federal granting council activity and a focus on investing in the people who participate in scientific enterprises.
The Short Report - June 8, 2022: Support for dozens of Research Chairs, a centre of excellence for sports and sports medicine, protocols for researchers and policymakers in the Arctic, and more.
Feds announce $102 million for new, renewed chairs at 35 Canadian research institutions; U of T receives a 20-million donation for research, innovations and clinical programs in sports and sports medicine, new protocols for Arctic research and policymaking from the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and more.
The Short Report - June 1, 2022: IBM boosts research and innovation at Memorial U; formalizing a framework for AI and data science research, Ottawa supports a national energy modelling hub, and more.
IBM invests to strengthen research and innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador; a framework to deepen links between the NRC and Canada’s AI research and industry ecosystem, an energy hub to connect modellers and policymakers, and more.
Canada growing more $1-billion “unicorn” companies, global startup ecosystem report shows
More Canadian companies are remaining in Canada to grow “unicorns” (firms with a $1-billion or more valuation) rather than selling early to foreign entities, according to data in Startup Genome’s 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. Meanwhile, in Atlantic Canada the number of startups slowed for the second year in a row, according to a separate report by Nova Scotia-based Entrevestor.
Debating decrim: hard drugs and hard decisions
Researchers are touting B.C.’s pilot initiative to decriminalize hard drug possession as a model to be applied across the country. They suggest studies to determine the efficacy of this approach to managing the harmful effect of addiction.
Canada looks to own another podium
Waterloo-based business accelerator Communitech has announced the roster of Team True North, which consists of Canadian firms that are poised to grow to at least $1 billion in revenue by 2030. The methodology for identifying these enterprises is similar to the highly successful Own the Podium initiative, which dramatically increased Canada’s Olympic medal count.
Indigenous health at the heart of new research network
Indigenous people in Canada have much higher rates of heart disease than the national average, yet they are underrepresented in cardiovascular research initiatives. A new health research network intends to correct this problem by integrating Indigenous community members into investigative work.
The Short Report – June 15, 2022: CREATE program receives new NSERC funding, feds provide up to $100M to Saskatchewan potash mine, Alberta invests in quantum hub, $24M for research on life-saving organ transplant technology, and more.
The Short Report – June 15, 2022: CREATE program receives new NSERC funding, feds provide up to $100M to Saskatchewan potash mine, Alberta invests in quantum hub, $24M for research on life-saving organ transplant technology, and more.
Use it or lose it, says report on Canada's AI advantage
The explosion of artificial intelligence innovation will transform the way research is done, but Canada must expand existing its strengths in AI or risk losing its competitive advantage in the technology, according to a new report by the Council of Canadian Academies.
Alberta Innovates provides $9.1-million boost for the province’s tech SMEs
Alberta Innovates is investing more than 9.1 million in 15 projects aimed at supporting Alberta’s SMEs and addressing gaps in the innovation continuum from ideation to commercialization. The largest grant — nearly $1.35 million — went to Calgary-based Cybera Inc. for its newly established Applied Data Science Lab for Economic Development program.
Championing a charter to facilitate health data sharing
A group of experts charged with providing strategic direction and roadmap for the maximizing the impact of health data is calling for the establishment of a Canadian Health Data Charter — one of 10 recommendations released this month as part of the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy.
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