News That Matters To You

By Roseann O'Reilly Runte
Universities aggressively recruit entire research teams, not just individual star researchers, which suggests that Canada needs to create incentives. Roseann O'Reilly Runte from Runte and Associates says Canada should focus on attracting research with industrial support in priority areas, alongside researchers and their students, to boost both scientific advancement and economic growth.

By Paul Dufour
Canada lacks a national science, technology and innovation (STI) strategy despite its importance to the economy. Paul Dufour from the University of Ottawa's Institute for Science, Society and Policy, highlights past efforts, like the 1987 National Science and Technology Policy, and suggest that renewed federal-provincial-territorial cooperation to design and implement a pan-Canadian STI strategy could boost Canada's global competitiveness.

By Danielle Burns
Consumer neurotech products are being sold and tested in Canada without having a specific regulatory framework to manage neurotechnology or the neural data it generates, says Nova Scotia writer Danielle Burns. To avoid undermining trust and privacy, she argues that Canada must act now and move forward with policy and governance to ensure that neurotechnology benefits the public.

By Peter Josty
China's authoritarian and human rights practices are undesirable, but its centralized government fosters tech innovation, says Peter Josty. Unlike Canada's declining productivity and R&D spending, China's strategic, multi-city approach drives advancements in key sectors like electric vehicles, solar energy, AI and critical minerals, suggesting a need for Canada to explore a national industrial strategy.

By Guest Contributor
Science education in Canada is failing to equip students for future STEM careers, with teachers lacking sufficient training and resources, says Marcia Cunningham of CGC Educational Communications. To foster innovation and economic growth, she argues for prioritizing hands-on science education and comprehensive teacher training in science.

By Peter Josty
Foreign ownership in Canada has decreased over the last decade, now accounting for 14 percent of assets. While foreign-owned firms invest more in R&D, the disadvantages include that major strategic decisions are made outside Canada and Canadians have less opportunity for "head office" training, writes Peter Josty.

By Yogi Schulz
Despite enthusiasm for hydrogen's potential to reduce emissions, it faces significant cost hurdles, with current prices far exceeding gasoline and natural gas, writes Yogi Schulz. This economic reality, coupled with infrastructure limitations, suggests widespread green hydrogen adoption remains a distant prospect unless substantial cost reductions and technological advancements occur, he argues.

By Andrew Maxwell
Current federal strategies on artificial intelligence – including the mandate for the minister of AI – fall short by not recognizing AI as a systems-level transformation requiring a shift in innovation policy to embed AI into public sector operations, writes Andrew Maxwell at York University.

By Peter Josty
Throughout most of history the benefits of and the wealth generated by new technologies have been captured by a small elite who had coercive power, and reversing this trend would require a major effort, writes Peter Josty, executive director of the Centre for Innovation Studies.