September 12, 2006

The State of Science and Technology in Canada

The Expert Panel on The State of Science & Technology in Canada

Summary

Strength in science and technology is considered to be essential for a modern country’s ongoing capacity to innovate and compete in the knowledge-based global economy. Strength in science and technology determines our ability to compete for increasingly mobile resources of people and investment capital and to participate in global knowledge-sharing networks that operate at the leading edge of both science and technology development.

The question

Industry Canada requested the expertise of the CCA in gaining a better understanding of Canada’s S&T strengths can capacity. In particular, it would be helpful to better understand:

the scientific disciplines in which Canada excels in a global context;
the technology applications where Canada excels in a global context;
the S&T infrastructure that currently provides Canada with unique advantages; and
the scientific disciplines and technological applications that have the potential to emerge as areas of prominent strength for Canada and generate significant economical or social benefits.

In June 2006, the Government of Canada asked the CCA to explore Canada’s strengths and weaknesses in the area of science and technology.

The final report of the Committee on Science and Technology in Canada described the strength of the principal building blocks of Canada’s science and technology system. It identified areas where Canada appears to be comparatively weak or declining in science and technology capacity. It also identified four areas or “clusters” of Canadian strength – natural resources, information and communications technologies, health and related life sciences and technologies and environmental technologies.

These four areas of strength were subsequently adopted by the Government of Canada as part of its science and technology strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage.