Prime minister unveils high-tech strategy
Updated Thu. May. 17 2007 11:57 AM ET
Canadian Press
WATERLOO, Ont. -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper says more private research and development is key to strengthening the country's economy.
Speaking in Waterloo, Ont., Harper said today the government plans to lean heavily on what he called the "creative genius'' of Canada's scientists and its entrepreneurs.
Harper says the government's new strategy is designed to reverse years of declining private-sector involvement in R&D.
He also says enrolment in university science and engineering programs has also been falling.
In its 2007 budget, the federal government allocated $1.9 billion for science and technology.
Harper says building up the country's high-tech assets is as important as building infrastructure.
"Our new strategy will create high quality jobs in the science and technology sector, improve our standard of living and quality of life, and build a stronger economy and a stronger Canada,'' Harper said.
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PM pledges cash to boost private R&D
Last Updated: Thursday, May 17, 2007 | 1:20 PM ET
Mike Lazaridis (left) of Research in Motion looks on as Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces Canada's new science and technology strategy in Waterloo, Ont., on Thursday.
(Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Canada is lagging behind international competitors when it comes to training the next generation of scientists and engineers, whose innovations are critical to Canada's economy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.
Speaking in Waterloo, Ont., Thursday, Harper said the federal Conservative government plans to boost private research and development with its new science and technology strategy.
He said the plan is designed to reverse years of declining private-sector involvement in research and development in Canada, causing the country to fall far behind other G8 nations in the area.
"Canada has long been a leader in science and technology achievements, but we've got some work to do to put ourselves back on the forefront of innovation," Harper told a gathering of researchers and investors at Waterloo's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
"No country can remain prosperous and healthy without reinvesting a proportion of its wealth in science and technology."
The strategy also calls for bolstering falling enrolment in university science and engineering programs with scholarships and increased funding for research internships.
Harper said the government plans to tap into what he called the "creative genius" of Canada's scientists and its entrepreneurs, as well as make the country more attractive to foreign investment and researchers.
For too many years, government, academia and business have been "isolated silos," unlike research and development partnerships in the United States that benefit from clear communications with each other, the prime minister added.
The strategy is part of the $9.2 billion for total science and technology investments previously announced in the federal budget.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2...rper-tech.html
