Innovation Canada: A Call to Action

The Advice of Other PanelsAnnexThe Advice of OtherPanelsBIn recent years, the federal government hasstruck panels that have touched upon issues ofrelevance to the Review of Federal Support toResearch and Development. In particular, theCompetition Policy Review Panel and the ExpertPanel on Commercialization both exploredtopics that warrant attention in the context ofthis review.Competition Policy ReviewPanel (2008)The formation of the Competition Policy ReviewPanel was announced jointly by the ministers ofIndustry and Finance in July 2007. The panelwas mandated to review Canada’s competitionand foreign investment policies, and to providerelated recommendations on how to improveCanada’s productivity and competitiveness.In its final report, Compete to Win, releasedin June 2008, the panel recommended theestablishment of an independent CanadianCompetitiveness Council under the Minister ofIndustry. Staffed by a chief executive officer anda small core staff overseen by a board ofdirectors, the proposed council’s mandate wouldbe “to examine and report on, advocate formeasures to improve, and to ensure sustainedprogress on, Canadian competitiveness”(p. 133). It would not enforce laws andregulations but would have a public voice,including the power to publish and advocate forits findings. The Competition Policy ReviewPanel also put forward a range of otherrecommendations grouped under variousrubrics, two of which stand out as particularlypertinent to this review.Innovation and Intellectual PropertyThe report made the followingrecommendations (2008, p. 133).“The federal government should monitor thescientific research and experimentaldevelopment tax credit program annually inorder to ensure that business investment inresearch and development and innovation inCanada is effectively encouraged.As a matter of priority, the federalgovernment should ensure that newcopyright legislation will both sufficientlyreward creators while stimulating competitionand innovation in the Internet age. Anyprospective changes to Canada’s patent lawregime should also reflect this balance. Thefederal government should assess andmodernize the Canadian patent andcopyright system to support the internationalefforts of Canadian participants in the globaleconomy in a timely and effective manner.Before December 2009, the federalgovernment should strengthen counterfeitand piracy laws to ensure that intellectualproperty rights are effectively protected.A-5