Innovation Canada: A Call to Action

The Advice of Other PanelsExpert Panel onCommercialization (2006)The Minister of Industry struck the Expert Panelon Commercialization in May 2005, asking it toidentify how the federal government could helpensure continuous improvements to Canada’scommercialization performance. The panel’sfinal report, People and Excellence: The Heart ofSuccessful Commercialization, was released inApril 2006.The report called for the creation of aCommercialization Partnership Board reportingto the Minister of Industry as his or her leadadvisory body on commercialization. Amongother activities, it was suggested that the boardcould: serve in an oversight role for federalcommercialization policies, initiatives andinvestments; provide an annual public reportevaluating their effectiveness, integration andimpacts; and call on the Minister of Industry torespond publicly to the report. In addition, thereport made a series of recommendationsorganized in relation to three “themes foraction.”TalentIncrease business demand for talentthrough the development of anew Canada CommercializationFellowships Program. The program would“support businesses in all sectors that arebuilding or renewing a commitment tocommercialization by supporting exchangeswith post-secondary institutions” (2006a,p. 12). These fellowships would (i) encompassthe broad range of disciplines that supportcommercialization and (ii) occur at all stagesof a research career — that is, fromundergraduate studies through to theworkforce.Spur employer hiring of highly qualifiedpersonnel with commercializationtalents. This would be achieved by:“expanding the existing Canadian Institutesof Health Research (CIHR) programs thatfocus on industry–university partnerships;expanding the existing Natural Sciences andEngineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC) programs that provide researchexperience in industrial settings; creating anew Social Sciences and HumanitiesResearch Council of Canada (SSHRC)commercialization and innovation fellowshipprogram emphasizing disciplines such asbusiness, design and human behaviour; andproviding funds to these organizations basedon a competition overseen by the newCommercialization Partnership Board”(2006a, p. 13).Encourage and celebrate young Canadianswho aim for success in business, scienceand technology. This would be achieved byproviding “substantial, guaranteed and longtermsupport for initiatives that promote andcelebrate excellence in science, technology andbusiness by young people” (2006a, p. 14).Develop and retain talent for success inthe global marketplace. This would beachieved by: creating prestigious scholarshipson par with the Rhodes and Fulbrights;enabling foreign research and teachingcollaborators to serve as distinguished visitingchairs; providing matching grants forcollaborative research projects withresearchers in centres of excellence in othercountries; supporting short-term exchangesof researchers between Canadian and foreignuniversities; and significantly increasing thenumber of Canadian students conductingstudies and research at foreign universities(2006a, p. 15).A-7