Innovation Canada: A Call to Action

Executive SummaryApproach to Our MandateThe Panel was asked by the government toprovide advice in respect of the effectiveness offederal programs to support business andcommercially oriented R&D, the appropriatenessof the current mix and design of theseprograms, as well as possible gaps in the currentsuite of programs and what might be done tofill them. The mandate specified that ourrecommendations must not result in either anincrease or a decrease in the overall level offunding of federal R&D initiatives. Therefore,where we have identified opportunities forsavings — such as from some reduction in therefundability of the SR&ED tax credit — weexpect the government to reallocate thesavings to provide funds for our otherrecommendations.The year-long process culminating in this reportbegan with foundational briefings from expertsand decision makers in both the federal andprovincial governments. We implemented, inparallel, an ambitious agenda of research andprogram assessment. The latter encompassed aset of 60 programs (worth about $5 billion inthe 2010–11 fiscal year) covering the gamut offederal initiatives to foster business R&D. Ourextensive consultations included 228 writtensubmissions in response to the release of ourconsultation paper in December 2010. Thesewere supplemented by in-person group sessionsin cities from coast to coast: Vancouver, Calgary,Winnipeg, Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa,Montréal, Québec and Halifax. We extendedthe scope of consultations beyond Canada togather international perspectives on issuesgermane to this review. Meetings tookplace in Australia, Germany, Singapore, theUnited Kingdom and the United States, andwith officials of the Organisation forEconomic Co-operation and Development(OECD) and Tekes 1 in Paris. Finally, wecommissioned a survey of more than athousand R&D-performing businessesrepresentative of the range of sizes, sectorsand provinces.1 Tekes is a Finnish funding agency for technology and innovation.E-7