Innovation Canada: A Call to Action

Innovation Canada: A Call to Action1.3 Innovation concierge service —Establish a national “concierge” service andassociated comprehensive web portal toprovide companies with high-quality, timelyadvice to help identify and access the mostappropriate business innovation assistanceand programs for the individual firm.The concierge service would serve the dualpurpose of (i) providing a single access point forbusinesses to obtain individualized assistance innavigating the complex program landscapethrough well-informed guidance on the mostappropriate programs and (ii) generatingawareness of programs by directing clients toinitiatives they might not have otherwiseidentified.In order to ensure that businesses benefit fromhigh-quality, personalized assistance on acase-by-case basis, client service personnel inthe concierge offices should be appropriatelytrained to provide services ranging from initialclient referrals to specialized sectoral advice,drawing on all Government of Canadaresources as well as relevant provincialprograms. The associated web portal shouldbe developed in collaboration with theprovinces to constitute a “one-stop” onlineorientation to the full range of governmentprograms in support of business innovation.The new concierge service should build on theexisting capacity of Canada Business, whichprovides access to information and tools forCanadian businesses and entrepreneurs throughservice centres and an online delivery channel.TalentA talented and adaptable workforce is at theheart of innovative economies. Every part of theeconomy therefore has a stake in educating,training and effectively integrating highlyqualified and skilled Canadians into theworkforce, and in attracting and retainingtalented individuals to Canada. While thedevelopment of talent is the responsibility of theprovinces, the Government of Canada plays animportant role through the granting councilsand can have a particular focus on thedeployment of talent in support of businessinnovation. Unfortunately, federal efforts areunorganized, and federal programs are subscaleand uncoordinated. The Panel thereforerecommends the following.1.4 Talent — IRIC should lead the developmentof a federal business innovation talentstrategy, working closely with the provincesand relevant federal departmentsand agencies, focussed on increasingbusiness access to, and use of, highlyqualified and skilled personnel.Guided by this strategy, IRIC should work withfederal partners to consolidate federal industrialinternship and youth employment programs,creating a larger, more flexible program open toall senior undergraduate and graduate studentsand post-doctoral fellows from across ourpost-secondary educational institutions.The strategy should address gaps in the currentsuite of business-oriented talent programs,such as creating opportunities forentrepreneurship mentoring, addressingCanada’s underperformance in deploying ourmost highly skilled and highly trained PhDgraduates, and developing the full range ofindustrially relevant research, development andcommercialization skills for trainees, includingboth technical and professional “soft” skills.The strategy should be designed to meet clearlydefined objectives, over time, centring on theincreased use by business of highly qualified andskilled personnel. The Panel also recommendsthat the strategy make use of proactive andflexible delivery mechanisms by engagingstakeholders and civil society in the design anddelivery of its talent initiatives, whereappropriate.5-14