Speech

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PRIME MINISTER RELEASES NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN CANADA'S ECONOMY

May 17, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

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Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you Mike Lazaridis, for your kind introduction.

It's a pleasure to be here today, in Waterloo, at the Perimeter Institute, where a partnership of private and public interest has created a world-leading centre of excellence in the field of theoretical physics.

In today's world, scientific and technological innovation is fundamental to economic and social progress.

The pace of scientific discovery and technological development is accelerating.

Human beings and their inventions are probing the outer reaches of our solar system and the inner reaches of our sub-atomic universe.

And no country can remain prosperous and healthy without reinvesting a substantial portion of its wealth in science and technology.

Science and technology fuels innovation.

It sustains good jobs and rising living standards.

It underlies improvements in medicine, communications and family life.

From the discovery of insulin to Marquis Wheat to the Blackberry, Canada has long been a leader in scientific and technological achievement.

But the truth is – and I suspect this is not news to anyone in this room – we've got some work to do if we want to put Canada back in the lead.

For too long, our national science strategy has failed to effectively harness market forces in the pursuit of scientific progress.

As a result, private sector investment in research and development has fallen well below that of most of our major international competitors.

We're also lagging behind our competitors in educating the next generation of scientists and engineers.

One consequence of low private investment in R&D and the shrinking talent pool is lagging productivity growth. Most of the G7 countries are outperforming us.

If we don't improve, Canada will become a poorer, weaker country.

Ladies and gentlemen, that will not happen on my watch.

Science and technology are key to a stronger economy, a stronger Canada.

That's why I'm very pleased to launch today the Government of Canada's new Science and Technology Strategy: Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage.

It is a practical, realistic plan to strengthen our economy by tapping and marrying Canada's deep well of entrepreneurial energy to scientific and technological expertise.

Our goal is to make it easier for businesses to create and commercialize new products and services.

We will do so, for example, by improving the Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax incentive program.

We'll also create a world-leading regulatory regime that will spur scientific progress in the pursuit of public objectives, like protecting health and safety and reducing pollution and greenhouse gases.

And we'll take action to ensure that both Canadian companies and foreign investors find Canada an irresistible magnet for investment, including investment in research and development.

Our strategy will seek to expand and improve government and business partnerships so new inventions can move quickly out of the laboratory and into the market place.

We'll focus our efforts on Canada's inherent strengths and Canadians' primary interests, including: preserving the environment, improving public health, developing natural resources, and producing new information and communications technologies.

In the long run, though, the success of our Science and Technology Strategy depends on developing a new generation of brilliant scientists.

The next John Polyani, Michael Smith or Bert Brockhouse, are out there, but at the moment, chances are they're in an Arts program.

That's partly why, finding qualified people is such a big headache for recruiters here in the Waterloo region.

This area has some 400 tech companies employing 26,000 people – but I understand there are openings for nearly 1,000 more.

Our new strategy will help by boosting funding for scholarships and increasing the number of young people pursuing education and careers in science and technology.

We're also increasing support for research internships so more science and technology students will get practical experience in commercial, private-sector situations, and we're taking steps to make Canada a more attractive destination for highly-skilled foreign workers and students.

Building up our science and technology assets and expertise is at least as important to the future of Canada as the development of our physical infrastructure.

That's why we've budgeted 9.2 billion dollars for science and technology expenditures in the current fiscal year.

And that's why our national science strategy is charting a new direction, one that links the competitive energy of our entrepreneurs to the creative genius of our scientists.

Canadians are global leaders on many fronts, but we cannot afford to become complacent.

We need to Mobilize Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage - to improve our standard of living and our quality of life, to realize the full potential of our natural resources, to ensure a cleaner, safer environment, and to create thousands of new, high-quality jobs in the science and technology sector, here in the Waterloo region and throughout Canada.

In short – to build a stronger economy and a stronger Canada for future generations.

Thank you.

And now I'd like to turn the podium over to our Industry Minister.

Please welcome the Honourable Maxime Bernier.

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The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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