INNOVATION                                                                             In/Sight

The Canadian Federal Government has commissioned a panel of experts to advise it on what can be done “in order to maximize its contribution to innovation and to economic opportunities for business.”  The experts have published a discussion paper seeking public comments, which can be reached by clicking on the title of this note.

The introduction to the discussion paper shows that Canadian businesses spend one percent of GDP on R&D whereas U.S. businesses spend two percent. It would be interesting to look behind these numbers to see whether the discrepancy is influenced by the fact that Canadian businesses are substantially owned by U.S. parent companies, which may do the R&D themselves.

The experts posed three specific questions:

-     What federal initiatives are most effective in increasing business R&D and facilitating commercially relevant R&D partnerships?

-     Is the current mix and design of tax incentives and direct support for business R&D and business focused R&D appropriate?

-     What, if any, gaps are evident in the current suite of programming, and what might be done to fill these gaps?

Comments are due by February 18, 2011 and may be delivered through the panel’s web site at www.rdreview-examenrd.ca.

dgallsebrook@ludlowlaw.ca

suite 1400 - 439 university avenue , toronto, ontario m5g 1y8 , tel: 416-408-4565 x 224 , fax: 416-408-4569  www.ludlowlaw.ca