In the 21st century, national prosperity, competitiveness, and well-being are inextricably linked to a country’s capacity for R&D and innovation. Canada is competing intensely alongside other countries to foster the next wave of research advances and innovations.
Ensuring that Canada remains competitive in this evolving landscape requires effective support informed by periodic assessments of the latest evidence on R&D performance. As such, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada asked the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) to provide an evidence-informed and authoritative assessment on the current state of science and technology, and industrial R&D in Canada. This is the fourth edition in the state of S&T and industrial R&D assessment series by the CCA.
To address the charge, the CCA assembled a multidisciplinary, multisectoral panel of 13 experts with a range of expertise, experience, and demonstrated leadership in academic research, R&D, innovation, and research administration.
To date, over 1,000 dedicated expert volunteers have made contributions to the important work of the CCA as expert panelists, peer reviewers, and members of our Board of Governors, and Scientific Advisory Committee. Their commitment of knowledge, expertise, leadership, and time in support of evidence-based decision-making is vital to the work of the CCA.