Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage

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Canada has a long and proud history of research excellence and scientific success. From the discovery of insulin, to the design of Research in Motion's BlackBerry, Canadian innovations are making important differences in people's lives and changing the world for the better.

Science and technology comes into almost every aspect of our lives, helping us to solve problems and create opportunities. Scientific discoveries and new technologies provide solutions to many of the issues most important to Canadians, giving us the knowledge and the means to preserve the quality of our environment, protect endangered species, improve our health, enhance public safety and security, and manage our natural and energy resources. Scientific and technological innovations enable modern economies to improve competitiveness and productivity, giving us the means to achieve an even higher standard of living and better quality of life.

In November 2006, Canada's federal government released Advantage Canada, an economic plan to make Canada a world leader for current and future generations. Advantage Canada is based on the premise that Canada already has tremendous strengths — including the drive and ingenuity of our people, the relative strength of our fiscal position, and our strong research base. It also recognizes that Canada can and must do more to turn our ideas into innovations that provide solutions to environmental, health, and other important social challenges, and to improve our economic competitiveness.

This science and technology (S&T) strategy — Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage — is the government's plan to achieve these goals. It sets out a comprehensive, multi-year science and technology agenda. The S&T initiatives announced in the Budget Plan 2007 demonstrate the government's commitment to take early action to implement this agenda.