Federal Government
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3 The Innovation Strategy
Canada's Innovation Strategy was introduced by Industry Canada on February
12, 2002 to identify the ways Canadians can improve innovative performance
across all sectors of society. The purpose of the Innovation Strategy is
to transform Canada's economy into a knowledge-based economy. Since its
inception, Industry Canada and its partners have organized numerous
regional summits and consultations with the business and academic
communities, as well as representatives from Aboriginal and youth groups
across the country.
Canada's Innovation Strategy is presented in two papers
- Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunities
recognizes knowledge as a national asset and focuses on strengthening
Canada's science and research capacity and its contribution to an
innovative society.
- Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians recognizes people
and their knowledge as societys greatest resource and looks to strengthen
learning in Canada and provide an opportunity for all to contribute to the
new economy.
The Achieving Excellence section of Canada's Innovation System stresses
the application of knowledge to develop new products and services, or new
ways to produce or market existing products and services. According to
this document, innovation has always been the driving force in economic
growth and social developmentan improvement of life for all citizens. In
the rapidly expanding knowledge-based economy, the need for these
innovations is always increasing.
The knowledge based economy has now expanded to include all sectors.
Approximately 10 years ago, the knowledge-economy was a term restricted to
high-tech sectors, such as the information and communications technology
firms in California's "Silicon Valley". This emphasis has shifted to
include all areas of industry, from natural resources to manufacturing to
services. Accordingly, new innovations can save costs and increase
productivity.
The objectives of Canada's Achieving Excellence paper include
- Developing a common understanding of Canada's innovation challenge
- Reaching consolidated agreements on national targets to properly
coordinate the country's efforts to establish a knowledge-based economy
- Creating feedback on the proposed strategies for innovation
- Identifying areas where firms overlap and can collaborate
- Tracking the progress of innovative programs and report to Canadians
on these achievements
The Knowledge Matters section of Canada's Innovation Strategy
stresses the value of education and having a highly skilled population.
According to the report, the successful countries in the 21st century will
be comprised of highly skilled, adaptable and creative citizens. By
allowing all Canadians to learn and develop their skills and abilities,
the Innovation Strategy plans to create this skilled workforce.
Canada's Innovation Strategy also asserts that a knowledge-based economy
means an ever-increasing need for highly educated and skilled workforce in
all economic sectors across the country. Also, there is a looming
demographic crunch that means the labour force will not be adequate to
meet the demands of the country. Highly skilled Canadians are needed to
fill these vacated jobs. To meet these requirements, Canada's education
system will be strengthened to create highly skilled students.
As such, Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians is
the catalyst to create a knowledge-based economy. This is the action plan
for all Canadians to move towards the future, to understand the challenges
of a transforming society. Meeting these goals requires long-term
cooperation between government, academia, industry and society, and
sustained efforts from all sectors of the economy and all regions across
Canada. Only through these efforts will we create the innovative society
envisioned by Canadas Innovation Strategy.
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