Part of the Future of Innovation in Canada Spotlight Presented by

Team of innovators. Group of young modern people in smart casual wear discussing business while standing behind the glass wall in the creative office

Spotlight on the Future of Innovation in Canada

Published on May 20, 2022

Teresa Marques / President and CEO - Rideau Hall Foundation

Mark Carney / Vice-Chair & Head of Transition Investing - Brookfield Asset Management & Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance - United Nations

Jean-Simon Venne / Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder - BrainBox AI

Carol Lee / Chair - Vancouver Chinatown Foundation

Le texte français suit ci-dessous.

Listen to the Podcast:

Innovation drives the economy and our society.

It is the force that grows the nation and drives it forward, but great ideas are not enough in themselves. Canada is looking at an increasingly competitive global landscape and a whole slew of new sectors that have to be built from the ground up. On top of that, the age-old challenge of commercialization that has long plagued Canadian entrepreneurship continues to pose difficulties.

In this Spotlight, we explore Canada’s potential as a nation of innovation and will be speaking to experts in all kinds of innovation: social, tech, environment and more. We explore the challenges that hold us back, the opportunities that beckon us and what Canada must do now to cement its position as a global, competitive leader in innovation.

Takeaways

Multitrillion-dollar innovation opportunities await–we need the right financial systems, collaboration ecosystems and government supports to drive innovation in them.
The government has a crucial role to play in setting the right policies, incentives and supports to support Canadian innovation and innovators.
The world is changing. Canada must turn its eye to the problems and solutions of the future – such as climate change, AI and more – and innovate in those spaces to remain relevant and competitive.
Youth innovators are our future. Concerted efforts from industry, the non-profit sector and government will have to be undertaken to motivate and support them.

Version française

Le futur de l’innovation au Canada

L’innovation est le moteur de l’économie et de notre société.

C’est la force qui fait grandir la nation et la fait avancer, mais les grandes idées ne suffisent pas en elles-mêmes. Le Canada fait face à un environnement international de plus en plus concurrentiel et toute une série de nouveaux secteurs qui doivent être bâtis à partir de zéro. De plus, le défi persistant de la commercialisation qui afflige depuis longtemps l’entrepreneuriat canadien continue de poser des difficultés.

Dans ce Spotlight, nous explorons le potentiel du Canada en tant que nation d’innovation en discutant avec des experts en toutes sortes d’innovations : sociales, technologiques, environmentales et plus encore. Nous explorons les défis qui nous retiennent, les opportunités qui s’offrent à nous et ce que le Canada doit faire maintenant pour consolider sa position de chef de file mondial en matière d’innovation.

Points clés

Des opportunités d’innovation de plusieurs milles milliards de dollars nous attendent – nous avons besoin des bons systèmes financiers, d’écosystèmes de collaboration et des soutiens gouvernementaux pour y stimuler l’innovation.
Le gouvernement a un rôle crucial à jouer dans l’établissement des bonnes politiques, incitatifs et mesures de soutien pour supporter l’innovation et les innovateurs canadiens.
Le monde change. Le Canada doit se tourner vers les problèmes et les solutions de l’avenir – comme le changement climatique, l’IA et plus encore – et innover dans ces domaines pour demeurer pertinent et compétitif.
Les jeunes innovateurs sont notre avenir. Des efforts concertés du secteur privé, du secteur sans but lucratif et du gouvernement devront être entrepris pour les motiver et les soutenir.

Watch the Expert Takes and Read the Full Interviews:

How to Improve Canada’s Culture of Innovation Teresa Marques President and CEO - Rideau Hall Foundation “The collaboration and ecosystem around innovation are more important than ideas themselves.”

How Government Must Strengthen Innovation in Canada Mark Carney Vice-Chair & Head of Transition Investing - Brookfield Asset Management & Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance - United Nations “This is around a $2 trillion investment and innovation opportunity in Canada over the course of the next couple of decades.”

Collaboration in Canada’s Innovation Ecosystem Jean-Simon Venne Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder - BrainBox AI “Whoever drives AI innovation today will control all of our assets and be the leader of a lot of these operations tomorrow.”

Support Networks for Canada's Social Innovators Carol Lee Chair - Vancouver Chinatown Foundation “It is not possible to have big solutions without government at the table.”