State of the nation 2008 : Canada's science, technology and innovation system

Drivers of our innovation success include: •. a private sector that has science, technology, and innovation strategies at its core; •. institutions of education and research that develop, recruit, and retain strong talent pools; and •. researchers who keep us at the forefront of knowledge and workers who see and act on opportunities to work smarter and more creatively. [...] Canada remains in the middle of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) pack of 30 countries and sixth in the G-7 in business R&D as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). [...] Curiosity and the thirst for knowledge, the desire to succeed in the marketplace, better services for Canadians, better stewardship of our environment and resources, and realizing our full potential, motivate individuals, institutions of learning, businesses and government. [...] The Competition Policy Review Panel linked much of Canada’s poor productivity performance to the comparatively poor performance of Canadian companies in the creation, diffusion and transformation of knowledge and the use of knowledge through commercialization. [...] Greater cooperation and collaboration between the private sector, universities and colleges, all levels of government, and others8 at the regional and national levels strengthen a nation’s ability to compete at the international level.