Innovation programs, critics say, have been overly politically driven with an attempt to cover too many regions and sectors, and designed by bureaucrats with outdated or underdeveloped notions
Last summer, the federal government invited 40 industry groups to weigh in on its latest big-ticket plan to support Canadian innovation. It was a $1-billion agency announced in the spring budget that would stimulate businesses to spend more on research and development and deliver innovation-led growth.
During five roundtable meetings around the end of August, officials with the Innovation, Science and Economic Development department (ISED) asked participants how they thought the proposed Canadian Innovation and Investment Agency (CIIA) could most effectively help businesses increase R&D spending and overcome challenges to growth.
