The NCE Steering Committee invites Letters of Intent (LOI) for the 2011 Competition for new NCE-KM networks that will address critical issues of scientific, intellectual, social, economic and/or cultural significance in areas of strategic importance for Canada. Approximately $1.2 million per year will be available to support NCE-KM networks. Successful networks will be awarded up to $400,000 per year for four years, with a possible three-year extension.

The LOI submission must be received by the NCE Secretariat by September 15, 2010, 4:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Based on a review of all LOIs, selected applicants will be invited to submit a Full Application in April 2011.

Documents

• Letter of Intent (LOI) Guide
• Letter of Intent (LOI) Application Form (Excel – 144 KB)

Should you have any questions or inquiries regarding the NCE-KM competition, please contact:

Sara Esam
Senior Program Manager
Tel.: 613-996-2335
E-mail: Sara.Esam@nce-rce.gc.ca

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The vision of the 2010-2103 Que?bec Research and Innovation Strategy (QRIS), pursues that of the first strategy. It stems from a well-thought- out prioritization that seeks to maximize the economic and social spinoffs from the Que?bec government’s investments.

This renewed vision is reflected in the consolidation of the past achievements of public research, the acceleration of innovation in Que?bec businesses, and the mobilization of stakeholders around promising projects for Que?bec society.

• consolidate the QRIS’s past achievements and adjust certain measures in order to ensure that they produce the maximum benefits;
• adopt a renewed approach and add new measures more closely centred priority sectors and major on developmental projects;
• rely on our strengths to accelerate innovation in priority sectors and in businesses;
• remain competitive with our partners and competitors;
• help Que?bec achieve the lowest carbon footprint.

The 2010-2013 Que?bec Research and Innovation Strategy will allow us to better position Que?bec firms on promising markets. Moreover, it firmly commits Que?bec to the green economy, the economy of the future. The government intends to take full advantage of Que?bec’s know- how to encourage the development of projects in the realm of the clean technologies.

Document

• The 2010-2013 Québec Research and Innovation Strategy – Summary
  (an english version of the complete QRIS will soon be available)

Press release

Québec invests $1.16 billion in innovation and prosperity – Minister Clément Gignac announces the 2010–2013 Québec research and innovation strategy

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VICTORIA – The Premier’s Technology Council (PTC) has released its 13th report. The report focuses on issues of venture capital, on applying clean-energy technology and on the delivery of the government’s innovation programming.

Venture Capital

Canada-wide challenges have caused a worrying decline in the availability of venture capital over the past two years. This holds true for B.C. as well, in spite of B.C. having the strongest venture capital programming in Canada. The PTC recommends government address these new challenges by:

• Working with the federal government to expand Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SRED) tax credits and to seek greater federal participation in B.C. VCC programming.
• Continuing the venture capital programs to ensure predictable, long term capital flow.
• Maintaining the BC Renaissance Capital Fund, allowing it a continued supply of capital.
• Including aspects of venture capital management in the eligible activities of the BC International Financial Centre.

The PTC also commends both the federal and provincial governments for their work to address the barrier to venture capital that had been created by Section 116 of the federal Income Tax Act.

Electricity Export

The reports of the four Green Energy Advisory Task Forces and the new Clean Energy Act are complementary to and build upon previous reports of the PTC. They lay out for government a more detailed series of actions that will not only help B.C. become a profitable net exporter of green energy, but help it to maintain a leadership role in this field. The PTC supports both the act and the findings of these task forces by reinforcing its recommendation from the tenth report.

• That B.C. set a target to become a profitable net exporter of clean energy by 2020.

Energy Saving Infrastructure

Investment in new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities in order to save energy and use new, clean technology to generate energy has a number of benefits to government and to its associated institutions. To take advantage of this opportunity B.C. must prioritize an increase in capital expenditures in exchange for a reduction of future operating budgets.

• That the provincial government make investment in energy infrastructure a priority and implement the budgetary, legislative, regulatory, and/or policy changes required to allow increased capital expenditures and associated financing costs in exchange for a reduction of future operating budgets.

BC Innovation Council Review

The BC Innovation Council (BCIC) was created in 2004. As it has been in existence for five years the PTC reviewed the organisation and its mandate. In the course of this review the PTC has determined that BCIC’s new mandate and mission are appropriate and that it is beneficial for the government to utilize an autonomous business entity to execute on commercialization policy.

• That government supports the new mission statement, helps BCIC both to rationalize their legacy programs and meet their deferred revenue commitments, and update BCIC governance and identity to be consistent with its current objectives.

Commercialisation of Research

The PTC recently conducted an online consultation process to determine how to improve the commercialisation process in B.C.  The process identified five key issues for the PTC to address as it moves forward on this issue. These are:

• Trying to encourage a more entrepreneurial culture in the institutions.
• Trying to refine and improve the nature of the partnerships between industry and academia.
• Trying to create a more consistent and less restrictive intellectual property policy.
• Ensuring the measures of success will encourage the relationship between industry and academia to blossom.
• Clarifying the role of government in the process.

The Premier’s Technology Council was established in August 2001 to advise the government on issues related to the advancement and application of technology in British Columbia.

To view the 13^th report visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/attachments/PTC_13th_report.pdf

More information about the council and copies of its previous reports and recommendations are available on the Premier’s website at http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/technology_council/

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Residents of the Beaufort-Delta are the newest beneficiaries of electronic access to medical information, as the Government of the Northwest Territories continues its roll-out of the interoperable Electronic Health Record (iEHR) project. Beginning today, the region’s health professionals have access to the iEHR HealthNet Viewer, providing instant access to the medical information of patients and ensuring more efficient access to care, better-informed care decisions, and improved patient treatment.

“Electronic health records are a significant undertaking, and one that has a tremendous positive benefit for NWT residents,” said Minister of Health and Social Services Sandy Lee. “By ensuring that a patient’s health records are instantly available to medical professionals that require them, we reduce delays in the system and improve the level of care that can be provided. We will continue to work to ensure that all NWT residents are able to benefit from this new system.”

Every province and territory in Canada is working to implement electronic health record systems that will transform the way health care is delivered to Canadians. Canada Health Infoway (Infoway), an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government, invested $5.7 million in NWT’s iEHR project. Infoway jointly invests with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of electronic health record projects in Canada.

“When health professionals have quick, reliable access to health information it’s the patients who benefit the most,” said Richard Alvarez, the President and CEO of Canada Health Infoway. “The NWT HealthNet Viewer will help health care professionals in the Beaufort-Delta reduce wait times, improve patient safety and increase access to care.”

The iEHR HealthNet Viewer is being rolled out to authorized healthcare professionals at clinics, hospitals and health centres across the NWT. The program provides instant access to the medical information of patients, including lab results, discharge summaries and diagnostic imaging reports. Records and paper files where they exist today will continue to be maintained as before. The HealthNet Viewer provides the opportunity for clinicians to view information which already exists in different electronic systems across the Territories in a fast, convenient and secure consolidated format.

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OTTAWA, June 11, 2010 — The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, today announced the launch of a public consultation on foreign investment restrictions in the telecommunications sector.

“Our goal is to encourage investment, innovation and competition in the telecommunications sector for the benefit of both businesses and consumers,” said Minister Clement. “We look forward to receiving Canadians’ views on this important issue.”

In the Speech from the Throne and Budget 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth, the Government of Canada committed to opening Canada’s doors further to venture capital and to foreign investment in key sectors, including telecommunications, in order to attract new capital and to encourage innovation and competition.

The consultation will run until July 30, 2010. The consultation paper outlines the current restrictions, describes how Canada compares with other countries and presents the following three options for consideration:

• Increase the limit for direct foreign investment in broadcasting and telecommunications common carriers to 49 percent;
• Lift restrictions on telecommunications common carriers with a 10-percent market share or less, by revenue; or
• Remove telecommunications restrictions completely.

Reviewing restrictions on foreign investment is consistent with the government’s approach to rely more on market forces and less on regulation in the telecommunications industry. Telecommunications is a critical part of the digital economy — a key government priority.

Additional information on how to submit your views and the consultation paper can be found at www.ic.gc.ca/telecominvestment.

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OTTAWA, May 25, 2010 — The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec), today announced two steps that the Government of Canada is taking to enhance the safety and security of the online marketplace. Together, the tabling of amendments to the legislation protecting the personal information of Canadians (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA) and the reintroduction of anti-spam legislation in the House of Commons (the proposed Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act, or FISA) are important steps towards positioning Canada as a leader in the digital economy.

“Canadian shoppers should feel just as confident in the electronic marketplace as they do at the corner store,” said Minister Clement. “With today’s two pieces of legislation, we are working toward a safer and more secure online environment for both consumers and businesses — essential in positioning Canada as a leader in the digital economy.”

“Our government believes that personal information should be no less secure when shared online than anywhere else. That is why we are taking steps to ensure it is better protected,” said Minister of State Lebel. “These measures will empower and better protect consumers while ensuring that Canadian businesses can continue to compete in the global marketplace.”

To address public concerns about the increasing number of data breaches involving personal information, PIPEDA proposes a new requirement for organizations to report material data breaches to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and to notify individuals where there is a risk of harm. This requirement will complement the government’s recently enacted identity theft legislation and encourage better information security practices on the part of organizations.

PIPEDA also proposes amendments related to protecting the privacy of minors and other vulnerable individuals online. Other amendments are designed to clarify and streamline rules for business and support effective investigations by law enforcement and security agencies.

The proposed FISA is intended to deter the most damaging and deceptive forms of spam, such as identity theft, phishing and spyware, from occurring in Canada and to help drive spammers out of Canada.

The proposed FISA legislation provides a comprehensive regulatory regime that uses economic disincentives to protect electronic commerce and is modelled on international best practices. To enforce the legislation, the bill would use the expertise, and expand the mandates, of the three enforcement agencies: the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Competition Bureau Canada and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Industry Canada will act as a national coordinating body to increase consumer and business awareness and education, to further coordinate work with the private sector and to conduct research and intelligence gathering.

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The announcement was made jointly by the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

“Canada can and should be a leader in the global digital economy,” said Minister Clement. “Now is the time for the private sector to step up and contribute their ideas for a digital strategy and, when that strategy is in place, to implement the plan.”

“Our government is committed to ensuring that creators, inventors and entrepreneurs have the incentives to innovate, the confidence to take risks and the tools to succeed,” said Minister Moore. “We recognize the important role the digital media and content sector plays in the digital economy, and we intend to develop a long-term plan that will stand the test of time.”

“Our government wants Canadians to have the skills that will make them leaders in this rapidly developing and globally competitive industry,” said Minister Finley. “Through these consultations, we will work with industry and other partners to identify areas where we need to develop our workforce of the future.”

The consultations, which begin today and close on July 9, 2010, will be hosted online (www.digitaleconomy.gc.ca). A discussion paper posted on the consultation site provides details on the key themes being considered:

• Capacity to Innovate Using Digital Technologies;
• Building a World-Class Digital Infrastructure;
• Growing the Information and Communications Technology Industry;
• Digital Media: Creating Canada’s Digital Content Advantage; and
• Building Digital Skills for Tomorrow.

The consultation seeks feedback from all interested parties on priorities and targets as Canada moves toward improving innovation and creativity, adopting new technologies and achieving the shared goal of making Canada a global leader in the digital economy.

A strategy for Canada’s digital economy will recognize that success will not come through a particular government program or combination of government programs, but from a concerted effort — combining government vision and the resolve of individual businesses to be global leaders in their fields.

Once the consultation process has closed in July 2010, the government will review the information and use it to inform the development of a national digital economy strategy.

Backgrounder

Consultations on Canada’s Strategy for the Digital Economy

The March 2010 Speech from the Throne and Budget 2010 both established the Government of Canada’s objective to develop a digital economy strategy for Canada. The strategy will enable the information and communications technology (ICT) sector to create new products and services, accelerate the adoption of digital technologies and contribute to improved cyber security practices by industry and consumers. It ensures that creators have the incentives to innovate, the confidence to take risks and the tools to succeed.

Canada’s ICT and digital media sectors create high-skilled, high-paying jobs in Canada, and the adoption of ICTs helps to raise business productivity. However, Canadian businesses currently lag their international competitors in the development, adoption and use of innovative ICTs.

For Canada to improve its position and take its place at the forefront of the global digital economy, some key questions need to be addressed. How can we improve the adoption and use of digital technologies in all sectors of Canada’s economy? What kind of digital infrastructure will we need for the 21st century? And what will grow the ICT industry while we try to reduce our deficit?

Canada was one of the first countries to take advantage of the digital economy. It was the first country to connect all of our schools and libraries to the Internet, and led Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries in the deployment and uptake of broadband. Canadians were early adopters of ICTs. Canada was one of the first countries to implement policies and programs that enabled the creation of digital media and content. Other countries have followed Canada’s lead, and some have overtaken us in a number of areas, prompting us to look at how to regain our advantage.

The June 2009 Canada 3.0 Conference in Stratford, Ontario, focused on the direction of digital media and the importance of this sector to the economy. That set the tone for the Forum on Canada’s Digital Economy in Ottawa later that month, where the key elements for a strategy began to take shape. There is broad agreement that the digital economy is a strong driver of innovation, which is essential to future growth across the entire Canadian economy.

The consultations over the next two months are aimed at identifying areas of collaboration, priority issues to be addressed and opportunities for realigning existing federal policies and programs. It is clear from previous and ongoing discussions that government can play a key role in providing the legislative and investment framework so that individual businesses can be global leaders in their fields. However, it is the private sector that has the talent, technology and entrepreneurial spirit to take the initiative in securing Canada’s position of leadership in the global digital economy.

These consultations will help to clearly define roles and responsibilities among industry, academia, content developers, technical experts, researchers and government, and build consensus on how to work together to develop a Canadian strategy for the digital economy.

Elements of the Consultations

Online

The Government of Canada is seeking the views of Canadians on the priorities and proposals for a digital economy strategy. Online submissions will be reviewed and considered as the strategy develops. All online submissions will be made public. For information on the consultation process and how to participate, please visit www.digitaleconomy.gc.ca.

Roundtable meetings

A number of roundtable meetings will be held in support of the consultations, in conjunction with already-planned stakeholder conferences. Stakeholders from the private sector and academia and others will be invited to focus on specific aspects of a digital economy strategy. Where feasible, transcripts of these meetings will be made available through the consultation website.

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Body Armour Control Act  Posted February 25, 2010  –  Ends March 12, 2010

Background

In July 2009, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General surveyed industry groups, police and security personnel on the proposal to regulate the sale, possession and use of body armour. The feedback received was used to develop the Body Armour Control Act (BACA) which received Royal Assent on October 29, 2009. The new BACA introduces a regulatory framework which places controls on the possession and purchase of body armour in British Columbia.

Increasingly criminals are using body armour to allow them to engage in firearms-related violence; increasing the risks to the public and police. The BACA will enhance public safety by making it difficult for criminals to legally possess or purchase body armour and by providing police with the authority to seize body armour from those who are not authorized to possess it.

The BACA will come into force by regulation in 2010. There will be a six-month transition period for those in possession of body armour to come into compliance with the Act and regulations.

This is a request to Interested Stakeholders to provide input into the development of policy for the new Body Armour Control Act. You are invited to provide feedback on the following framework:

Proposed Framework

1. Types of Body Armour to be Included

It is envisioned that Body Armour Control Act (BACA) Regulations and policy will apply to body armour that is ballistic, stab and/or puncture resistant. This will include trauma plates, inserts and other devices that can be added to the vests over a localized area to increase the wearer’s protection against blunt trauma injuries or projectiles fired from a firearm.

This may include, but not be limited to garments and items which meet the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0101.06 – Standards for Ballistic resistance of Personal Body Armour, types II,IIA, III, IIIA or IV or National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0115.00 – Stab Resistance of Personal Body Armour, levels 1, 2 or 3.

1. Body Armour Permit Requirements

Unless exempt under the BACA or Regulations from the requirement to obtain a body armour permit, individuals wanting to possess body armour will be required to make an application to the Registrar of Security Services for a Body Armour Permit. This may include those wanting to possess body armour due to non-violent threats to personal safety related to a sport, hobby or occupation (e.g., sport shooting club members) or individuals with threats to their personal safety of an ongoing nature.

Permit applicants will be required to provide personal information – including name, date of birth and contact information – and will be required to prove a reasonable need for the possession of body armour. In addition, applicants will have to undergo a criminal record check and pay a permit fee (fee estimates at this time are $90 for 5-year term and $45 for renewal).

Once a risk assessment is performed on the applicant, a permit will be issued to the individual allowing them to purchase, wear or possess body armour. A permit holder must carry the permit when in possession of body armour and produce it upon request by a peace officer or inspector.

1. Body Armour Permit Exemptions

There are a number of legitimate uses of body armour where it is required for protection in the course of one’s employment or job-related duties. Among those that will be exempt from the requirement to obtain a body armour permit are individuals employed by police and other enforcement agencies, armoured car guards, security guards, security consultants and private investigators. Proof of exemption will be required to be carried by these individuals when purchasing body armour or when in possession of body armour and will be linked to their security worker license, badge number, employee identification or verification document as applicable.

Exemptions to requiring a permit will also be considered for those individuals who do not reside in British Columbia but require body armour during their stay (i.e., diplomats) and/or individuals with imminent threats to their personal safety.

An individual in an exempt category must carry proof of exemption and produce it upon request by a peace officer or inspector when in possession of body armour.

1. Body Armour Business and Sales Persons Licensing Requirements

Businesses that sell body armour and their employees play an important role in ensuring that purchasers of body armour are authorized to do so. Businesses that sell body armour in British Columbia will be required to obtain a security business license under the Security Services Act to sell body armour, and employees of the business selling the body armour must obtain a security worker licence with licence type Body Armour Sales. Body Armour vendors will also be required to record information about body armour sales to show that sales are made only to people who are authorized to possess body armour.

Feedback on Proposed Policy Framework

There are two options for providing feedback:

1. Download the Proposed Policy Framework [PDF] document and add your feedback in the space provided. Send feedback to contact information included in the document.
2. You may e-mail feedback to Sylvia.Montagnaro@gov.bc.ca. Please identify what part or parts of the Proposed Policy Framework your comment(s) concern: Types of Body Armour to be Included; Permit Requirements; Permit Exemptions; Body Armour Business and Sales Persons Licensing Requirements.

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The relationship between government, academia and industry is a key component of a successful knowledge based economy. Government is a primary research funder, academia is where the research takes place and industry is where the research is commercialised. The nature of this relationship is constantly changing and the current trend is toward greater collaboration. In its recent 12th report the PTC stated, “There is an opportunity to boost the return on … investment by strengthening the linkages between academia where the much of the research takes place and industry where it can be commercialised.”[1]

This has also been identified in the broader Canadian context by The Public Policy Forum, which held a conference entitled Science Day in Canada in July of 2009. Collaboration was one of the key themes of the resulting report, Innovation Nation: Building a Culture and Practice of Innovation in Canada. It noted that in a successful innovation jurisdiction, “Success will depend more than ever on universities, businesses, suppliers, customers and the social sector collaborating more effectively …”, and that “The private sector and research community need to transform the nature of their relationship from a weak, one-way dynamic to a more intensive two-way pattern.”[2]

Through this online discussion the PTC is seeking your ideas and your guidance on how to optimise this relationship.

To view this discussion or participate please visit our consultation website at http://www.ptcconsultation.gov.bc.ca/.

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Consultations to focus on online tracking, profiling and targeting of consumers by business

OTTAWA, January 18, 2010 — The Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced today an upcoming consultation with Canadians on privacy issues related to the online tracking, profiling and targeting of consumers by marketers and other businesses. This will be the first in a series of public consultations focused on emerging technological trends that are likely to have a significant impact on the privacy of Canadians.

“The consultation will equip the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada with a deeper understanding of the practice of tracking, profiling and targeting consumers online,” said Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart. “It will also provide a forum for the exploration of the privacy implications related to this modern industry practice, and the protections that Canadians expect. Our goal, therefore, is to shine a spotlight on this evolving technological trend.”

A second consultation on the privacy issues emerging from the growing movement toward cloud computing will be announced in the near future.

Online consumer tracking

In the practice of online consumer tracking, data about the browsing habits of individuals is collected through digital markers such as cookies. Additional data may be gathered using other technologies, such as deep packet inspection and the global positioning systems (GPS) common in many mobile communications devices.

Individuals themselves, moreover, volunteer significant amounts of personal information, especially through their participation in social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, and other popular web-based services such as foursquare.

Personal data can be collated and mapped against other types of information to generate detailed personal profiles. Such profiles are valuable to marketers and other enterprises that want to target products or services to people of a particular demographic or with specific purchasing preferences. Companies may also use the information to evaluate the popularity or success of their online products or services.

Proponents say that online consumer tracking, profiling and targeting supports free Internet content, allows people to receive more relevant advertising and discount offers, and promotes the development of useful services. For example, in conjunction with data from sources such as GPS and cellular networks, users can enjoy location-based services that recommend nearby restaurants or keep tabs on the whereabouts of friends.

Critics, however, warn that people may be unaware that their personal information is being collected, and do not understand how it is used. They also argue that, even when the information is anonymous, it can sometimes be combined with other information to identify individuals.

Consultation process begins

The consultation process begins today with a call for participation by interested parties. The Office is inviting written submissions, which will be accepted until March 15, and is also seeking expressions of interest from individuals wanting to take part in formal discussion panels to be held in Toronto in April and Montreal in May. The intent is to canvass a broad range of views from business, government, academics, consumer associations and civil society.

The consultation will give the Office a comprehensive view of the privacy risks associated with the online tracking, profiling and targeting of consumers, and contribute to the development of new public education and outreach materials. It will also help shape the Office’s input into the next parliamentary review of the private-sector Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is mandated by Parliament to act as an ombudsman, advocate and guardian of privacy and the protection of personal information rights of Canadians.

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