Industry Canada's mandate is to help make Canadians more productive and competitive in the knowledge-based economy, thus improving the standard of living and quality of life in Canada. The Department's policies, programs and services help grow a dynamic and innovative economy that:
- provides more and better-paying jobs for Canadians;
- supports stronger business growth through continued improvements in productivity and innovation performance;
- gives consumers, businesses and investors confidence that the marketplace is fair, efficient and competitive; and
- ensures a more sustainable economic, environmental and social future for Canadians.
Through its three strategic objectives (a fair, efficient and competitive marketplace; an innovative economy; and competitive industry and sustainable communities), Industry Canada aims to help Canadians contribute to the knowledge economy and improve productivity and innovation performance.
In order to foster growth and create high-quality, well-paying jobs, the Government of Canada has set as one of its core priorities the building of a 21st century economy. Industry Canada will continue to work in support of this priority through its strategic outcomes.
For example, sound marketplace frameworks help establish a business environment that supports innovation, investment and entrepreneurial activity.
Fostering innovation in science and technology helps ensure that discoveries and breakthroughs happen here in Canada, and that the social and economic benefits of these innovations contribute to Canadians' standard of living and quality of life.
Promoting economic development in communities encourages an innovative, knowledge-based economy by supporting the development of skills, ideas and opportunities across the country.
Taken together, the Department's strategic outcomes support growth in employment, income, productivity and sustainable development in Canada.
To help deliver on its strategic objectives, Industry Canada is partnering with other government departments to offer businesses and consumers a variety of programs and services. To learn more, visit http://canadabusiness.gc.ca/ and http://ConsumerInformation.ca/.
1. A fair, efficient and competitive marketplace
An effective marketplace is necessary to build and maintain consumer confidence and to foster an environment conducive to investment and sustainable development. A fair, efficient and competitive marketplace, combined with an effective regulatory framework, creates a business environment that is supportive of innovation and economic growth, while providing protection to individual Canadians. A robust marketplace also enables Industry Canada to explore the use of sustainable development policy instruments, which both harness the power of the market and advance the Department's sustainable development agenda.
Modernizing Marketplace Framework Instruments
In order for the marketplace to be responsive, attract investment and protect consumers, marketplace frameworks must minimize the regulatory burden, where appropriate, and create the incentive to innovate, while discouraging illegal and fraudulent marketplace behaviour. To ensure that the marketplace remains effective and efficient, the Department's marketplace service organizations will continue to modernize their framework instruments, through various efforts.
Improving marketplace programs and services
The evolving marketplace, economic fluctuations and deregulation are among some of the many factors that necessitate the continual review of services, interventions and tools used by marketplace service organizations to ensure that the marketplace operates fairly and effectively. Setting the rules of the marketplace is not enough. As a result, Industry Canada will concentrate its efforts on improving marketplace programs and services, increasing education and awareness, and enhancing compliance and enforcement with marketplace rules and regulations.
Improving compliance with marketplace rules
Compliance and enforcement activities are key to ensuring consumer confidence in the marketplace and in addressing the perception that Canada is a haven for deceptive telemarketing and deceptive mail operations. The Competition Bureau, through various partnerships, will concentrate its resources on continuing to pursue, investigate and prosecute individuals and companies involved in deceptive telemarketing and mail operations in Canada. The Competition Bureau will also continue to increase consumer and business awareness of deceptive telemarketing and deceptive mail practices through communication campaigns designed to decrease vulnerability and victimization.
2. An Innovative Economy
Innovation includes both the creative process of generating and applying knowledge, and the outcome of that process (i.e. new products or new processes). It means coming up with new ideas about how to do things better or faster by applying knowledge to the development of products and services. In the current, knowledge-based economy, innovation is a key driving force in creating wealth, economic growth and social development for Canadians. Innovation is also critical for improving eco-efficiency and making progress on sustainable development. For this reason, Industry Canada will continue to foster an environment that is conducive to innovation.
Investing Research and Development
Knowledge that is derived from R&D is a key driver of economic growth. In recent years, the federal government has invested heavily in research, particularly university research. To further enhance Canada's position, the Department will continue to develop mechanisms for building research capacity in all of Canada's universities. The shift to a knowledge-based economy requires that Canada's investment strategy promotes the development of strategic enabling technologies, especially in areas such as information and communications technologies (ICTs), biotechnology, energy and environmental technologies, and nanotechnology.
Encouraging Commercialization
For Canada to live up to its innovation potential, we must do a better job at commercializing and using new ideas and technologies that emerge from our R&D efforts. The private sector in Canada has a significant role to play, through the commercialization and adoption of technology, in harnessing the social and economic benefits of R&D.
Unfortunately, commercialization by the private sector continues to lag behind that of leading OECD countries. To improve our commercialization performance and technology adoption rates, and to take full advantage of the strong and diverse knowledge base Canada possesses, the Department is committed to reviewing government support in the areas of research and commercialization.
The Department will place greater emphasis on achieving excellence by addressing key research gaps and making targeted investments to further the development and adoption of key enabling technologies. The objective is to facilitate and encourage private sector commercialization, in all parts of the country, particularly for SMEs.
Promoting Strategic Enabling Technologies
Investing in and promoting research, development and use of strategic enabling technologies (nanotechnologies, biotechnologies, environmental and energy technologies, and ICTs) is a key part of the Government of Canada's overall strategy to develop knowledge in fields with good opportunities. These efforts will also help to provide innovative eco-efficient solutions to environmental challenges faced by industry. These fields include: pollution prevention, abatement and remediation, and sustainable energy alternatives such as hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
3. Competitive Industry and Sustainable Communities
Investment, capital formation and innovation are critical to building a dynamic economy and improving the standard of living of Canadians. Investments increase the productivity and capacity of the economy and lead to innovation that creates competitive economic advantages. New trade opportunities evolve from successful investments. New investment and reinvestment are also crucial for industry to achieve Canada's sustainable development and environmental goals.
Supporting the Social Economy
Social economy enterprises are run like businesses, producing goods and services for the market economy, but they manage their operations and redirect any profits in pursuit of social and community goals. Industry Canada will identify the specific financing needs of social enterprises and work with members of the Industry Portfolio to ensure that relevant programs are accessible to social economy enterprises.
Understanding Access to Capital
Access to capital is fundamental to building the 21st century economy in Canada. Firms at all stages of development may face barriers in accessing financing. Industry Canada's research and analysis will focus on high-growth SMEs and the financing of innovative firms in order to understand the marketplace gaps or barriers these firms face. The continued availability of venture capital ensures that businesses with high growth potential are able to bring their innovations to market.
Building a Skilled Work Force
The ability of workers to move freely within Canada is an important component of a well-functioning Canadian economy. The federal government has re-engaged with the provinces and territories in discussions to improve the Agreement on Internal Trade. A key priority of these discussions will be further progress on the recognition across Canada, of workers' occupational qualifications, including those from abroad.
Community Economic Development
All of the innovation players come together at the community level. By providing SMEs and Aboriginal business with both financial support and advisory services, Industry Canada is investing in the future of communities and encouraging growth in employment, income and productivity.
Supporting Participation in the Digital Economy
In a global, knowledge-based economy driven by rapid technological change, success is determined by the power to innovate. Connectedness is pivotal in empowering Canadians with the skills, competencies and tools necessary to innovate and take advantage of Canada's worldclass ICT infrastructure. It also promotes sustainable development and provides Canadians with access to education, knowledge, commerce and opportunities in the communities in which they reside, providing all Canadians with the means to participate in the creation and sharing of knowledge.
Building upon past successes and a decade of investment in connecting Canadians to each other and the world, the Department will continue to create opportunities for all Canadian individuals, businesses and communities to acquire the skills, competencies and tools required to fully participate in the digital economy.
Access to Reliable and Modern Digital Infrastructure
Industry Canada will use a multi-faceted approach — developing policies and implementing frameworks — in partnership with other departments, other levels of government and the private sector. The objectives are to advance the opportunities for Canadians to access a modern digital infrastructure, ensure that they have the skills necessary to fully benefit from the digital economy, stimulate the development of advanced applications and tools, and foster confidence in the digital economy.
Improving Online Service
Industry Canada will continue to play a significant role in providing government services online. The Government of Canada's Government Online (GOL) initiative aims to deliver integrated, client-centred services to Canadians, anytime, anywhere and in the official language of their choice by 2005. Industry Canada met its accelerated GOL target of placing all key services online as of 2003 — two years ahead of the Government of Canada's target.
Encouraging Sustainable Development Through Eco-efficiency, and Corporate and Community Sustainability
Industry Canada will also continue to help companies achieve their sustainable development objectives by offering information products and tools for implementing corporate responsibility and eco-efficiency practices in business and communities. Encouraging corporate sustainability reporting will be an important element in this process. The Department will also partner with the business community and others to further its understanding of how corporate sustainable development practices drive value, as well as how sustainable development can be factored into investment decision making.
|