Overall Performance Report, 1999-2002 (PDF, 186 KB)
The biotechnology industry is one of the world's fastest growing sectors, expanding four times faster than the G-7 average for all sectors. Advances in biotechnology that are taking place throughout the world are driving Canadian policies on biotechnology.
The Government of Canada approved in June 1998 the Canadian Biotechnology Strategy for ensuring Canadians fully realize biotechnology's potential to improve Canadians' quality of life in terms of health, the environment, and social and economic development; and to position Canada as a responsible global leader in the development and application of biotechnology. It comprises seven ministers: Industry, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Health, Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Natural Resources, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
In 1999, a total of $28.56 million earmarked in the fiscal framework for the fiscal years 1999-2002 was allocated among five CBS components: CBS Fund projects across federal departments, Canadian Biotechnology Secretariat (CBSec) / Policy Coordination, Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee (CBAC), the Corporate Communications Fund (CCF) and the Emerging Issues Fund (EIF).
Roughly two-thirds of the Fund was devoted to a range of CBS projects to assist federal departments and agencies in implementing the three CBS policy directions Stewardship, Benefits and Citizen Engagement, in collaboration with provincial governments, institutions, private sector and others.
The CBS Fund allocated 35% of funds towards science-based projects; 11% to communications on biotechnology issues; 9% on projects that developed regulatory frameworks and international standards for biotechnology; 5% to improve the Canadian biotechnology sector's access to international markets; 2% to improved capacity building; 4% to research and release statistics on the biotechnology industry in Canada. Less than 1% was allocated to develop federal policy research on privacy issues raised by the availability of genetic information and to coordinate and developed the accountability and evaluation framework for the CBS.
In addition, 32% was allocated to CBSec to support the activities of CBAC, the expert advisory panel, and for consultations with Canadians and CBSec - Policy Coordination to monitor and evaluate the CBS Fund, and provide support for the various interdepartmental CBS committees.
CCF allocated 2% to support the interdepartmental Communications Working Group, which provided communications advice and supported federal departments and agencies through regular public opinion research, bi-weekly media and stakeholder analysis, a CBS web-site, and coordination of communications activities across the government.
The federal Government supported other initiatives under CBS. It provided funding to Genome Canada to develop and implement a national strategy in genomics research for the benefit of Canadians; invested in the Canadian Regulatory System for Biotechnology (CRSB); created 9 networks of Centres of Excellence directly involved in biotechnology research; throughTechnology Partnerships Canada (TPC) invested strategically in research, development and innovation, in order to encourage private sector investment and promote economic growth; supported researchers in hospitals, universities and research centres across Canada though The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); created The National Institutes for Nanotechnology to improve studies on cellular constituents such as genes, proteins and lipids, and presented a draft and bill of the Assisted Reproduction Technology Act.
Provincial governments in Canada have also increased their efforts in the biotechnology sector over the past three years, most notably in Ontario and Quebec. Provincial government focuses are in the economic development of the biotechnology industry, rather than regulation and citizen engagement.