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1988-03-05
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Forum Sets Framework for S&T Policy OSCOL MAGAZINE
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From the Science Council of Canada's "In Touch" Jan. 1987:
The National Science and Technology Policy Forum held in June
1986 achieved its primary goal: agreement on major directions
for a national policy on science and technology. The 2-day
forum, designed and convened by the Science Council at the
request of federal minister Frank Oberle, was attended by
more than 200 industry, academic, and labour leaders.
All agreed that Canada faces a period of radical discontinous
economic change and that its future depends directly on the
extent to which Canadians are able to master and apply new
science and technology. Delegates debated dozens of ways of
meeting this challenge. The following items provide just a
sample of the ideas that received widespread support.
Creating a science culture: the significance of science and
technology is widely underestimated; ways must be found to
help the Canadian public understand the importance of science
and technology in acheiving social and economic goals.
Encouraging companies to cooperate in pre-competitive
research: measures such as tax incentives should be used to
foster cooperative pre-competitive research; such research
is more likely to reach the market place than is research
carried out by separate institutions.
Rationalizing technology centres: the work of these centres
should be organized to better complement local industrial
development; decisions to create new centres should be based
on industry's willingness to help finance them.
Using government and industry labs for post secondary
training: to meet the growing demand for highly skilled
workers, pors-secondary training should be carried out at
government and industry research facilties as well as at
colleges and universities.
Increasing support for university research: reduced funding
could seriously weaken Canada's ability to conduct R&D. The
budgets of granting councils should therefore be protected
against inflation. Federal and provincial governments should
act now to settle their differences over university funding.
Encouraging venture capital: increasing the supply of such
capital is essential to the country's economic health;
governments should promote the flow of venture capital
particularly to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Delegates stressed the need for science and technology to be
represented at the highest levels in the federal cabinet.
Moreover, whenever possible, the federal government must act
in concert with and in support of provincial initiatives.
Opinion was divided as to the extent of the social impact of
science and technology. Nevertheless, all sectors agreed that
more effort must be devoted to monitoring the effects of
scientific and technological change and to helping people
adapt.
In designing the forum, the Science Council decided that it
was important to achieve consensus on areas of agreement and
disagreement. To help focus discussion, the Science Council
developed a series of propositions that were deabated under
the three main themes of the forum: "putting knowledge to
work and realizing opportunities," "developing and acquiring
new knowledge," and "involving all Canadians and adapting to
change."
Contact: Gary Walters (416)978-7814
Lynn Oldershaw (416)978-3528