Backgrounder

October 17, 2008

BUILDING ONTARIO’S INNOVATION ECONOMY

Supporting Basic and Applied Research

ECONOMY

Ontario is committed to supporting research and innovation as a means of turning global challenges into our next generation of jobs – and most importantly, to create a higher quality of life for Ontario families.

Ontario’s $3-billion Innovation Agenda is about making investments in our greatest assets – our people and our best ideas – to make this province healthier, greener and to strengthen our economy. We are focused on supporting innovation that will tackle climate change, lead to better health care and ignite growth in the industries that will shape our future.

LEGACY

Ontario has a legacy of research excellence and innovation, of turning our best science and ideas into world-leading vaccines, better ways to treat and prevent disease, and health technologies.

Ontario created IMAX and the Blackberry. We invented the pacemaker. And right now Ontario companies are building cleaner ways to generate the energy we need, by engineering new technologies that do a better job of tapping into the power of the sun, wind, and water. From stem cells and insulin to the science and technology that helped put a man on the moon and robots on Mars, Ontario ideas, discoveries and inventions are revolutionizing the world.

And with support from the Ontario government, our leading researchers are exploring the frontiers of science, amassing new knowledge that will transform technology, create new products and services and generate good-paying jobs in Ontario.

Research is the foundation of this innovation.  

ONTARIO RESEARCH FUND

The Ontario Research Fund strengthens Ontario’s legacy of innovation and ingenuity by supporting the province’s best and brightest researchers, the world-class research institutions that support their work, and the entrepreneurs that are helping to bring their best ideas to the global market.

Through the latest round of the Ontario Research Fund, the province is investing almost $7.6 million in 46 research projects at 13 postsecondary institutions across the province. All projects are chosen for global research excellence, as identified by international peer review. 

The funds will help support the work of 342 of Ontario’s leading scientists doing basic and applied research and will leverage some $11.4 million from the federal government and research institutions.

ONTARIO’S INNOVATION AGENDA

The Ontario Research Fund is an important part of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda. Supported by $3 billion over eight years, Ontario’s Innovation Agenda is focused on supporting world-class research and innovative companies in areas where the province already is, or can be, a global leader.

In addition to internationally peer-reviewed fundamental and applied research, Ontario’s priorities are:

• Tackling climate change through bio-based, environmental, alternative energy and clean technologies
• Advancing the digital universe through new information and communications technologies
• Conquering disease through life sciences, biotechnology, advanced health technologies and pharmaceutical research.

BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH

Basic research is fundamental science – the field of work that led Newton to his law of universal gravitation and Einstein to his theory of relativity.

Fundamental science is vital to Ontario’s future growth and competitiveness in the 21st century. In a global economy, the jurisdiction that places a premium on supporting creativity and research excellence, supported by investments in education, will succeed in becoming leaders in innovation – which translates into good jobs, better lives for families, and a more sustainable economy.

Ontario is well positioned to lead in this field – partly thanks to research being led out of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. The Ontario government partnered with Mike Lazaridis, co-chief executive officer of Research in Motion Ltd., and others to establish both institutes, which are attracting top scientists from around the world, including Dr. Neil Turok, executive director of the Perimeter Institute and Dr. Raymond Laflamme, director of the Institute for Quantum Computing and winner of a 2008 Premier’s Discovery Award for his contributions to natural sciences and engineering.

This investment also includes support for humanities and social science projects, essential components of a creative, knowledge-based economy. This research will help Ontario manage emerging social and public policy issues.

Investments in research go beyond funding specific projects. Each investment supports vital training for the next generation of researchers. Overall, investing helps build the research infrastructure, including science-innovation links and a culture of innovation. By enhancing the research environment Ontario attracts more world-class talent to the province’s research institutions, increasing the potential for groundbreaking discoveries and economic growth.

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See also:

• News Release: Ontario Turning Ideas Into Stronger Economy
• Backgrounder: Basic and Applied Research Projects
• Recipients