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Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research – Private Sector Investment in Research and Development

December 2, 2025 | 2.49MB | Download pdf >

Canada’s innovation ecosystem continues to face a structural imbalance between strong research
performance and weak commercialization outcomes. The country ranks second among G7 nations
in higher-education R&D (HERD) spending yet remains among the lowest in business expenditure
on R&D (BERD), at roughly half the OECD average and showing little growth over the past decade.
The persistent gap between discovery and deployment can be addressed by better catalyzing the
applied research capacity of Canada’s polytechnics.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to the Standing Committee on Science and Research include:

  • Expand Canada’s focus beyond funding research activity to include funding research outcomes
  • Integrate polytechnic applied research into national R&D and commercialization frameworks such as BOREALIS
  • Embed intellectual property (IP) support into applied research investments to create a seamless pathway from early IP identification through to scale-up

Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry – Canada’s Underlying Productivity Gaps and Capital Outflow

December 1, 2025 | 355.18KB | Download pdf >

Canada must tackle its persistent innovation, productivity, and technology adoption challenges. Despite significant investments in academic research, its ability to translate discoveries into economic and social impact is weak. Innovation underpins a competitive economy, yet Canada’s ecosystem remains imbalanced — strong research performance and weak commercialization outcomes.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to the Standing Committee on Industry include:

  • Increasing the baseline investment in the College and Community Innovation Program to $216 million per year.
  • Extending eligibility to all federal research streams focusing on impact-driven partnered research to Canada’s polytechnics.
  • Creating a seamless pathway from early intellectual property identification to validation and commercialization.
  • Aligning with related federal programs to give firms coordinated, end-to-end commercialization support.

Why investing in people is Canada’s most critical infrastructure project

By Sarah Watts-Rynard | November 28, 2025 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

In the face of a changing relationship with our southern neighbour, Canada is on the cusp of rewriting its trade, defence and infrastructure story for the next century. This will mean new investments and opportunities as the country aims to make itself more efficient and productive. Economic prosperity will rely, first and foremost, on enterprising Canadians putting their skills to work.

Read More > “Why investing in people is Canada’s most critical infrastructure project”

Ottawa’s blind spot on applied research makes productivity an afterthought

By Vincent Custode | November 11, 2025 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

Another federal budget has come and gone and, while there are investments worth applauding, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Canada missed the bigger picture.

Renewed investments in infrastructure and improvements to the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits are welcome. The proposed “super-deduction” to spur capital investment is also a step in the right direction.

Read More > “Ottawa’s blind spot on applied research makes productivity an afterthought”

Joint Teaching & Learning Initiative between Canada’s Polytechnics & Ireland’s Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology

October 2, 2025 | 149.26KB | Download pdf >

Eight international partnerships are underway between Canadian polytechnic institutions and Irish technological universities and institutes of technology. These projects represent the first phase of collaborative activity to develop common tools, experiment with new ways to deliver teaching and learning, and encourage faculty and students to engage with their international counterparts around common challenges. Beginning in September 2025 and continuing for up to 18 months, the following projects will explore the integration of augmented and virtual reality, build artificial intelligence fluency and encourage connection through joint projects, communities of practice and online learning.

Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance – Budget 2025

August 1, 2025 | 810.37KB | Download pdf >

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations for Budget 2025 are intended to capitalize on polytechnic capacity to deliver on an ambitious federal agenda to address lagging productivity indicators, renew defence spending and support strategic workforce development.

Recommendations include:

  • Increase baseline funding to the College and Community Innovation Program to $216M/year, driving innovation, derisking technology adoption and supporting commercialization of Canadian businesses
  • Establish a defence innovation fund to build on existing capacity at Canada’s post-secondary institutions as part of new national defence investments
  • Invest $50M over 5 years to strengthen cyber defence at Canada’s polytechnics and colleges
  • Introduce training vouchers to support workforce adjustment in critical sectors and ensure mid-career workers remain at the cutting edge of their fields
  • Better position the skilled trades workforce to respond to demand for new housing, domestic manufacturing capacity and renewal of transportation infrastructure by prioritizing the retention and completion of apprentices in high-demand trades