Canada and Germany Applaud New Research Agreement

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwire - Aug. 16, 2012) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today joined Her Excellency Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Halifax Marine Research Institute and the Helmholtz Association of Berlin.

Made possible by the 1971 German-Canadian Intergovernmental Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, the memorandum will formalize a working relationship between the two institutions and lead to greater collaboration between Canadian and German researchers.

"Collaboration among our respective governments, research institutions and private sectors creates linkages that enhance Canada's long-term prosperity and create high-quality jobs," said Minister of State Goodyear.

The Harper Government has provided $158 million for research related to the agreement signed today. MEOPAR (Marine Environmental, Observation, Prediction and Response Network) and ArcticNet-two Networks of Centres of Excellence-have been awarded $25 million and $113.2 million respectively. Two Canada Excellence Research Chairs will receive $10 million each.

The Halifax Marine Research Institute, hosted at Dalhousie University, is a consortium of academic, industry and government partners working to apply and commercialize world-class, ocean-related research. Based in Germany, the Helmholtz Association is a community of research centres identifying major social, scientific and industrial challenges.

The scope of this partnership will enable joint operations and data collection in many scientific fields, such as ocean levels, sea ice reduction, marine exploration, Arctic oil spill mitigation and resource management.

The Chancellor's visit comes on the heels of last year's 40th anniversary of the German-Canadian science and technology agreement. This agreement has resulted in more than 500 joint research projects to date.

Since 2006, the Harper Government has invested nearly $8 billion in initiatives supporting science, technology and the growth of innovation firms in Canada, including $5 billion for advanced research, education and training; $2 billion for post-secondary infrastructure; and $1 billion for applied research and financing. This funding has helped to make Canada a world leader in post-secondary education and research and to create the knowledge and highly skilled workforce that are required for a more prosperous economy.