Minister of State Rickford Highlights the Harper Government's Commitment to Getting More Ideas to Market

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 21, 2013) - The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of State (Science and Technology), in a keynote speech delivered today at the 2013 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC), highlighted the record levels of investment in Canada's knowledge economy and stressed the importance of collaboration among public, private and academic sectors in policy-making.

"Since 2006, our government has invested more than $9 billion in Canada's knowledge economy. As a direct result, Canada ranks fourth in the world in absolute terms for total investment in science and technology. Canada truly punches above its weight, and the world is noticing," said Minister of State Rickford.

Minister of State Rickford also emphasized the need for all sectors to come together to build the country's knowledge economy and invest in innovative practices to create jobs and growth and to ensure the long-term prosperity of our communities.

"Collaboration among governments, the private sector, and universities, colleges and polytechnics is driving Canada's innovation ecosystem, placing us ahead of our competitors and bridging the gap between ideas and the marketplace," said Minister of State Rickford.

The CSPC, now in its fifth year, brings together stakeholders from across the country and around the world to discuss emerging policy issues in science and innovation. This year's conference is promoting "ScienceNext: Incubating Innovation and Ingenuity" and focuses on the following themes: science and technology in trade, private sector R&D, education, emerging issues in science policy, and science and technology communication.

For more information on the Government of Canada's initiatives to promote science and technology, visit Science.gc.ca.