Industry committee  What I understand is that there have been ongoing discussions with the members on the Canadian side, and there continue to be preparations for their meetings.

Industry committee  The honourable member and the chair will know that I am the former deputy minister of agriculture. I would like to indicate that, in doing the innovation agenda, I think we see a huge opportunity in terms of the agriculture sector. I think we are well aware of the high level of science that is in Canada in the agriculture sector.

Industry committee  Yes. I would just add that very consistent with Minister Duncan's example of artificial intelligence, broadly speaking, in the innovation agenda, we are looking at a number of points of interest, if you like, with respect to tech transfer. Another concrete example would be the initiatives related to our incubators.

Industry committee  I would like to talk about Bill C-25. I know the Honourable Navdeep Bains will have another opportunity on Thursday to speak to that. In that context, the bill does identify a name and comply approach. Similarly, with respect to the CRC program, we're proposing that all institutions with five or more chairs—these are specifically the medium and large universities—must table a plan.

Industry committee  All programs are constantly subject to evaluations and audits. I'll let Phil talk to that.

Industry committee  As Phil said, every assembler operating in Canada has reinvested in Canada. We could go through the list of those investments. There have been significant investments using the automotive innovation fund for this purpose.

Industry committee  They haven't been cut.

Industry committee  That's correct. In budget 2015 it's identified. It's $100 million.

Industry committee  As I mentioned earlier, it's very important in every sector, but particularly in the auto sector, to ensure that our companies are part of the automotive supply chain. Indeed, this particular investment by EDC is designed precisely to ensure that Canadian suppliers are participating in the global supply chain, and that is the perspective with which this investment was made.

Industry committee  I would just add from the perspective—

Industry committee  Again, I think it's very essential that we are participating in the supply chain, and Flavio Volpe from the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association recognizes that. He said: ...this is great news for our companies and their employees, and we’re confident that the stronger connection with Volkswagen, created through this loan, will help Canadian toolers and parts manufacturers win new business with VW.

Industry committee  Over the course of the last few budgets, a number of steps have been taken by the government to support manufacturing. Again I'll look to Phil to elaborate more, but they include the technology demonstration program for aerospace, the strategic aerospace and defence initiative—we talked a bit about it earlier—and the automotive innovation fund, which complements the automotive supplier innovation program.

Industry committee  That's correct. Well, specifically—and I think I gave this answer yesterday—Genome is currently funded under three different mechanisms: a statutory grant, a statutory contribution, and a voted contribution. Total funding for Genome Canada in last year's main estimates was $86.2 million.

Industry committee  Yes. I'll let Philip Jennings elaborate, but I will just make a few basic points before I turn it over to him. I actually joined Industry Canada in September 2012, just eight months after the review was launched and just two months before Mr. Emerson tabled his report. I was quite involved at the time in terms of working with him as well as with the industry that supported the committee.

Industry committee  What I'd say is that I do know the Statistics Canada data shows that Canada is a leader in the creation of small firms. In fact, when you compare our record in the creation of small firms to that in the United States, we're actually better at creating small firms and we create more than the U.S.