Evidence of meeting #176 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funding.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Leigh Anne Swayne  As an Individual
Catherine Choi  As an Individual
Patricia Baye  As an Individual
David Stinson  As an Individual
Randall Joynt  As an Individual
Janelle Hatch  As an Individual
Lori Nolt  As an Individual
Maclaren Forrest  As an Individual
Catharine Robertson  As an Individual
Kim Rudd  Northumberland—Peterborough South, Lib.
Matt Jeneroux  Edmonton Riverbend, CPC
Anthony Ariganello  President and Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Canada
Vern Brownell  President and Chief Executive Officer, D-Wave Systems Inc.
Alejandro Adem  Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs
Sven Biggs  Energy and Climate Campaigner, Stand.earth
Duncan Wilson  Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Warren Wall  Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, D-Wave Systems Inc.
Robert Lewis-Manning  President, Chamber of Shipping
Jeanette Jackson  Managing Director, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre
Paul Kershaw  Founder, Generation Squeeze
Victor Ling  President and Scientific Director, Terry Fox Research Institute
Kasari Govender  Executive Director, West Coast LEAF
Bradly Wouters  Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Terry Fox Research Institute
Bonnie Gee  Vice-President, Chamber of Shipping
Anna Vanessa Hammond  As an Individual
Mavis DeGirolamo  As an Individual

9:40 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

How does a project become funded by Mitacs?

9:40 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

The process is the following. We have a business development team around the country, in all 10 provinces, and they knock on the doors of industry and ask the companies which problems keep them up at night and what they would be able to do if they had some more expertise in their companies. Keep in mind that we are a country of SMEs, and a lot of companies don't have in-house resources for R and D.

When our business development specialists receive some idea of the possible problem, which could lead to commercialization and so on, they go back to the university or college. Because they've been trained to do that matchmaking, they can locate an appropriate professor or school dean. One of their graduate students is then embedded in the company or the not-for-profit.

That requires preparing a project description, which is submitted to the Mitacs research committee. It is sent out for peer review.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Is the committee based at your head office in Toronto?

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

No, our headquarters is still in Vancouver.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

I toured something in Toronto.

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

We have offices in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.

That's an arm's-length committee of the board of directors, which is made up academics, industry people and government people. It's very important for us to have scientific integrity for the adjudication decisions. They come back with a recommendation, and we try to do this in a time frame that is realistic for industry—around six weeks.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

So it's largely applied research.

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

I would say it's research that has an economic impact.

As a mathematician, I can tell you that very abstract ideas from number theory are used every day when you use your ATM. That spectrum goes in that direction.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

That's an interesting analogy. That's good.

I have a couple of things. First of all, the majority of your projects are based in Ontario and Quebec, from what I understand, and there are very few in the Prairies. I'm curious as to why that would be. There's nothing in the north either, and I'm curious as to why that would be.

I largely want to talk to you about.... The last budget supported the Naylor report to an extent, but it didn't support the research support funding. I imagine the research support funding is something that Mitacs in particular would be supportive of funding, perhaps because research support funding has an impact on the graduate students who access your funding.

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

To your first comment, actually B.C. does extremely well. It does well beyond its per capita, because we started in B.C. We also have a good presence in Alberta. We could do more. Manitoba has increased its funding. We depend on the federal-provincial partnership in our model, so we have to get the appropriate buy-in from the provinces.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

But the committee ends up approving who applies. I don't mean this to be a criticism of your program, but is there more education we need to do in the Prairies to encourage applications?

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

I think there's good uptake, but there are always financial constraints. We're always trying to get the maximum number impact over delivering beyond our contract. We also understand that some of the provinces have gone through hard times, and we work with them to find leveraging that can make this work.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

That's particularly in Alberta, but I wanted to get your comment on the impact on the research support funding.

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

Of course nothing can happen without fundamental research. It's a knowledge-based economy. Knowledge is created through fundamental research. Then this research has an impact, and how we make that have an impact on the economy is very important.

In the end, we want to have an impact on GDP with the return on investment, but we understand why government supports research. It's for our prosperity. That full spectrum and story comes from some fundamental research, and then when applied, ultimately commercialization. Absolutely my—

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

You're still keeping the lights on, to an extent. The researchers who are doing projects are still being funded.

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

Absolutely.

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

What could be funded if the research support fund were funded?

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

Is the research support fund the one for university overhead costs?

9:45 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Yes, to keep the lights on and for basic equipment.

9:45 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Mitacs

Alejandro Adem

It is a big issue at our post-secondary institutions. I know that compared to other jurisdictions.... For example, in the United States, the overheads on the grants are much larger and they go to support facilities, which is very important to the labs. Absolutely you need to have the equipment, talent and pathways to industry to have an economic impact.

9:50 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Thanks. I don't have a lot of time, and I do want to go quickly to D-Wave.

Mr. Wall, you mentioned the superclusters and the role that you in particular are playing. When it comes to the superclusters, I couldn't help but notice that you talked a lot in the past tense—i.e., you “wanted” this, you “needed” this. I'm curious to know where that's at. The announcement was a year ago. We haven't seen a lot of movement yet in terms of funds. I'm curious to know what you're hearing and where your plans are. Maybe you have more information than the minister's telling me about certain things.

9:50 a.m.

Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, D-Wave Systems Inc.

Warren Wall

First off, I want to say that we're strong supporters of Mitacs. They're working with us and helping us commercialize a lot of technology. I wanted to mention that.

As far as the supercluster goes, we are reaching, I hope very soon, a final contribution agreement from the government to fund the supercluster. I know that this negotiation is happening.

9:50 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

It's been a year, though. You're still waiting for it.

9:50 a.m.

Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, D-Wave Systems Inc.

Warren Wall

Yes. That was from the announcement. The agreement with the government has been under way since early in the summertime. Nonetheless—

9:50 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

As a member of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, is there anything I can do to help move that along?