Evidence of meeting #26 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was energy.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
I have a question for both of you then. Is the government doing too much in a political direction in terms of research and development, rather than on the partnership innovation for our research and development?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Energy Innovation Network
I'm sorry, is it doing too much?
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Is it your stance that government gives too much direction in terms of research and development, in terms of moving ahead with an economic drive, rather than building partnerships with the industries that will lead to more innovation in terms of research and development?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Energy Innovation Network
I certainly believe, and I think I've spoken to the fact, that anything from the middle of that innovation cycle on—from the supply chain on, and even earlier—should be market pull. Therefore you absolutely need partnerships, and strongly so.
The private sector market need doesn't eliminate the need for federal dollars. But it does mean the governance over those dollars, and the direction of what they're spent on, should be primarily input by industry, because otherwise you're solving a problem that nobody needs solved.
Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, AUTO21 Networks of Centres of Excellence, Auto 21 Inc.
I would agree with that, and perhaps even go further. In my view, what the government should do is determine, in consultation with key stakeholders, what the goals of the enterprise are. What's the outcome that we want to achieve? I would suggest that it's a workforce that is able to be agile, fast, high-quality, and reliable, and that we need to achieve an economy that is competitive, strong, and agile. You would then design the programs to have those outcomes and provide the funding that will leverage private sector investments and encourage private sector investments. And then the government should just stand back.
In my view, the existing governance mechanisms are absolutely adequate. My board knows what the rules are, they don't let me get one inch outside of them, and I'm fine with that. The NCE program office monitors the program very carefully, and I'm fine with that. I don't feel the government pressures us to take on or not take on certain things, and I'm fine with that. So I think the whole thing really works very well.
But what may be lacking—and I think Mr. Raymont would agree—is an overall look at what we are trying to achieve here with all of these various programs, and then a means to drive them in that direction.
Conservative
Conservative
Independent
André Arthur Independent Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I would like to ask for the unanimous consent of the committee to extend this meeting by thirty minutes. We can excuse members who want to leave.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We could certainly reinvite members. And there is another option. Dr. Frise is in Windsor, so we could add him to the witness list in Windsor. Dr. Raymont is in Calgary, so we may be able to convince him to come up to Edmonton on November 24.
I don't have unanimous consent.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
I don't have a problem with continuing. I just won't be here. I don't know whether you need quorum.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Do I have consent to continue? The other thing is that the witnesses have to agree. If it's just me, Monsieur Arthur, and the witnesses....
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Maybe you could ask them to come back to one of the forums we're holding across the country.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
That's what I was mentioning, Dr. Frise in Windsor and Dr. Raymont in Edmonton.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
I know we were talking earlier, committee-wise. I would just suggest that it would be more appropriate to tour AUTO21, if our schedule permits, as opposed to Dr. Frise's testimony. I'm sure we can get questions to him on a regular basis, but to see AUTO21.... You've seen it. It's a very different experience that really actually drives home the connection between commercialization and innovation.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Gentlemen, we've never had a motion to extend time, so I think that shows the interest that members have. We'd love to have you back in the future if you're amenable to that, and we will certainly try to add you to our schedule of November 20 to November 24, when we hope to be travelling across the country.
If there's any further information or recommendations that you would like to put forward to the committee, please submit that material to me or the clerk and we will ensure that it's discussed as we move toward our final report, which hopefully will be done by the first or second week of December.
Thank you very much for coming.
We're adjourned.