Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions.
First of all, thank you to those of you who in some way participated in this morning's breakfast. Thank you for that. It's great to be here in Saskatchewan.
One of the recurring themes we've come across, not just on this trip but also in committee prior to this week, is the ability to bridge the gap. There's the recognition that the Government of Canada is investing significant dollars in the front end of the research lineage, particularly with its own in-house research, the granting councils and so on, and universities. But then we begin to lose a bit of effectiveness as we get into the early stage of the technology and the development of moving those discoveries closer to commercialization.
I suppose I would direct this to Mr. Hodgson or Mr. Lidster: in what way can we do a better job mobilizing that early-stage investment? Yesterday someone made a comment that more needs to be done at that early stage so that angel investors and venture capital companies would have the comfort level to take on some of these projects. But there's a gap at the front end, and I wonder if you might have some specific comments and recommendations on what we could do to help that initial stage.
It sounds like both of your organizations are involved at that level.