Evidence of meeting #37 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was research.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Vice-President, Corporate and Market Development, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
I would actually defer to Ms. Peters on that question.
Vice-President, External Relations, Communitech
I think the experience that some of our companies have is that things take longer than they expect. Partly that's their lack of familiarity with the process. There is an administrative burden often. I think anything we can do to streamline the speed with which companies can register and defend their intellectual property is a good thing.
Also, to go back to the financial burden, for a small company some of the costs involved are quite extensive. It makes it difficult for them.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
What's the first step you would take to streamline the process you spoke of?
Vice-President, External Relations, Communitech
I would actually have a conversation with a bunch of CEOs of small and mid-sized companies to gather their experience. Certainly I would leverage groups like ours in order to have that dialogue, in order to seek that kind of feedback.
I don't have personal experience in dealing with registering intellectual property, but certainly our companies do, and would be more than happy to share it.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec
There are some patent offices that are very, very busy; time is the essence there. It takes time to get that. For a company, I think it's a race. You have to race quickly with your technology and protect it as you go along. It's a dynamic process.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
We've also heard that there's a lack of patent agents outside of the biggest cities. Except for Toronto and Vancouver, I don't know where else there are many.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec
I'm not surprised. Montreal, I'm sure, has some.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Montreal no doubt would.
Let me read something to you, Mr. Clément.
I will read you a paragraph from a report that was drafted recently.
Dr. Richard Hawkins at the University of Ottawa, in Looking at Innovation from a Uniquely Canadian Perspective, wrote:
...there is a significant risk that too many of our policies and public resources for innovation and industrial diversification will be directed inefficiently to markets in which we have little or no comparative, positional or competitive advantage. This creates a high risk that too few resources will flow to promoting productive and sustainable development in markets with immediate growth potential and in which already we enjoy considerable and even potentially exclusive opportunities and advantages over the long term.
He also talks about the concern that we're overly dependent on natural resources and financial services.
Do you see that as a concern, and how would you respond to it?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec
My first reaction is that we have to go for the best university research and for what companies need. Companies are strong in some markets, so if we poll their needs, obviously we'll orient our efforts there. We obviously have to leave some space for free research and good ideas that would....
I would not over-constrain the system. I would see companies that come with ideas, ready to invest, as a good sign that we're aiming in the right direction. That would be my way of looking at it.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you.
I think we've left one minute for Mr. Harris, perhaps, or maybe one and a half.
NDP
Dan Harris NDP Scarborough Southwest, ON
Well, thank you.
As I said before, I think the time has come to restart the debate on my motion with respect to RADARSAT.
I'll just quote the Prime Minister really quickly on this, from an article that states:
“The eyes on these satellites will pick up a breaching whale through the fog in the utter blackness of the Arctic winter,” he said. “From Afghanistan to the Arctic, from the coast of Somalia to the shores of Nootka Sound [on Vancouver Island], we will be able to see what the bad guys are up to.”
Well—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Thank you, Mr. Harris.
Leaving off with a quote from the Prime Minister is probably the best thing we could do.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
I wish all of the members a very productive time in their constituencies and also enjoyment of some of the summer weather.
I want to thank the witnesses very much. Those were very informative rounds. We appreciate your time and appreciate your answers.
The meeting is adjourned.