We've talked a little about some of the enabling technology that needs to be in place, like an advanced research network. It's important to have the pipes in, too. Government has a role and in all OECD countries governments fund a similar type of network that facilitates the research getting done.
There are important partnerships that happen between government and business on specific types of projects that might not be commercial, but definitely have commercial applications at a certain point.
For example, within Industry Canada one of the things we're responsible for is spectrum. Spectrum is foundational to virtually everything we're talking about here because people are addicted to their mobiles and all data is moving across your mobile. Spectrum is one of the ways you can transmit data. How do we use it efficiently and effectively because it's a finite resource?
We have within the portfolio, CRC, the Communications Research Centre, which works to do research itself. It then works to align with companies to say, “This is the type of research we're doing, it's pre-commercial or it will have application at some point, and we would like to work with businesses to better understand how you might see mobile, for example, in your business plan five years from now.” We're thinking about the spectrum, and if we come together, and we have the science, and we have the business application then we can bring that together. Those kinds of relationships are very important.