Evidence of meeting #20 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was health.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
Is there any more debate on the amendment?
As there is no further debate, I will call for a recorded division.
(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We will now move to the motion before the committee. Is there any further debate?
Seeing no further debate, I will call for a recorded division.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Madam Rempel, you still have three minutes and 35 seconds on the clock for comments.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
Thank you very much.
With that, we'll move to the next speaker.
MP Longfield, you have the floor for six minutes.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I really appreciate the witnesses for coming today and for their patience with us.
Mr. McDonald, I'd like to start with you.
I had a great time at SNOLAB. You took me underground a few years back to show me first-hand the amazing work our scientists are doing and how applied the work they're doing is. Thank you for that, and thank you for continuing to be involved in championing Canadian science.
I am interested in the open licence approach. I'm a certified pneumatic specialist, a mechanical engineering technologist. I did a lot of work putting solenoids and regulators together. I can picture the safety challenges you're looking at. Low-flow pressure is particularly difficult in pneumatics, as you need some pressure for valves to function.
I'm interested in the open licence approach of putting regulators and commercially available products together to create solutions and work in cross countries.
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
Thank you. It's nice to see you again. It's been an honour to testify today, and it's been fascinating to see the debate and the inclusion of a spirited discussion.
In terms of the open licence, our approach to this is that basically everyone involved in the project has been doing it from a humanitarian point of view. We started with a group that is used to working in a very open way. We work in basic science, and that has been a very open topic for years. Even during the Cold War, the sorts of things that were being worked on in basic science were very open in the literature, and I think the whole world has benefited by this approach.
In this particular case, we were looking for something of a humanitarian nature, so we wanted to do it in such a way that companies in other countries could pick up on the particular concept that we have here, which is really a modernization of another formerly used ventilator, a very simple one from the early days, known as the Manley ventilator.
We took the attitude that we would first of all publish the design openly and then the improvements to the design and the testing that goes along with it. None of us wants to attempt to hold IP on this subject. Our manufacturers, of course, are putting in their own specific industrialization, and that's a separate question for them, but any company in the world is capable of taking our design and industrializing it and obtaining certification in the relevant jurisdiction. It's a standard approach in science.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
That's terrific. Thank you. That's an approach I took through my 30-year career as well. When you're working openly, you can come to better solutions.
We did have alternative testimony a few meetings back from Mr. Balsillie on IP. It is interesting to see that you're also using the Lazaridis Family Foundation. These are two very different approaches to creating solutions in the marketplace.
I'd like to pivot over to StarFish. You mentioned one of the companies in my riding, Linamar and Linamar MacDon. I'm originally from Winnipeg and used to do a lot of work with MacDon back in the 1980s. Looking at using the collaboration among NRC, IRAP and NGen and working with Health Canada, and the importance of lining everything up correctly in order for the government to function correctly in terms of making the best use of all partners, and at the same time getting through the regulatory hurdles that you have to get through, could you comment on the strategy you've used in order to draw the best from all partners to create a solution for Canadians?
Executive Vice-President, Strategic Relationships, StarFish Medical
Absolutely, I'd be happy to speak to that.
Developing a novel medical device from an early idea is something that StarFish is very used to doing, so in terms of a technical path, we were pretty well equipped with our standard existing partners and our own capability to do that. The big challenge was the timeline, the outrageously aggressive timeline. For that, a big part of the challenge was to field all of the offers of help and to get the best from them, as you say.
Linamar people, I think, were prime movers in this, and MacDon, the team there in Winnipeg, met us that first weekend and its people were with us along the way and also brought in a number of supports along the supply chain, which was a big constraint. I think NGen with its connections really got things started.
IRAP really helped. An area where it helped me personally was that I had a lot of people calling wanting to do things and to contribute in many ways. Once we had selected this path to develop a ventilator, I needed somewhere to refer them that would not leave people lost, and I referred them to my local IRAP representative, who did a fantastic job of connecting to the NRC and creating alignments. I think creating alignments is the key point.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you. Could we use that same approach on clean technology and climate change solutions?
Executive Vice-President, Strategic Relationships, StarFish Medical
My personal opinion is that it seems like if I sit here and look at the challenges facing us, this approach of talking to the highest level of companies to get immediate alignment is applicable only, I think, in the most dire challenges, but for me, climate change fits into that category as well.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
Thank you very much.
We'll now move on to the next round of questions.
Mr. Savard-Tremblay, you have six minutes.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I also want to thank all the witnesses who are appearing before us today.
My first question is for you, Mr. McDonald. You spoke about the establishment of your project. You rightly thanked a number of philanthropists who provided their support—
Madam Chair, I see that Mr. McDonald is waving at me. I don't know whether there's an interpretation issue.
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
If I may, I'm not receiving the translation, and unfortunately, my French is not adequate to the task.
I'm wondering if there's something I need to be clicking. I thought I was going to be receiving translation.
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
I am. What channel should I be on?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
You should be on the English channel for translation into English.
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
I believe I am, but I have heard no translation until now.
I don't know where to check on my screen to see if I am on the English channel. My apologies.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sherry Romanado
On the bottom of your screen, do you see “Participants”, a little world symbol, and then “Actions”?
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
I see “Participants”, yes.
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
Yes, I do. It was off.
Liberal
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Professor Emeritus, Nobel Physics Laureate 2015, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, As an Individual
Okay.
I really apologize having to ask to please repeat the question. Thank you very much.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
No problem. We must take the time to do things properly.
You spoke about the establishment of your ventilator project and you mentioned the support provided by some philanthropists. I gather that this financial support was very useful, if not essential, for the successful completion of the project.
I want to ask you about the funding cuts. Is there enough funding for research and development? It's good to receive support from philanthropists. However, you also need support from the public and the government.
Has this worked against you? Has this led to any issues?
When it comes to research and development, you need funding. The lack of funding has been criticized by a number of agencies responsible for studying risk. In short, was your decision to turn to private philanthropists a last resort?
