Science and Research Committee on Feb. 5th, 2026

[Mark Schaan]

ISED went through a comprehensive exercise to identify areas that it felt could meet its mandate while doing so with a commitment to fiscal restraint. We've identified a number of zones in the budget document that outline the general areas where we're seeking to find efficiencies, obviously.

Some of those are programmatic elements, particularly funding envelopes that were identified in the budget as being related to things like our global innovation clusters. Those funding envelopes within the overall program are being reduced. In terms of finding efficiencies, a number of those are about internal operations.

Our continued commitment to science and research programs was made manifestly solid within the budget 2025 document, alongside the expenditure review exercise.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON]

The multi-year funding agreements that are currently in place will continue to exist, but does the 17% actually touch any of those envelopes, per year?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting. The time is up, MP Baldinelli. Maybe you can come back in the second round.

We will now proceed to MP Rana for six minutes.

MP Rana, please go ahead.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair

Thank you very much, witnesses.

Mr. Schaan, budget 2025 outlined the new industrial strategy, which includes streamlining regulations, speeding up approvals and introducing pro-competitive reforms. From the department's perspective, what are the first concrete changes you expect Canadians and businesses to feel?

[Mark Schaan]

The industrial commitment is going to manifest itself in a number of ways, but probably most significantly in ensuring that there are effective supports in place for workers and researchers to have the tools and training to maximize the opportunity in the new industrial environment.

Probably the second is the implementation of the buy Canadian policy. Industry will strongly see the government as a willing customer in drawing on those resources. That's particularly important for us at the industry department, where we're helping to grow out industrial capabilities that we then hope to see our colleagues across government adopt and retain.

Also, we're obviously recognizing the industrial supports that are required in a time of geopolitical tension and challenge. Responding to tariff-impacted industries will obviously be an important part of that. It's a continued commitment to science and research, skills and training, and supports for workers, and then obviously to buy Canadian.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

There is a push to bring many highly qualified researchers into Canada. From ISED's side, how are you coordinating across governments so that research funding, infrastructure and immigration processes move at the same pace?

[Mark Schaan]

I'll start on this question, and then I'll turn to my colleague to fill in.

Obviously the $1.7 billion afforded for talent attraction is an extraordinary investment in the capabilities that can add to the rich ecosystem that already exists, but that builds off the budget 2024 and budget 2025 supplementary investments made in domestic research capacity that will continue to allow for our existing ecosystem to play an important role.

As it relates to the actual rollout of the talent attraction program, I'll turn it over to my colleague, Mr. Vats.

[Nipun Vats, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Research Sector, Department of Industry]

Thank you.

With respect to the coordination among the funding for the new talent we're seeking to attract, infrastructure and immigration, I'd say the way that the impact+ research chairs program has been set up actually provides funding for both the chair and the chair's team, as well as for the research infrastructure that would be required for a chair to successfully develop their research here in Canada. Part of that effort is to make sure that the research connects effectively to the receptors of knowledge in industry and civil society. The infrastructure funding is a streamlined process for applying for the chair funding and the research funding.

With respect to immigration, we've been working very closely with the immigration department to make sure there is a dedicated channel for chairs and their families to come to Canada and to expedite their immigration pathway to the extent possible. The package put together of research support in a very strong research ecosystem, the infrastructure they need to hit the ground running and the ability to be brought into the country quickly is, we believe, very attractive to some of the top research minds. They can not only contribute to training the next generation of talent, but also connect what they do to the Canadian economy.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I'll use the same continuity from the last question.

From the department's perspective, what do you see as the most significant bottleneck that Canada's research system is facing? Is it infrastructure, tail-end commercialization or something else?

[Mark Schaan]

I'm happy to weigh in, and then I'll turn to Mr. Vats.

I think Canada has been blessed for a long time with an extraordinary research capacity, unparalleled in many fields, where we have been at the forefront of discovery and innovation. We continue to push to find the best mechanisms to ensure we reap the commercial rewards and ultimately the industrial benefits that come out of that research capacity. That's a zone that we continue to spend an awful lot of time on, and I think that's a space where we'll continue to make investments.

[Aslam Rana, Liberal, Hamilton Centre, ON]

In terms of general concern, there is a lot of Canadian research, but the talent ends up moving south of the border or to some other country. How is the department working to ensure publicly funded research is commercialized here at home, rather than drifting abroad?

[Nipun Vats]

If I can connect that to the last question from the member, one thing that is maybe not a bottleneck but could really supercharge the research ecosystem is a stronger connection between Canadian industry and our academic research enterprise. That would provide greater incentives for researchers to be working on problems that are relevant to industry, and it would also potentially provide an important source of funding for research in the academic sector.

The federal government and some provinces have invested quite heavily in research, but where we are a bit behind other countries is with respect to private sector investment in research. A lot of our efforts have been to try to better connect academia and industry, which is a way of ensuring that Canadian firms are benefiting from our talent and knowledge base to be able to better commercialize them.

There have been programs with respect to helping researchers understand how they can commercialize their ideas. There are—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting. The time is up.

We will now proceed to our next member, MP Blanchette-Joncas.

You have six minutes. Please go ahead.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Greetings to the deputy ministers here today.

Mr. Schaan, why did the department refuse to disclose the names of the people who participated in the public consultation on the pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy?

[Mark Schaan]

Results published on the open data portal regarding the consultation on the pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy have been anonymized to protect Canadians' personal information.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Can you confirm whether or not Brookfield participated in the pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy?

[Mark Schaan]

I have no idea. I don't know whether or not Brookfield participated in the consultation on the pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy, as I only received the anonymized results from the department.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

How can parliamentarians know whether Brookfield participated in the public consultation on artificial intelligence?

[Mark Schaan]

Can you repeat the question?

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

How can parliamentarians check with the government whether Brookfield participated in the consultations on the artificial intelligence strategy?

[Mark Schaan]

Madam Chair, I will send a written response to the committee regarding Brookfield's participation in the national consultation.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

How can parliamentarians ask the government for access to the entire list of stakeholders who participated in the consultations on Canada's artificial intelligence strategy?

[Mark Schaan]

It is important to ensure that the personal information of Canadians who participated in the process is protected. I will ask the department to answer that question in writing, as to whether parliamentarians can receive the list of participants, but it's also important to protect privacy and comply with the legislation.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Schaan, how can a public consultation not make public the identity of the people who participated in it?

[Mark Schaan]

There are many ways to coordinate and hold a national consultation. Normally, there is an option, which is to receive Canadians' considerations in an anonymized or standardized format. It's not really standard to have a list of all the participants' names. There is other information that is important to consider, such as sectors, regions and all these other details that are published in the context of the national artificial intelligence strategy.