Mr. Speaker, the Centres of Excellence program allows university, government and private researchers to join forces on cutting edge technology projects.
Networks of Centres of Excellence have won an international reputation for doing high quality research which is relevant to private and public sector activities in Canada and around the world. The networks have been praised in Europe and the United States as areas in which Canada has excelled by getting university researchers to collaborate with each other and with industry.
The Centres of Excellence have contributed to the economic growth of the country by the rapid transfer of technology, the establishment of many new companies and the training of a highly skilled workforce.
By working together to provide the transfer of knowledge, the universities, governments and the private sector have made a greater impact than individual researchers would have done alone.
The continuation of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program is essential for Canada to compete on the global scene.