Science and Research committee  Our goal is to hire the best people we can. We also have to find the profile of people who want to work in our environment. If you want to work on research full time—to be committed and focused on that, beyond your academic work—we offer a great environment. Whether we could provide the kind of compensation you'd get if you joined a start-up that will grow....

Science and Research committee  Thank you for the question. The NRC has very strong expertise in field-deployable nanosensors, which are aimed very much at detecting this kind of biohazard in the very small amounts. That would be deployed, obviously, by the armed forces if they're potentially concerned about risk, and it is also something that can be deployed for civilian purposes to protect populations.

Science and Research committee  Madam Chair, through you, I would share that the NRC has a research centre in Saskatoon that is very strongly focused on crop design. The NRC's history in agriculture goes back to supporting the invention of canola, a multi-billion-dollar industry. We still see this as a key role.

Science and Research committee  Through you, Chair, I would restrain my comments to what the NRC is doing. Of course, institutions that make decisions can come and provide information, in their own respect, on how they make those choices. I think those are questions better addressed to them. Thank you.

Science and Research committee  The NRC serves as the secretariat for the system that creates the national building code, which is then put in place, from a legal point of view, by the provinces and territories, which have a responsibility to enact the regulations.

Science and Research committee  Thank you for the question. The AI assist initiative, which is part of the IRAP offering, is under way. We've been able to support AI firms that fit our profile in advancing very significant technology development. We are part of building an industry with advanced capability in AI in many areas.

Science and Research committee  Thank you for the question. I'd say that NRC's history in this regard is quite strong. If you think about the role that the NRC played in World War II in military matters, that extended subsequently to technologies such as stapling for surgery. These are things that cross over from the military battlefield and become something that is generally diffused as a part of our health system.

Science and Research committee  What we then have to do is make choices about areas we'll retain and that will be maintained and areas where we have a strong relationship with our strategy, and I think we have done so with integrity. We've shared those choices. Anything we did was to a level where we had excellence, but whether it was relevant to the plan was—

Science and Research committee  We'd be happy to provide further information. Absolutely.

Science and Research committee  I would refer the member's question to ISED. I think they would be best placed to provide very robust information comparing Canadian support for research and development in all forms. That's their job. They're responsible for science policy. It's not something that we have a direct responsibility for.

Science and Research committee  From the statistics I'm familiar with in the various roles I've had.... For a period of time, I worked in science policy. Obviously, Canada's role in research and development overall and the level of research and development comparatively have been lower in some cases than they are in comparative countries.

Science and Research committee  Building up industrial capability and capacity, private sector research and development, and being able to anchor the ability of our talent and our ideas to be followed up on in Canada is an important goal. There is a lot of work to do to achieve that objective, but it is important.

Science and Research committee  Our co-chairing Eureka with Germany is the first time a non-European country has co-chaired and the first time there have been co-chairs. This is the largest public innovation network on the planet. It means that our SMEs work with SMEs that are part of the European countries and also beyond.

Science and Research committee  I certainly have. I've met the minister and I've also participated in a number of events. The minister has announced matters that relate to the council.

Science and Research committee  I wouldn't share the topics discussed between me and the minister. Part of my role is supporting her, and the discretion one has to have, of course, as an official supporting their minister is quite appropriate. I wouldn't reveal the details of our discussions.