The Budget and technology

March 4, 2010

There were a number of highlight’s from the Canadian government’s Throne Speech and Budget that may have a direct impact on the technology landscape of Canada.

Rob Lewis has already discussed implications behind “Section 116” here. The following are a number of highlights we feel are impactful:

To fuel the ingenuity of Canada’s best and brightest and bring innovative products to market, our Government will build on the unprecedented investments in Canada’s Economic Action Plan by bolstering its Science and Technology Strategy. It will launch a digital economy strategy to drive the adoption of new technology across the economy. To encourage new ideas and protect the rights of Canadians whose research, development and artistic creativity contribute to Canada’s prosperity, our Government will also strengthen laws governing intellectual property and copyright. (Throne)
Budget 2010 builds on Canada’s position as an energy superpower with measures to encourage investments in energy projects and clean energy generation. (Budget)
Supporting the next generation of business leaders with $10 million in new funding for the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. (Budget)
Providing $45 million over five years to establish a post-doctoral fellowship program to help attract the research leaders of tomorrow to Canada. (Budget)
Delivering $222 million in funding over five years to strengthen the world-leading research taking place at TRIUMF, Canada’s premier national laboratory for nuclear and particle physics research. (Budget)
Canada has been a spacefaring nation for nearly 50 years. Our Government will extend support for advanced research, development and prototyping of new space-based technologies, especially in support of Arctic sovereignty. (Throne)
Our Government will open Canada’s doors further to venture capital and to foreign investment in key sectors, including the satellite and telecommunications industries, giving Canadian firms access to the funds and expertise they need. (Throne)
Our Government will partner with the forest industry to enter new markets and deploy new technologies, while respecting the Softwood Lumber Agreement with the United States. (Throne)
It will make travel by air safer by employing the latest screening practices and detection technologies for passengers and cargo. (Throne)
It will introduce a new biometric passport that will significantly improve security. (Throne)
Working with provinces, territories and the private sector, our Government will implement a cyber-security strategy to protect our digital infrastructure. (Throne)
Increasing the combined annual budgets of Canada’s research granting councils by an additional $32 million per year, plus an additional $8 million per year to the Indirect Costs of Research Program. (Budget)
Providing Genome Canada with an additional $75 million for genomics research. (Budget)
Doubling the budget of the College and Community Innovation Program with an additional $15 million per year. (Budget)
Providing $135 million over two years to the National Research Council Canada’s regional innovation clusters program. (Budget)
Providing $48 million over two years for research, development and application of medical isotopes. (Budget)
Providing a total of $497 million over five years to develop the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. (Budget)
Launching a new Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Innovation Commercialization Program with $40 million over two years. (Budget)
Renewing and making ongoing $49 million in annual funding for the regional development agencies to support innovation across Canada. (Budget)
Budget 2010 includes measures to promote energy investments, help develop and deploy clean energy technologies, and protect and enrich Canada’s unique environmental heritage by: Establishing the Next Generation Renewable Power Initiative, with $100 million over the next four years to support the
development, commercialization and implementation of advanced clean energy technologies in the forestry sector. (Budget)