STRATEGIC FOCUS FOR R & D LABS ESSENTIAL

 

In the recent Federal Science & Technology Strategy, “Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage”, four strategic principles are outlined: Fostering Partnerships, Promoting World-Class Excellence, Focusing on Priorities and Enhancing Accountability.   Ag-West Bio supports these principles.   For federally performed research and development (R&D) we applaud the willingness to consider alternative management arrangements for non-regulatory labs to enhance science and technology (S&T) collaboration.  However, we do not see great gains to be had by wholesale transfer of federal labs to Universities or the private sector.  We believe that the identification of ‘National Strategic Opportunities’ should be the underpinning of such initiatives and appropriate incentives should be introduced to eliminate institutional barriers that impede achievement of the desired outcomes.

 

Canada’s research sector encompasses the public, private and academic sectors.  The nature of public sector research, in particular has changed over the past 30 years.  While Universities have engaged in discovery research and teaching, federal science efforts have been mostly related to areas of strategic national interest and have sought industry involvement.  Universities and public sector research institutions have recognized the need to balance discovery research, public good societal research and the need to be responsive to industry and improve commercialization.  While there was (and remains) good collaboration, and indeed synergy, very distinct cultural and valuable roles have evolved for each “sector” – private, public and academic.  One shortcoming has been institutional divisions in public science capacity.   Now more than ever there is an urgent need to have more effective means to fully engage public sector science capacity across existing institutional boundaries on issues and opportunities of national interest, and with industry-driven engagement. 

 

The reasons for the ongoing success of federal laboratories in meeting the research needs of industry and public good are not hard to ascertain.  One is the ability of federally-managed laboratories to focus critical mass efforts on priority R&D needs of the nation and especially of industry.  Another is the unique ability of governments to provide sustained, well-managed programs enduring through the many years required to move brand new concepts to the threshold of viable industrial innovations.  A third important consideration is the ability of federal laboratories to focus on national priorities.  Finally – especially since the 1980s – federal laboratories have become adroit at carrying on business partnership with industries in terms of effectiveness, research speed and confidentiality which contribute to a secure development environment for new innovations.   Some of these same attributes may exist in successful university programs or other public sector research institutions but, due to institutional barriers and other constraints, the full public sector research capacity is seldom, if ever, aligned or marshaled.

 

Even though they may possess numerous faculty researchers with broadly related interests, university traditions of “independent academic research” are not conducive for the formation and sustainability of managed research program teams -- as understood in industry or public laboratories.  Further, our university granting system does not provide either sustained or secure support for long-running programs.  For essentially similar reasons, universities seldom deploy hierarchical direction to steer and propel their research efforts at the operational level.   Finally, it seems clear that bridging discovery and commercial development remains a weak spot of most Canadian academic institutions.

 

Ag-West Bio Inc is concerned that the invaluable strengths of federal labs would be lost upon hasty transfers, whether to industry or (as seems more likely to happen) to universities.    We think that making the system more effective should not involve the federal government removing itself from the research business nor off-loading responsibilities to universities or provinces.  We believe that one approach to making the system more effective may involve developing new, more effective mechanisms to leverage the existing structures.  For instance, there are in Canada particular “clusters” where synergies can be leveraged to national interests and industry needs for more effective delivery of science and innovation if stakeholders can agree on new models for research which are partnership-based, initiative driven, commercialization-focused and securely funded.

 

-          Written by Dr. Ashley O’Sullivan, President and CEO of Ag-West Bio Inc., a membership-based organization at the forefront of Saskatchewan’s bio-economy.

-          This article is available on-line at http://www.agwest.sk.ca/publications/Bio-Bulletin/BBNov07.pdf