AGM 2012

Research Canada’s 2012 Annual General Meeting

A Changing Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities for Health Research and Health Innovation in Canada

Nov. 21, 2012, Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Canada

This year’s Annual General Meeting, entitled A Changing Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities for Health Research and Health Innovation in Canada focused on the strides we have made as a growing health research and health innovation enterprise and identify the opportunities and challenges we face as the policy environment changes to broaden its research and development focus to all four of the key areas identified in Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage, the Government’s Science and Technology Strategy, released in May 2007 natural resources, the environment, health, and information technology.

Innovative panel discussion examines opportunities and challenges of knowledge-based economy

Led by award-winning Globe and Mail columnist André Picard, panelists at Research Canada’s AGM discussed the opportunities and challenges of developing and supporting knowledge-based economy. The panel focuses on the following three questions.

1. How important is growing a knowledge-based economy to Canada’s economic future? Read article: Knowledge-Based Economy Depends on Discovery Research
2. How does a current focus on prosperity through resource-based innovation position Canada as a globally leading knowledge-based economy? Read article: Natural Resource Wealth Could Fund Knowledge-Based Transition
3. How can one of the largest and costliest knowledge-based industries in this country-the healthcare industry-become a more prominent part of the solution to our current economic problems? Read article: Focus of Healthcare Funding Shifts to Provinces

Hon. Michael Wilson presents new business models for health research investments at Health Research Caucus Luncheon

Leaders of Canada’s health research enterprise joined parliamentarians for the Health Research Caucus Luncheon on Mental Health, which featured the Honourable Michael Wilson as keynote speaker. Mr. Wilson, one of Canada’s most ardent advocates of mental health research, offered an insightful overview of several new business models to support health research, which leverage the shared benefits of partnership and collaboration. Read Mr. Wilson’s speech here.

The Health Research Caucus has drawn attention from media in recent weeks, and several journalists attended our AGM sessions. The Caucus was featured in an article in The Lobby Monitor, an influential public affairs publication based in Ottawa. The article is available online for subscribers.

MORNING PANEL

Health Research and Health Innovation: In Crisis or in Transition?

Mr. Andre Picard of the Globe and Mail

Mr. James Armour, Vice President, Public Affairs, Summa Strategies Canada Inc.

Dr. Raphael Hofstein, President and CEO, MaRs Innovation

Mr. Thomas Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Open Text Corporation

Dr. Michael Julius, Science Advisor, Research Canada and VP Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

HEALTH RESEARCH CAUCUS LUNCHEON

Host:  Senator Kelvin K. Ogilvie, Chair of the Health Research Caucus

Keynote Speaker: Mr. Michael Wilson, Chancellor of the University of Toronto