Can Canada Still Lay Claim to Pro-Innovation Nation?
Canada has a global reputation as a technologically savvy nation at the forefront of innovation, a reputation it has earned from a wide range of activities from pioneering early research on artificial intelligence (AI) and taking an initial lead in deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by fast-tracking the permitting process. Unfortunately, some of Canada’s most recent technology policy initiatives raise doubts that its government still prioritizes innovation and is not instead turning to some of the precautionary and protectionist measures embraced by the EU.
As Daniel Castro writes for RealClearMarkets, several of Canada’s major technology policy initiatives over the past year have been discriminatory policies targeting the tech sector, especially foreign companies. While the nation still boasts a high-skilled workforce, a number of leading universities, and favorable immigration policies for foreign talent, these assets will not sustain it if the country develops a global reputation as a hostile environment for innovation. As leaders in Ottawa pursue new priorities in the coming year, they should reconsider what is really in their national interest and how their policies look to the rest of the world.
