The federal government’s new science and technology strategy could cost farmers dearly, says one leader of Canada’s agricultural science community.
A four-member panel has been established by Ottawa to identify up to five federal research and development laboratories as early candidates for transfer to universities or the private sector.
The panel stems from a directive in the federal government’s March 19 budget to place more priority on private-sector science and technology investment.
“Canada’s new government is charting a new direction, one that links the competitive energy of Canada’s entrepreneurs to the creative genius of our scientists,” said prime minister Stephen Harper when he announced the new strategy.
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The goal is to reverse years of declining private sector investment in research and development, and falling enrolment in university science and education programs.
But at least one agricultural group thinks it is an ill-conceived idea.
“We do not see great gains to be had by wholesale transfer of federal labs to universities or the private sector,” said Ashley O’Sullivan, president of Ag-West Bio Inc., a group that has been instrumental in the development of Saskatchewan’s bio-science cluster.
The transfer of five labs doesn’t sound like much but O’Sullivan said the pilot program could pave the way for further shifting of public research activities.
“It’s the principle here,” he said.
The panel has been instructed to provide its advice to Ottawa by the end of the year. One of the labs on the list could be an Agriculture Canada facility. O’Sullivan said farmers need to take a hard look at a policy that messes with such institutions.
“You may just have lost your centre that does your canola research, that developed canola for the country.”
He suspects the private sector won’t be interested in government labs that in many cases are performing basic research rather than working on specific projects that can be quickly transformed into a commercial product. So most basic research work will likely be transferred to universities.
The problem with that is university research is based on the tenet of academic freedom, where professors drive their own agendas. And there is no sustained core funding for the work they do.
“They’re always chasing money,” said O’Sullivan.
While there is a place for that type of work, it shouldn’t be at the expense of federal labs doing structured research on issues of strategic importance to the country.
There will be a research void if the government eliminates the only facilities where there are hierarchical management systems in place with directors, assistant directors, section heads and project leaders. Without those federal labs there will no longer be any “mission-oriented” research backed by core funding.
“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,” said O’Sullivan.
He would rather see the government work on the real issue, which is the institutional barriers that exist in Canada that are preventing a teamwork approach to finding technological solutions.
