Science and Technology Policy and Problems of Industrialization in Canada

Abstract

The problem of declining competitiveness in Canadian resource and manu­facturing industries is examined. Factors internal to Canada and factors common to the international trading environment are considered. The key question for Canada is what sort of industrial strategy will best serve its long run economic and social interests. Unfortunately, there is no national con­sensus about the broad outlines of an industrial strategy: conflicts between interest groups and governments seem to make consensus almost impossi­ble. Thus, while Canada is certainly putting greater stress on the role of science and technology in strengthening her industrial capability, there is no concerted science and technology policy. As long as this situation prevails, Canada's industrial and technological performance will likely be deficient.