Vancouver, BC – A report released yesterday by the Public Policy Forum highlighted successful strategies and best practices for Canadian companies to attract foreign direct investment to Canada. The Winning Global Mandates Report: Lessons from Canadian Leaders synthesized interview and roundtable findings from executive leaders across five industries on Canada’s advantages, challenges, and opportunities for winning global mandates.
The Forum engaged leaders of Canadian subsidiaries in the natural resources, manufacturing, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and information and communication technology industries; government representatives; and national organizations — including Mitacs — at a roundtable discussion that convened in Toronto in January. These discussions provided valuable insight into how Canadian companies can better influence investment decisions within their multinational corporations. They also provided a unique opportunity to re-examine how governments, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and academic institutions can best support subsidiaries in these efforts.
Key take-aways:
- A highly-skilled, educated, workforce is one of Canada’s global advantages.
- The ability to partner with top researchers, especially on early R&D development, creates a strong business case for investing in Canada.
- Canada’s ability to foster collaboration across sectors has produced world-class partnerships.
- Canada must maintain a focus on retaining highly-skilled talent.
- Canadian subsidiaries are challenged when trying to connect with individuals and SMEs conducting cutting-edge research in their field.
Quote:
Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs
“The Winning Global Mandates Report highlights the importance of industry-academia research collaborations in ensuring Canadian companies remain competitive in the global marketplace. Mitacs’ initiatives, including the recently launched Mitacs Converge program, help facilitate these connections by building multi-sector partnerships with industry and academia to create a more innovative Canada.”
Links:
To learn more about the Public Policy Forum, visit www.ppforum.com.
For information about Mitacs and our programs, see mitacs.ca/newsroom.
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