Canadians are natural innovators, creating ideas and technologies that benefit a multitude of sectors and industries, both here at home and internationally. Supporting international collaboration and efforts to enhance cooperation among countries leads to better research results, as well as a more robust pathway to commercializing innovative research and development.
Today, at the Eureka Global Innovation Summit in Estoril, Portugal, Ambassador Stéphane Dion, Special Envoy to the European Union (E.U.) and Europe, officially signed Canada's full membership in the Eureka network.
With the goal of increasing competitiveness in world markets, Eureka brings together SMEs, large companies, research centres, universities and other innovators from Eureka countries to work together on market-driven industrial research and development (R&D). While Canada has participated in Eureka for 10 years as an associate member, full membership will allow Canada to contribute more fully to the goals of the network and create even more opportunities for Canadian innovators to work with international partners.
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), manages Canada's Eureka National Office and provides Canadian innovators with a first contact point and access to the expansive global network. This unique and powerful platform has made it easier for Canadian innovators to accelerate their growth through access to global value chains and collaboration with international partners.
