Posted: May 22, 2008

Canada and China announce new joint science and technology initiatives

(Nanowerk News) The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, today announced the launch of 20 new Canada-China science and technology (S&T) joint initiatives. Minister Emerson made the announcement in Beijing with Wan Gang, China’s Minister of Science and Technology.
Eight of the initiatives, valued at $10.574 million, are joint research projects.
The other 12 are partnership development activities worth a total of $812,000. The Canadian portion is funded through the International Science and Technology Partnerships Program and is delivered by an arm’s-length organization, International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTPCanada).
“Our government is committed to fostering the innovation of Canadian researchers and businesses and developing partnerships that will enable Canadians to work together with partners around the world,” said Minister Emerson. “Our objective is to have these joint activities result in an increase in commercially viable research and development initiatives, and we look forward to more joint collaboration in the future.”
“ISTPCanada takes its mission to help build productive Canada-China partnerships very seriously and is grateful to the participating governments for having the vision and foresight to make these partnerships a priority,” added Henri Rothschild, President and Chief Executive Officer of ISTPCanada. “Together with our counterparts in China, we will make every effort to continue building strong and productive Canada-China S&T partnerships.”
These joint activities will lead to an increase of commercially viable research and development initiatives, and will assist in the organization of scientific seminars, conferences and workshops.
Canada and China S&T relations have made good progress at the federal, provincial, academic and private-sector levels since the signing of an overarching S&T agreement in January 2007.
This agreement is now one of Canada’s most active partnerships with China. Areas of cooperation under the Agreement include energy; the environment; health and life sciences/biotechnology; and agricultural foods and bio-products. Information and communication technologies and nanotechnology have also been added as enabling sectors for the four areas.
Source: Government of Canada