2024-05-12-ITIF-评估加拿大的创新_生产力和竞争力（英）_68页_1mb

Summary of "Assessing Canadian Innovation, Productivity, and Competitiveness"

Core Content

This report by Robert D. Atkinson and Lawrence Zhang evaluates Canada's performance in innovation, productivity, and competitiveness, identifying key challenges and offering strategic recommendations for improvement.

Main Points

1. Canada's Innovation Performance

• Canada lags behind peer countries on key innovation indicators, particularly in R&D spending, intellectual property (IP) generation, and innovation outcomes.
• R&D spending in Canada has remained relatively flat compared to significant growth in other advanced economies.
• Canadian business R&D investment is notably lower than that of other countries, even when adjusted for GDP and firm size.
• Higher education R&D is relatively strong, but it constitutes only a small portion of the overall R&D spending.
• Government R&D spending is below the global average, presenting an opportunity for targeted investment.
• Foreign firms play a major role in funding Canadian R&D, with U.S. companies accounting for a significant share.

2. Productivity Performance

• Canada's productivity growth has been poor, with U.S. productivity growth being 160% faster from 2002 to 2020.
• Productivity growth varies significantly across industries, with some sectors growing and others declining.
• Productivity is defined as output per unit of input, and it can be measured as labour productivity or total factor productivity.
• The growth effect—improving productivity across all sectors—is more important than the shift effect—moving to higher-productivity industries—for most economies.
• In traded sectors, productivity growth can enhance competitiveness, but in non-traded sectors, it may not have the same impact.

3. Competitiveness Performance

• Competitiveness is often confused with productivity, but they are distinct.
• A competitive economy is one that can maintain favourable terms of trade while having a robust traded sector.
• Canada's trade balance is near zero, largely due to the depreciation of the Canadian dollar.
• Canada's competitive position in advanced industries is weak, with global market shares falling significantly over the past 25 years.
• Non-natural-resource-based sectors such as computers, semiconductors, aerospace, and software show low competitiveness in Canada.

Key Recommendations

Principles for Enhancing Innovation, Productivity, and Competitiveness

1. Reject "Silver Bullet" Solutions
   Avoid simplistic fixes like reducing regulation or increasing education without a comprehensive strategy.

2. Move Beyond Ingredientism
   Focus on firm-level, sector-level, and technology-level strategies rather than just macroeconomic factors.

3. Think Sectors and Technology, Not Markets and Economy
   Tailor policies to specific industries and technologies instead of general economic conditions.

4. Look to "Productionists" for Advice
   Seek guidance from experts who focus on productivity and innovation rather than traditional economic models.

5. Support Existing Companies, Not Just Recruitment
   Prioritize supporting domestic firms and enhancing their innovation capabilities over attracting foreign investment.

6. Make Canada Competitive on Its Own
   To avoid the gravitational pull of the U.S., Canada must build its own innovation and competitiveness.

7. See Big and Medium-Sized Businesses as Beautiful
   Recognize the value of large firms in driving innovation and productivity.

8. Embrace North American Integration
   Strengthen economic ties with the U.S. and U.S. firms rather than seeking separation.

9. Reject the Precautionary Principle
   Encourage innovation over risk-averse policies.

10. Make IPC a Top Priority
    Place innovation, productivity, and competitiveness at the forefront of Canadian policy and political agenda.

Conclusion

Canada's innovation, productivity, and competitiveness are underperforming relative to its peers. While some challenges are intrinsic (such as natural resource dependency and proximity to the U.S.), others can be addressed through policy reform. The report emphasizes the need for sector-specific strategies, investment in R&D, and a focus on domestic innovation to improve Canada's economic standing in the global market.