Canada’s Innovation Crisis Deepens: CCA’s 2025 Report Calls for Urgent Action

Canada’s innovation engine is sputtering, warns the Council of Canadian Academies’ (CCA) latest report. Despite world-class universities and a globally respected research base, the country is falling further behind international peers in science, technology, and innovation. The CCA highlights a “worsening productivity crisis,” with both business and government R&D spending lagging well below the OECD average. While Canadian universities remain a rare bright spot—producing top talent and impactful research—commercialization and technology adoption remain weak. The report urges ambitious, coordinated action to reverse declining productivity and standards of living, emphasizing the need for stronger technology adoption, better access to risk capital, and targeted support for high-potential sectors. Without decisive intervention, Canada risks eroding its prosperity and global competitiveness.

1 2

Photo by James Wheeler