CSPC Symposium: From Research to Commercialization

At the Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) in Ottawa, leaders from across Canada’s innovation ecosystem gathered to examine a familiar challenge: why does Canadian research so often fail to reach the marketplace?

The From Research to Commercialization symposium brought together entrepreneurs, researchers, industry executives, and policy practitioners to unpack this question and share pragmatic ideas for change. The conversations were candid, constructive, and notably aligned on one point: Canada has everything it needs to lead; we simply need to connect the pieces.

Panel 1 | Identifying Opportunities and Confronting Challenges

Canada’s research sector is globally competitive, but our commercialization performance has not kept pace. The first panel explored this disconnect, noting that while Canadian universities attract substantial research funding, too few pathways exist to carry promising ideas from lab environments into real-world applications.

Panelists reflected on the fragmentation across programs, sectors, and regions. Strong initiatives like NSERC, Mitacs, NRC IRAP, and i2I are helping advance ideas, but they often operate in isolation. Participants emphasized that the issue is not a lack of activity or investment—it’s the lack of alignment and continuity across the entire development journey.

Key message: Canada needs stronger, more connected pathways, designed not just to create innovation, but to move it forward with purpose.

Moderator:

Derek Newton, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships

Speakers:


• Jean-François Gagnon, Director, Thales cortAIx Labs Canada

• Youssef Helwa, CEO and Co-Founder, FluidAI Medical

• Eva Reddington, Vice President, Policy, Program Development & Government Relations, Mitacs

• Dominique Bérubé, VP Research + Innovation, McGill University

Panel 2 | Collaboration, Alignment and Scale

The second panel focused on the system itself, how it’s designed, how it operates, and where it needs to evolve.

Speakers highlighted that Canada is not short on programs, talent, or ambition. What’s missing is structure, bringing the right people and organizations together around a common goal, at the right time. Many commercialization efforts still function as independent initiatives rather than parts of an integrated system.

The panel pointed to the value of long-term partnerships, shared infrastructure, and culture shifts, moving away from “go it alone” innovation toward practical, trust-based collaboration between universities, SMEs, large companies, and government partners.

Key message: Commercialization should be treated as a shared responsibility, not a final step that innovators navigate alone.

Moderator:


Michelle Coates Mather, Vice President, Public Affairs, Universities Canada

Speakers:

• David Bressler, Vice-President (International and Enterprise), University of Alberta

• Kyle Briggs, Professor, University of Ottawa

• Jeff Larsen, Assistant Vice-President, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dalhousie University

• Ilse Treurnicht, Chair, CCA Expert Panel on The State of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Canada, Council of Canadian Academies

Panel 3 | Enhancing Resilience: A Call for Change and Action

The final discussion explored how to turn good ideas into commercial products that are tested, adopted, and scaled here in Canada.

Deep-tech entrepreneurs described the “missing middle”, the challenge of moving from prototype (TRL 4-5) to pilot-ready solutions (TRL 7-9). At this stage, innovators need more than funding. They need access to testing environments, industry data, operational expertise, real customers, and procurement pathways. Many pointed out that it is often easier to find those partnerships abroad than at home.

Participants called for stronger domestic adoption, including incentives that encourage Canadian companies and governments to be early customers of Canadian innovation. The panel also highlighted the importance of supporting commercial pathways outside major urban hubs, especially in regions where innovation is closely tied to natural resources, infrastructure, and community resilience.

Key message: Innovation doesn’t succeed when it’s created; it succeeds when it is tested, supported, and adopted.

Moderator: Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship, Simon Fraser University

Speakers:

• Rob McLellan, Principle, McLellan CIO Consulting

• Paula Wood-Adams, Vice-President, Research & Innovation, University Of Northern British Columbia

• Sue Paish, Chief Executive Officer, DIGITAL

• Anh Tran Ly, CEO, CO2L Technologies Inc.

Final Reflection

Canada does not need to rebuild its innovation system. It needs to better connect it. Across all three conversations, a common message emerged. Canada leads in research excellence, but too few of our solutions make it through the middle stages of development, particularly when pilot testing, real-world validation, and early customer adoption are required. The country has strong programs, talent, infrastructure, and ambition, but they often function in isolation.

Participants emphasized that culture matters. Canada needs more collaboration, earlier and deeper industry engagement, more support for co-development, and stronger incentives to test and adopt Canadian technologies here at home. They also highlighted that innovation does not only happen in urban centres. Regional, northern, and resource-based communities have an important role in building meaningful, place-based solutions.