Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology

Comité permanent de l'industrie, des sciences et de la technologie

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 31, 2017 -

On May 31, 2017, the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology tabled in the House of Commons a report entitled The Canadian Manufacturing Sector: Urgent Need to Adapt.

After holding 17 meetings on this issue in Ottawa with various representatives of the business, education and union sectors, as well as from think tanks and the federal government, in addition to visiting facilities in the Montréal area, and receiving 23 written submissions, the Committee came up with 17 recommendations. The first one is that the federal government develop a manufacturing strategy for Canada based on the recommendations of the report.

The Committee heard about the need for federal programs to adapt quickly to disruptive technologies as well as specific challenges surrounding the quality of labour market information, intellectual property and technology transfers, commercialization, access to venture capital, and access to broadband Internet in rural areas.

The Committee believes that the Government of Canada’s timely implementation of its recommendations will support the Canadian manufacturing industry in its efforts to meet existing and future challenges.