Op-ed by Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the University of British Columbia’s 17th president and vice-chancellor.

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Across the country, collaborations … are showing how universities can contribute to both economic resilience and social progress. But our innovation system remains fragmented. Partnerships between universities, industry, and government are often too ad hoc, funding cycles are short, and incentives are often misaligned. Thanks to support from provincial and federal governments, Canada’s research universities have built world-class capacity in discovery and innovation. The next step is to better align these strengths with national priorities. That means sustained public investment in research, stronger pathways to move discoveries into practice, and policies that foster long-term collaboration across sectors rather than short-term competition.

The next decade will test this country’s capacity to adapt. Whether we succeed will depend on how boldly governments and industry choose to partner with Canada’s universities, which generate the knowledge, talent, and innovation on which our prosperity and sovereignty depend.

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