Science_and_technology_in_Canada
Science and technology in Canada
Overview of science and technology in Canada
Science and technology in Canada consists of three distinct but closely related phenomena:
- the diffusion of technology in Canada
- scientific research in Canada
- innovation, invention and industrial research in Canada
In 2019, Canada spent approximately CA$40.3 billion on domestic research and development, of which over $7 billion was provided by the federal and provincial governments.[1] In 2018, Canada spent approximately C$34.5 billion on domestic research and development, of which around $2 billion was spent directly by the federal government in-house and an additional $5.7 billion was provided by provincial and federal sources in the form of grants.[2] This investment corresponds to about 1.57% of Canada's gross domestic product, a decline from 1.72% in 2014.[3] Canada was ranked 15th in the Global Innovation Index in 2023.[4]
As of 2020[update], the country has produced fifteen Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine,[5] and was ranked fourth worldwide for scientific research quality in a major 2012 survey of international scientists.[6] It is furthermore home to the headquarters of a number of global technology firms.[7] Canada has one of the highest levels of Internet access in the world, with over 33 million users, equivalent to around 94 percent of its total 2014 population.[8][9][10][11]
Some of the most notable scientific developments in Canada include the creation of the modern alkaline battery[12] and the polio vaccine[13] and discoveries about the interior structure of the atomic nucleus.[14] Other major Canadian scientific contributions include the artificial cardiac pacemaker, mapping the visual cortex,[15][16] the development of the electron microscope,[17][18] plate tectonics, deep learning, multi-touch technology and the identification of the first black hole, Cygnus X-1.[19] Canada has a long history of discovery in genetics, which include stem cells, site-directed mutagenesis, T-cell receptor and the identification of the genes that cause Fanconi anemia, cystic fibrosis and early-onset Alzheimer's disease, among numerous other diseases.[16][20]
The Canadian Space Agency operates a highly active space program, conducting deep-space, planetary, and aviation research, and developing rockets and satellites.[21] Canada was the third country to design and construct a satellite after the Soviet Union and the United States, with the 1962 Alouette 1 launch.[22] Canada is a participant in the International Space Station (ISS), and is a pioneer in space robotics, having constructed the Canadarm, Canadarm2 and Dextre robotic manipulators for the ISS and NASA's Space Shuttle.[23] Since the 1960s, Canada's aerospace industry has designed and built numerous marques of satellite, including Radarsat-1 and 2, ISIS and MOST.[24] Canada has also produced one of the world's most successful and widely used sounding rockets, the Black Brant; over 1,000 Black Brants have been launched since the rocket's introduction in 1961.[25]