:Science and technology in Canada

{{Short description|Overview of science and technology in Canada}}

File:STS-116 - P5 Truss hand-off to ISS (NASA S116-E-05765).jpg robotic arm (left), referred to as Canadarm, transferred the P5 truss segment over to the Canadian-built space station robotic arm, referred to as Canadarm2.]]

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 {{CAD|40.3 billion}} on domestic research and development, of which over $7 billion was provided by the federal and provincial governments.{{cite web |date=March 4, 2022 |title=Spending on research and development, 2019 (final), 2020 (preliminary) and 2021 (intentions)|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220214/dq220214a-eng.htm |publisher=Statistics Canada |access-date=April 10, 2022}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/181212/dq181212c-eng.htm |title=The Daily – Spending on research and development, 2018 intentions |website=Statistics Canada |access-date=September 19, 2019 |date=December 22, 2018}} This investment corresponds to about 1.57% of Canada's gross domestic product, a decline from 1.72% in 2014.{{cite book |editor1-last=Schneegans |editor1-first=S. |editor2-last=Straza |editor2-first=T. |editor3-last=Lewis |editor3-first=J. |title=UNESCO Science Report: the Race Against Time for Smarter Development. |date=11 June 2021 |publisher=UNESCO |location=Paris |isbn=978-92-3-100450-6 |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377433/PDF/377433eng.pdf.multi }}

Canada was ranked 14th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.{{cite book|url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/|title=Global Innovation Index 2024. Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship|access-date=2024-10-22|author=World Intellectual Property Organization|year=2024|isbn=978-92-805-3681-2|doi= 10.34667/tind.50062|website=www.wipo.int|location=Geneva|page=18}}

{{As of|2020}}, the country has produced fifteen Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine,{{cite web |title=Canadian Nobel Prize in Science Laureates |url=http://www.science.ca/scientists/nobellaureates.php |access-date=December 19, 2020 |publisher=Science.ca}} and was ranked fourth worldwide for scientific research quality in a major 2012 survey of international scientists.{{Cite news |last=McIlroy |first=Anne |date=September 26, 2012 |title=Canada ranked fourth in the world for scientific research |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-ranked-fourth-in-the-world-for-scientific-research/article4571162/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004001349/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-ranked-fourth-in-the-world-for-scientific-research/article4571162/ |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |access-date=October 17, 2012}} It is furthermore home to the headquarters of a number of global technology firms.{{cite web |year=2014 |title=Top 250 Canadian Technology Companies |url=http://www.branham300.com/index.php?year=2014&listing=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315075119/http://www.branham300.com/index.php?year=2014&listing=1 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |access-date=February 13, 2015 |publisher=Branham Group Inc.}} 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.{{cite web |date=June 2014 |title=Internet Usage and Population in North America |url=http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats14.htm#north |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207003832/http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats14.htm#north |archive-date=February 7, 2015 |access-date=February 7, 2015 |publisher=Internet World Stats}}{{Cite web |title=Global Innovation Index 2021 |url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2021/|work=World Intellectual Property Organization|publisher=United Nations|access-date=2022-03-05 |language=en}}{{cite web|title=Release of the Global Innovation Index 2020: Who Will Finance Innovation?|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2020/index.html|publisher=WIPO|access-date=September 2, 2021}}{{cite web|title=Global Innovation Index 2019|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|publisher=WIPO|access-date=September 2, 2021}}

Some of the most notable scientific developments in Canada include the creation of the modern alkaline battery{{cite web |title=Lew Urry |url=http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=277 |website=Science.ca}} and the polio vaccine{{cite web |title=Leone N. Farrell |url=http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=438 |website=Science.ca}} and discoveries about the interior structure of the atomic nucleus.{{cite web |title=Leon Katz |url=http://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=404 |website=Science.ca}} Other major Canadian scientific contributions include the artificial cardiac pacemaker, mapping the visual cortex,{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Evelyn |year=2005 |title=2005 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award |publisher=Lasker Foundation |url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/2005_b_description.htm |url-status=live |access-date=November 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716192333/http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/2005_b_description.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2010}}{{cite web |year=2015 |title=Top ten Canadian scientific achievements |url=http://www.science.ca/askascientist/topachievements.php |website=GCS Research Society}} the development of the electron microscope,{{cite web |title=James Hillier |url=http://web.mit.edu/Invent/iow/hillier.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808192011/http://web.mit.edu/Invent/iow/hillier.html |archive-date=August 8, 2013 |access-date=November 20, 2008 |website=Inventor of the Week |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}{{Cite news |last=Pearce |first=Jeremy |date=January 22, 2007 |title=James Hillier, 91, Dies; Co-Developed Electron Microscope |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/science/22hillier.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325113042/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/science/22hillier.html |archive-date=March 25, 2014 |access-date=November 20, 2008}} plate tectonics, deep learning, multi-touch technology and the identification of the first black hole, Cygnus X-1.{{Cite journal |last=Bolton |first=C. T. |year=1972 |title=Identification of Cygnus X-1 with HDE 226868 |journal=Nature |volume=235 |issue=2 |pages=271–273 |bibcode=1972Natur.235..271B |doi=10.1038/235271b0 |s2cid=4222070}} 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.{{Cite journal |last=Strathdee |first=C.A. |author2=Gavish, H. |author3=Shannon, W. |last4=Buchwald, M. |year=1992 |title=Cloning of cDNAs for Fanconi's anemia by functional complementation |journal=Nature |volume=356 |issue=6372 |pages=763–767 |bibcode=1992Natur.356..763S |doi=10.1038/356763a0 |pmid=1574115 |s2cid=4250632}}

The Canadian Space Agency operates a highly active space program, conducting deep-space, planetary, and aviation research, and developing rockets and satellites.{{cite web |year=2016 |title=Canadian Space Milestones |url=http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/about/milestones.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008060654/http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/about/milestones.asp |archive-date=October 8, 2009 |publisher=Canadian Space Agency}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Angelo |first=Joseph A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VUWno1sOwnUC&pg=PA22 |title=Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy |publisher=Infobase Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4381-1018-9 |page=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.{{Cite book |last1=Bidaud |first1=Philippe |title=Field Robotics: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines |last2=Dupuis |first2=Erick |publisher=World Scientific |year=2012 |isbn=978-981-4374-27-9 |pages=35–37 |chapter=An overview of Canadian space robotics activities |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TSlqDQAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA35}} Since the 1960s, Canada's aerospace industry has designed and built numerous marques of satellite, including Radarsat-1 and 2, ISIS and MOST.{{cite web |date=March 11, 2010 |title=The Canadian Aerospace Industry praises the federal government for recognizing Space as a strategic capability for Canada |url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2010/11/c9200.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609224813/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2010/11/c9200.html |archive-date=June 9, 2011 |publisher=Newswire |access-date=May 23, 2011}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Godefroy |first=Andrew B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JVLJDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 |title=The Canadian Space Program: From Black Brant to the International Space Station |publisher=Springer |year=2017 |isbn=978-3-319-40105-8 |page=41}}