Who is Minding the Store? Innovation Strategy and Agro-Biotechnology Research in Canada */Qui S'occupe Du Magasin? la Strategie D'innovation Et la Recherche Agrobiologique Au Canada *‪.‬

The merits of basic research for national innovation systems are well established. It is understood that basic research creates the knowledge, infrastructure and human capital needed to stay at the front of the innovation pack. In the current age of knowledge-based economies experts assert that basic knowledge is critical for sustained economic development as it affords competitive advantage. However, policy shifts in countries such as Canada and the US that tie public research dollars to applied output may be undermining future national innovative capacity. This paper explores these questions using the case of the Canadian agro-biotechnology industry. The research results highlight the role of corporations as a distorting influence on the direction and form of research in Canada. The findings expose tensions between the public good and public policy. They raise questions about the conflicts between on the one hand, the lack of public support for agro-biotechnology and on the other hand, government policy that funds industry defined agro-biotechnology research. The research also raises questions about the wisdom of policy that emphasizes applied over basic research, potentially compromising the future innovative capacity of Canada. RESUMES