Canada promotes its innovation agenda, diversity and inclusion at G7 meeting

Canada announced it would be highlighting its Innovation and Skills Plan (I&SP) at the G7 and ICT (information and communications technologies) ministers meetings September 25 and 26 in Turin Italy. The I&SP will be touted for its aim to position Canada as an “ideal investment destination” for global firms and foster the scale-up of Canadian companies to compete on the world stage. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) minister Navdeep Bains also said the government would be advocating for “Canada’s values of diversity and inclusion” and their role in providing Canada with a competitive edge. While in Turin, Bains is meeting with Italian business representatives with a particular emphasis on the automotive sector. Canada will be chairing the G7 in 2018, which is being pitched as an “opportunity to showcase efforts to strengthen the middle class, advance gender equity, fight climate change and promote diversity and inclusion”.  On September 26, Bains met with his fellow ICT ministers although the government has not provided any details on what issues were on the agenda.