Canada has lost much of its manufacturing base, while productivity and per capita income growth have stagnated, competitiveness outside the natural resources sector remains weak, and innovation lags behind advanced-nation standards. In a commentary for THECIS, Robert Atkinson argues that Canada’s focus on proximate causes obscures deeper barriers: misguided analysis, a weak pro-innovation coalition, and a political economy that prioritizes distribution, stability, and risk reduction over growth.
Atkinson warns that Canada risks permanently losing advanced manufacturing capacity. He calls on leaders across business, government, academia, the media, and civil society to unite behind a national strategy to boost productivity, innovation, and technology-based growth.
Read the full commentary for THECIS.
