CCI Launches The Canadian SHIELD Institute: A New Policy Institute Advancing Prosperity and Renewal
Toronto, Canada – January 16, 2025
The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI), a member-driven organization reshaping innovation policy and supporting Canada’s leading technology companies, proudly announces the launch of The Canadian SHIELD Institute, focused on Securing Homegrown Innovation, Economic Leadership, and Defence. This new policy institute will act as a catalyst for bold ideas, fostering collaboration among expert public policy leaders, government, and industry pioneers to secure Canada’s long-term prosperity and resilience.
With a mission to advance innovative solutions to critical national challenges, The Canadian SHIELD Institute is being established with an initial $10 million donation from Jim Balsillie, CCI Co-Founder and Chair. The Canadian SHIELD Institute will work with other industry leaders, visionaries, and philanthropists to scale up the organization and ensure its long-term impact on Canada’s prosperity and resilience.
Building on the success of CCI’s influential policy reports and initiatives, such as CCI’s Talent & Skills Strategy, SR&ED reform, and Building Winners: Strategic Procurement in the Age of Innovation, the institute will provide a robust platform for thought leadership, expert research, and impactful communications across a broader spectrum of policy areas. Its focus areas include:
- Sovereign Approaches to Economic Development
- Strategic Leadership in National Security and Defence
- Transformative Tax Policy for Global Competitiveness
- Modernizing Governance through Institutional Reform
- Building Abundance in Energy, Housing, and Critical Infrastructure
- Positioning Canada at the Forefront of Deep Technology
- Innovation Strategies for Energy, Minerals, Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Housing and Health Care
- Championing Canadian Democracy, Culture and Values
The Canadian SHIELD Institute is launching at a pivotal moment, as Canada grapples with significant challenges to its sovereignty, productivity, and economic resilience. From navigating the economic and security implications of the new U.S. administration’s protectionist policies to responding to complex geopolitical rivalries, the need for fresh, strategic, innovative policymaking has never been greater.
The institute’s work is grounded in the belief that Canada’s long-term prosperity depends on building a sovereign, self-reliant economy that’s able to compete and win in global value chains and that leverages homegrown talent, technology, and innovation. By advancing forward-thinking policies rooted in the 21st century realities and practical solutions, The Canadian SHIELD Institute will empower leaders to develop, share and advance ideas for Canada’s economic interests, security, and its future prosperity.
Quotes
“As Canada faces unprecedented economic and national security challenges, we also stand at a crossroads for rebuilding our nation’s resilience and growth,” said Benjamin Bergen, President of the Council of Canadian Innovators. “The Canadian SHIELD Institute is our answer to the growing demand for deeper industry engagement and bold, forward-thinking solutions to safeguard Canada’s long-term prosperity.”
“Over the last 25 years, I have supported numerous public policy initiatives and have consistently observed gaps in domestic capacity to view challenges through a 21st century lens,” said Jim Balsillie, Co-Founder and Chair of CCI. “Canada needs institutions that deliver relevant ideas tailored to today’s economic and security realities, not outdated approaches rooted in the 1970s.”
“There is a strong appetite within Canada’s business community to actively contribute to the country’s renewal, extending beyond innovation policy into broader economic and social reform. This new institute will be a key forum for discussions, research, and ideas,” added John Ruffolo, Co-Founder and Vice-Chair of CCI.
About the Council of Canadian Innovators
Founded in 2015 by Canada’s most successful technology CEOs, CCI aims to amplify their voices in the public policy development process around innovation, countering the dominance of foreign multinationals and other entities not focused on Canadian economic growth. CCI’s CEOs lead Canadian-based innovation firms in sectors such as Healthtech, Cleantech, Fintech, Cyber, and ICT, driving commercialization of intellectual property, generating jobs and wealth, making investments, and engaging in philanthropy. We advocate on their behalf for government strategies that increase their access to skilled talent, strategic capital, and new customers, as well as expanded freedom to operate for their global pursuits of scale.
For more information about CCI, visit www.canadianinnovators.org.
About The Canadian SHIELD Institute
The Canadian SHIELD Institute will host events, publish research and think pieces, and develop policy recommendations to drive meaningful action to fuel Canada’s long-term economic prosperity and national security. By collaborating with thought leaders and industry pioneers, the institute will focus on ideas that enhance Canada’s global competitiveness while addressing pressing domestic priorities.
For more information and to receive updates, visit www.canadianshieldinstitute.ca
Media Contact
James McLeod
CCI Director of Communications
jmcleod@canadianinnovators.org
General Inquiries
Patrick Searle
CCI Vice President, Corporate Affairs
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