ARCHIVED - NRC International Strategy Overview

Long Description:

This slide illustrates the International Innovation Office's (IIO) organizational structure and key responsibilities at various levels. At the top level, National Research Council Canada (NRC) President, Mitch Davies, has the following key responsibilities:

• Interface with international partners (e.g. Research Centres (RC), innovation agencies, industry)
• Chair of the Research and Technology Organization International Network (RIN)
• High Level Representative for Canada to EUREKA

At the second level are Vice President of Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), David Lisk and Secretary General, Serge Bijimine.

At the third level is the Executive Director of the International Innovation Office, Melanie Cullins, whose key responsibilities include governance, strategy, policy and reputation.

Finally, at the fourth level is the Director of International Networks, Perry Quan, whose key responsibilities include small and medium‑sized enterprises (SME) innovation engagement, policy and reputation. Also at this level is the Director of International Relations, Marta Farsang, whose key responsibilities include executive support, oversight, external Research Centre engagement, policy and reputation.

Long Description:

This slide features two figures illustrating alignment and drivers for NRC strategies. The first diagram on the left is a flowchart. At the top of the flowchart is the President's Mandate Letters, which led to the NRC Dialogue Action Plan. A downward‑facing arrow then points to the NRC Strategic Framework (2019‑2024), including vision, mission, values and results areas. Another downward‑facing arrow then points to the NRC 5‑Year Strategic Plan (2019‑2024).

A right‑facing arrow points from the first flowchart to a figure illustrating the inter‑related strategies at the NRC‑level, priority economy level and International Innovation Office level for accelerating delivery of NRC results and impacts. At the top level of this figure is the NRC International Strategy (January 2018), to be delivered by the NRC – including IIO, National Program Office (NPO) and RCs. At the second level are the Germany Strategy, Japan Strategy and United Kingdom (UK) Strategy. At the third level is the International Innovation Office Strategy, to be delivered by IIO team in support of NRC's International Strategy, with associated resourcing. Underlying all the above is the International Performance Measurement Framework for progress reporting against overall International Strategy.

Long Description:

This slide features a figure describing international activities aligned to the 4 goals, with governance at the top level and below it, from left to right, NRC international reputation, advancing NRC knowledge and capabilities, and Canadian SME access to international collaboration.

Governance: Enable effective decision making and implementation of each country strategy

1. Regular meetings of International Director General (DG) Working Group – feeding input as evidence base for International Governance Committee;
2. Maintain annual operational plans supporting country strategies;
3. Define targets and key indicators to track and report against progress on international engagement;
4. Establish program management and related tools for integrated collaboration, including project selection.

NRC international reputation: Grow in‑country science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem linkages and enable greater international engagement

1. Develop strategic planning relationships with Global Affairs Canada and other stakeholders;
2. Actively participate in Joint Science and Technology (S&T) Committee meetings under bilateral S&T Memoranda of Understanding, and engage in ensuing Action Plans in areas that are NRC priorities;
3. Create opportunities for exchanges on best practices between executives of the NRC and in‑country key partners.

Advancing NRC knowledge & capabilities: Enable NRC programs to identify and secure partners in‑country to accelerate delivery of Collaboration Programs and secure resources

1. Explore and develop opportunities in‑country in priority areas of collaboration;
2. Support ongoing program engagements and pursuit of agreements with key partners;
3. Identify new partners and opportunities based on evolving in‑country and NRC priorities.

Canadian SME access to international collaboration: Help IRAP portfolio SMEs to create clear and effective co‑innovation strategies for market/Global Value Chain (GVC) access

1. Advise SMEs on GVC business model to enter the target market;
2. Engage Canadian Superclusters on GVC opportunities;
3. Advocate for and issue joint calls for proposals with in‑country counterparts.

Long Description:

This slide features a diagram shaped as a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is the country ecosystem. At the second level of the pyramid is strategic engagement and longer term relationships [REDACTED]. Finally, at the third level of the pyramid are bottom‑up engagements: researcher to researcher (e.g., astronomy, metrology, research centre‑specific engagements) and SME‑partner engagements.