Message from the President: 2022–2023 annual report

The NRC has a long history of conducting and supporting ground-breaking research that has led to innovations in areas from sustainable construction to radio telescope collaboration to biomanufacturing. Much of this work depends on highly specialized equipment and buildings, which is why the federal government's announcement of nearly $1 billion to renew our facilities was so exciting for us.

An investment of this size has given us a unique opportunity to think strategically about the long term and make upgrades that will not only ensure our people have access to the latest equipment for the research they're doing today, but will set us up for future projects that haven't even been conceived yet.

But renewal was top of mind for us even before that announcement, because we had already started working on the next iteration of our strategic plan to take us to 2029. We built in extended time for employee engagement—in research centres, corporate services and the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)—for them to set out what they see as key opportunities and challenges, and to provide their ideas for how the NRC should address them.

In combination with our 3 strategic priorities of climate action, quantum and digital, and health, our intention is to create a strategic plan that will help us move at the speed of business with greater agility and responsiveness to emerging needs. The next few years will also see governance changes to some of our research centres to enable them to better meet the needs of Canadian and international researchers.

One of the biggest changes will be the transition of NRC IRAP to the new Canada Innovation Corporation (CIC), which will take effect approximately 24 months after its announcement in February 2023. The CIC will be a Crown corporation that will focus on supporting the R&D needs of businesses across all sectors of the economy.

While this will change some of the ways we work together, this evolution will enable us both to grow and focus on what we do best. I'm very proud of this step, as NRC IRAP joins a long line of agencies that originated as part of the NRC and have since grown into vital independent organizations: the Canadian Space Agency, Defence Research and Development Canada, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, just to name a few.

With all the global efforts made to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is in a better place today than it was one year ago. While many of our employees worked on-site throughout the pandemic, many others transitioned to doing some or all of their work remotely. Now that most public health restrictions have been lifted, these employees have returned to the office. We're renewing our understanding of what that looks like and finding ways to balance organizational needs with the personal needs of our people.

Ensuring a safe work environment for all has always been a priority, and our record is testament to the time and effort we invest in keeping our people safe. However, this year we were tragically reminded of the consequences when things go wrong. In February 2023, we lost one of our own, Philippe Tremblay, in a fatal workplace accident. As colleagues and friends, we mourn his loss. As an organization, we recommit ourselves to upholding the NRC's health and safety practices as our top priority.

In closing, I would like to welcome Digvir Jayas, Ali Tehrani and David Berthiaume to our Council, and thank Neil Bose, Carolyn Cross, Aled Edwards and Mohamed Lachemi for their excellent contributions. I'm also pleased to welcome Alain Beaudoin to our senior executive team, and I would like to thank the entire NRC staff for their ongoing dedication and passion for advancing Canada's research priorities.

Iain Stewart
President