Miscellaneous
During this current pandemic, Small and Medium Enterprises or SMEs are among the most harshly hit areas of the Canadian economy. These SMEs account for approximately 98% of businesses in Canada and make up over 50% of the Canadian GDP. Also, up to 70% of employment in the country is generated by these SMEs. It goes without saying that Canada's economic recovery is closely tied to the recovery of these SMEs. But, is it enough to just re-establish these SMEs or is it finally the time for Canada to promote research, development, and innovation in one of the most crucial areas of our economy? Why have we been unable to promote our SMEs' productivity and expansion? Why do we see innovative firms leave Canada, despite benefiting from our public research and development funds? In terms of the pandemic, what does innovation mean for our economic recovery? As we make plans to come out of the pandemic and start building back better, perhaps it is time to reflect on our economy to make Canada more competitive on a global stage. This episode will look at Canadian competitiveness and post-pandemic recovery, with a particular eye on the Small and Medium Enterprises, the SMEs.Today's guests are Robert Asselin and Sean Speer, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. This episode was produced by Wahaj Alam and Gillian Monckton