Science and technology in Canada

Science and technology in Canada consists of three distinct but closely related phenomena:

• the diffusion of technology in Canada
• scientific research in Canada
• innovation, invention and industrial research in Canada

In 2019, Canada spent approximately CA$40.3 billion on domestic research and development, of which over $7 billion was provided by the federal and provincial governments.^[1] In 2018, Canada spent approximately C$34.5 billion on domestic research and development, of which around $2 billion was spent directly by the federal government in-house and an additional $5.7 billion was provided by provincial and federal sources in the form of grants.^[2] This investment corresponds to about 1.57% of Canada's gross domestic product, a decline from 1.72% in 2014.^[3] Canada was ranked 15th in the Global Innovation Index in 2023.^[4]

As of 2020^[update], the country has produced fifteen Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine,^[5] and was ranked fourth worldwide for scientific research quality in a major 2012 survey of international scientists.^[6] It is furthermore home to the headquarters of a number of global technology firms.^[7] Canada has one of the highest levels of Internet access in the world, with over 33 million users, equivalent to around 94 percent of its total 2014 population.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Some of the most notable scientific developments in Canada include the creation of the modern alkaline battery^[12] and the polio vaccine^[13] and discoveries about the interior structure of the atomic nucleus.^[14] Other major Canadian scientific contributions include the artificial cardiac pacemaker, mapping the visual cortex,^[15][16] the development of the electron microscope,^[17][18] plate tectonics, deep learning, multi-touch technology and the identification of the first black hole, Cygnus X-1.^[19] Canada has a long history of discovery in genetics, which include stem cells, site-directed mutagenesis, T-cell receptor and the identification of the genes that cause Fanconi anemia, cystic fibrosis and early-onset Alzheimer's disease, among numerous other diseases.^[16][20]

The Canadian Space Agency operates a highly active space program, conducting deep-space, planetary, and aviation research, and developing rockets and satellites.^[21] Canada was the third country to design and construct a satellite after the Soviet Union and the United States, with the 1962 Alouette 1 launch.^[22] Canada is a participant in the International Space Station (ISS), and is a pioneer in space robotics, having constructed the Canadarm, Canadarm2 and Dextre robotic manipulators for the ISS and NASA's Space Shuttle.^[23] Since the 1960s, Canada's aerospace industry has designed and built numerous marques of satellite, including Radarsat-1 and 2, ISIS and MOST.^[24] Canada has also produced one of the world's most successful and widely used sounding rockets, the Black Brant; over 1,000 Black Brants have been launched since the rocket's introduction in 1961.^[25]