Dr. Eric Archambault

Biography:
Eric Archambault is the president of Science-Metrix, a Canadian company specializing in science and technology (S&T) evaluation and measurement founded in 2002. He has 15 years’ experience in the measurement and evaluation of S&T and has been immersed in S&T policy for 23 years. Dr. Archambault has directed more than a hundred S&T evaluation-, measurement- and policy-related projects during his seven years as head of Science-Metrix. He has an excellent knowledge of the issues surrounding the evolution and monitoring of research, education and policy, acquired not only as a consultant and academic researcher working on these issues, but also through his rather rare academic trajectory involving three degrees that focused on the evolution of science, technology and the research environment (a B.Sc. in Science, Technology and Society from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, and, from the University of Sussex, UK, an M.Sc. in Science, Technology and Industrialization, and a D.Phil. in Science and Technology Policy Studies).

Abstract:
Using statistics on trade, research expenditures, patents and papers published, an assessment is made of Canadian industry competitiveness. A comparison is made with a number of indicators for Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Trade statistics shows that, relative to what is observed in these comparably developed but somewhat smaller countries, Canadian industry lack competitiveness in high technology as Canada has soaring deficits in most of high tech products trade. In addition, by and large, Canadian industry, just as much as Canada generally, under-invest in R&D. Patenting performance is also substantially below that of the comparable countries examined. Thus, the evidence strongly suggests that Canadian industry can be characterized as having lacklustre performance.