Proposal:

Burhan Hussein is committed to advancing inclusive innovation through their research and forward-looking policy proposal. His proposal, “Decentralized Innovation Framework: Unlocking Community-Driven R&D Capacity,” aims to address structural inequities in Canada’s innovation ecosystem, where research funding and infrastructure remain highly concentrated in a small number of institutions and regions.

The proposal’s novelty lies in its comprehensive and community-centered approach, which calls for recognizing trusted local organizations, such as libraries, science centres, Indigenous-led hubs, and makerspaces as legitimate hosts for research and development. By promoting decentralization, accessibility, and collaboration, the proposal seeks to expand Canada’s innovation capacity, support underrepresented communities, and create new pathways for ideas to move from local initiatives to national impact. Through this work, Burhan highlights how inclusive, community-driven innovation can strengthen both regional development and Canada’s overall research and technology leadership.

Proposal Inspiration:

This proposal was inspired by my experience as a scientist, community organizer, and innovator navigating barriers between research, public access, and commercialization. Despite strong R&D talent, many ideas, especially from underrepresented groups and underserved regions, never move beyond the lab or community pilot. Canada’s research infrastructure is centralized: in 2023, 84% of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund went to U15 research-intensive universities, while colleges, smaller institutions, and non-profits received just 6% [1]. Nearly 80% of all federal research funding goes to 15 universities, which represent only half of Canadian researchers and graduate students [2]. I proposed the Decentralized Innovation Framework (DIF) to address this inequity. DIF is a public policy approach to inclusive innovation, equipping trusted community organizations to act as recognized R&D hosts. Rooted in equity, accessibility, and decentralization, DIF builds on the Social Innovation Forum Report [6] to enable new pathways for public-driven innovation.

Title of Policy Proposal
Decentralized Innovation Framework: Unlocking Community-Driven R&D Capacity

Need/Opportunity for Action
Canada’s innovation economy is marked by structural inequities. While the federal government invests heavily in R&D, the benefits remain concentrated in a small number of institutions and regions. In the 2023 Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund, 84% of funding went to U15 research-intensive universities; only 6% went to smaller institutions, colleges, and non-profits [1]. Colleges receive just 2.9% of total tri-agency research funding, despite playing critical roles in regional innovation [2]. This centralization creates geographic and demographic blind spots. For instance, Ontario received 42% of the CFI Innovation Fund in 2023, while the Atlantic provinces received only 3%, with 94% of that going to Nova Scotia [1]. Innovation capacity remains limited outside of major academic hubs, leaving many communities without access to the tools or partnerships needed to translate ideas into impact. At the same time, business investment in innovation per worker has declined by 20% since 2006, despite projected R&D spending exceeding $55 billion in 2024 [4][5]. A stronger innovation policy must address not only the generation of ideas but also the receptor capacity, the ability of organizations and communities to absorb and apply research outputs. Programs like Mitacs and Lab2Market support early-stage ventures but are often limited to postsecondary institutions. Technology Access Centres (TACs) and the CCI program [6] offer industry-facing support, while NSERC’s PromoScience [7] focuses on STEM outreach. Yet none fully bridge the gap between science engagement and community-based R&D or venture creation. The Decentralized Innovation Framework (DIF) fills this gap. By enabling community organizations such as science centres, libraries, Indigenous-led hubs, and equity-focused networks to act as legitimate R&D hosts, DIF expands Canada’s receptor capacity, unlocks new regions of innovation potential, and strengthens the inclusive, demand-side infrastructure missing from current federal strategies.

Proposed Solution/Policy Change:

To address the fragmentation, exclusivity, and underutilization of Canada’s innovation capacity, we propose a federally supported policy framework called the Decentralized Innovation Framework (DIF). DIF is not a new funding body or accelerator but a policy vehicle that enables community-rooted innovation spaces to serve as recognized, resourced, and accessible R&D nodes, aligned with regional priorities and national innovation goals. DIF would provide accreditation, baseline funding, and coordination infrastructure to a wide array of non-traditional innovation actors, including science centres, public libraries, makerspaces, Indigenous-led research hubs, and community-focused organizations. These organizations already serve as trusted community anchors and are often embedded in underserved regions. DIF would enable them to host local innovation hubs, connect to public-private partners, and support inclusive R&D pathways without requiring academic affiliations or steep equity tradeoffs. This approach responds directly to longstanding gaps identified in Canadian innovation policy. As the IRPP outlines, innovation programs have historically overemphasized the supply side, such as university patents and startup funding, while neglecting demand-side access and receptor capacity in communities and SMEs [8]. DIF rebalances this inequality by creating infrastructure for community-led knowledge mobilization, experimentation, and venture formation. Key examples of potential DIF nodes that illustrate the model’s feasibility and diversity include Ampere Makerspaces in Bathurst, Curve Lake, and Iqaluit, which are Indigenous-led digital and craft technology spaces. The INNOVATE Centre in the Northwest Territories is a hybrid facility linking traditional knowledge and fabrication technologies. CityStudio Vancouver is a civic innovation studio connecting students, city staff, and communities for real-world pilot projects. The Dechinta Centre in the Northwest Territories is an Indigenous land-based research and learning space that already co-produces applied research and community solutions. The Halifax and Calgary Tool Libraries are public lending libraries that provide hardware, workshops, and community repair capacity. IMP Labs in Regina is a tech-art-public lab that supports digital storytelling and media-based R&D. These are just a few non-traditional examples of organizations that could add to the receptor capacity of the innovation system. DIF would recognize these organizations as legitimate R&D hosts and innovation partners. The federal government, potentially through ISED or the Strategic Innovation Fund, would provide seed infrastructure grants, a shared digital platform, evaluation tools, and matchmaking services for talent and co-development with industry and government. Provincial and municipal governments could co-invest, and social finance tools, such as the Investment Readiness Program, could support sustainability. The policy’s rationale is well-supported. The Inclusive Innovation Monitor [9] calls for greater infrastructure to reduce participation gaps in Canada’s innovation system. The IRPP’s “Costly Gap” report [8] highlights how demand-side blind spots block widespread engagement in innovation. The Social Innovation Canada Report [3] and SISF Strategy [10] identify the need for public policy frameworks that support place-based innovation, especially outside urban and academic cores. The ISED report on BAIs [11] shows that business accelerators improve performance, but remain inaccessible to many groups. Hejazi et al. [12] and the MaRS-DEI sector analysis [13] confirm systemic underrepresentation in innovation pipelines and call for participatory, decentralized alternatives. DIF bridges these findings with action. By embedding public innovation infrastructure in existing trusted institutions, we lower barriers to entry, decentralize the innovation process, and allow Canada to tap into a broader range of ideas, problems, and solutions. This is not just about inclusion, it is about expanding the innovation economy and ensuring that R&D serves all communities, not just those within reach of VC or university labs. DIF would create a national innovation scaffold grounded in equity, curiosity, and trust, building the capacity of Canadians everywhere to solve problems, develop solutions, and share in the economic and social value of innovation.

Novelty/Creativity of Proposed Solution/Policy Change:

The Decentralized Innovation Framework (DIF) is an original policy response to an overlooked gap in Canada’s innovation ecosystem. While innovation policy often focuses on funding startups or university research, DIF identifies and supports the missing middle: community-embedded organizations that can bridge inspiration and invention. Its novelty lies in repositioning public-facing institutions like science centres, libraries, Indigenous hubs, and community groups as R&D hosts. DIF treats these actors not as outreach facilitators, but as legitimate contributors to Canada’s innovation capacity. This reframe broadens receptor capacity while lowering the cost and complexity of entry into the innovation space. Unlike traditional accelerators, DIF does not require equity, academic affiliation, or VC readiness. Instead, it draws from public trust and community relevance. It is an infrastructure solution that complements existing efforts (e.g., PromoScience, TACs) but focuses specifically on the transition from public engagement to public innovation. This policy doesn’t replicate programs; it enables a new category of actor to participate in the innovation system. It answers the call from national reports to rethink who innovation is for, and how to make it accessible at scale. It transforms grassroots spaces into micro R&D zones, governed by public value rather than private valuation. DIF is bold, scalable, and rooted in Canadian equity and regional priorities.

Lay Abstract:

Canada invests billions in research, but only a small number of universities and startups benefit. Many people, especially in underserved regions or equity-deserving groups, are left out of the innovation economy. Most government programs are tied to universities, expensive incubators, or private investors, creating high barriers to entry. The Decentralized Innovation Framework (DIF) proposes a new policy: allow community-based organizations to become recognized hubs of research and innovation like libraries, science centres, Indigenous tech labs, tool-sharing spaces, or local youth programs, not just universities or industry. With seed funding, shared tools, and connections to industry and government, these spaces could support people in creating solutions to local problems, from clean tech, health, and community safety. This model already exists in pockets across Canada, but it lacks formal support. DIF would create the policy tools to make these local innovation hubs part of the national system. It would expand who gets to innovate in Canada—and who benefits. DIF assists in transitioning innovation from an exclusive system to a public opportunity. It helps make sure that the next big idea doesn’t depend on where you live, who you know, or whether you have access to institutional infrastructure.