Earlier this year, I had the honour of representing Canada at the G7 Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting held in Bologna, Italy. It was a productive and timely meeting, at which I worked with my colleagues in science leadership from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with European Union representatives, to identify ways to foster stronger science collaboration among our partner nations. The culmination of our deliberations was a statement on our commitment to promote research for the benefit of everyone, acknowledging that freedom, openness, security and integrity are essential to good research conduct. Our societies are facing increasingly complex issues, and it is clear that nations need to collaborate to address global challenges, to support the equitable distribution of the benefits of science, and ensure that technology development aligns with global values and human rights.

Our biggest challenges are not unique to Canada or to any other country. Climate change, biodiversity loss, public health crises, food security, jobs of the future, the ethical advancement of technologies — these are all issues that transcend national borders. Yet decisions made in one country can influence global economies, security, and societal norms, so it is important that we work with our peer nations to create mutually beneficial approaches. Developing domestic policies to support our international aspirations requires us to have a well-organized science advice ecosystem that includes national and sub-national science advisors, science academies, and scientific associations. Each plays a distinct and complementary role in gathering evidence, convening experts, and communicating with the public, decision-makers, and stakeholders.

In Canada, we have made a good start at building an effective science advisory system at the national level. Since the Chief Science Advisor position was created in 2017, my office has worked to build a robust science ecosystem, which includes growing and diversifying the country’s science advisory network, developing a policy to govern science integrity, helping to create the Indigenous STEM cluster, creating a framework to guide open science efforts, and developing resources for providing effective science advice. Moreover, we have worked to build important connections with the science community throughout Canada. This has been a critical component in providing effective advice to the government on wide-ranging issues. From emergency preparedness, to Arctic research, to the federal science workforce, to the multifaceted and evolving challenges of the covid pandemic, the contributions of our scientists have been invaluable to policy development.

Effective science networks are fundamental to our research and innovation progress and in turn, to our societal advancement. Canada would benefit from science advisors at the provincial level, such as Quebec has, as well as at the municipal level. However, having these supports in place domestically is only part of the equation. If we are to fully harness the opportunities ahead and maximize our research and innovation performance, we also need to ramp up our science engagement at the international level. One way of doing that is to build stronger global linkages through partnership agreements. Earlier this year, Canada became a member of the world’s largest research and innovation funding program, Horizon Europe. And last year, Canada and France created an S&T joint committee to help strengthen our long-standing partnership. These and other international agreements present enormous opportunities for our scientists to elevate their research and innovations on the world stage.

This in turn benefits our society and our economy. Scientists can play a vital role in promoting Canadian science and innovation abroad. Having programs to install more science-trained professionals at our diplomatic missions, as our peers in the U.S. and France have done, would enable us to advance our national interests through scientific diplomacy and international cooperation. Scientists can help to inform policy making, build networks and assist with response strategies in times of crisis.

Moreover, there should be formal mechanisms for scientific participation in international gatherings, such as those of the G20, the United Nations, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the Commonwealth Heads of Government. Currently, the national science academies of the G7 countries, including the Royal Society of Canada, provide advice and science-based statements in advance of G7 meetings. This has been incredibly valuable in helping to frame the issues on the summit agendas. All of these international meetings could further benefit from establishing permanent platforms for scientific dialogue and advice, both to provide evidence for decisions and to help identify future trends and challenges.

Canada has a good opportunity to advance these ideas next year, when we assume the presidency of the G7. Since Canada last hosted the G7 summit in 2018, the world has seen many changes that have had widespread impact on the lives of our citizens, on our economies and on the global order. We have been through a crippling global pandemic. The world has endured the hottest year on record. We have seen increasingly extreme weather events around the world. And we have felt the geopolitical and economic repercussions of war. On the positive side, there have been rapid advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum physics applications, and renewable energy. Canada is in a good position to promote international efforts to address many of these global concerns. We are home to world-leading expertise in biodiversity, AI, quantum research, ocean sustainability, green technologies, and polar research, among other areas. The international community has recognized this, and we are increasingly seeing other countries reaching out to secure formal collaborations with us in these areas.

In the coming months, the themes, activities, and initiatives surrounding the 2025 G7 summit will be the preoccupation of decision makers and planners across government. Whatever the priority themes will be, Canada’s scientists would welcome the opportunity to participate and help inform leaders’ deliberations. Our science community has the knowledge, talent, and foresight to help Canada lead. Now is the time for policy makers and researchers to be connecting with each other to build a progressive agenda that strengthens our international relations and signals Canada’s leadership for taking on global challenges. I look forward to working with my colleagues in government and in the science community to build on the momentum of last year’s summit and to help ensure that science shines in Kananaskis, Alberta.