Abstract:
Canadian Finance Minister Ralph Goodale's unveiling of the 2004 budget yesterday (March 23) included key gestures - accompanied by money - toward science. The budget also provides CAN $270 million (USD $202 million) in new financing for promising startup companies. Combined with private sector investments, the government says the initiative is expected to yield a total of $1 billion in early-stage financing “with priority given to those involved in the life sciences and biotechnology, information and communications technologies, environmental technologies, medical devices and nanotechnology.”