Canada

Among the developed countries, Canada is a significant cooperation partner in the area of education and research. The focus is mainly on biotechnological and medical research, optical technologies/photonics, and nanotechnology. A special effort is made to include young scientists in the bilateral collaboration.

Political framework for bilateral cooperation in education and research

Germany is one of the few countries with which Canada has concluded an intergovernmental agreement on scientific and technological cooperation (STC). The agreement came into force on 30 June 1971 and has led to a very dynamic bilateral collaboration in science and technology. In 2011, the 40th anniversary of the agreement provides the opportunity to further intensify the cooperation through a joint anniversary year.

In addition, a cultural agreement between Germany and Canada has been in force since 1975. In 2002, the BMBF, acting on behalf of the Federal Government, signed a joint declaration with Canada establishing an exchange programme for young workers. Moreover, an agreement between the EU and Canada was concluded in 1999.

In addition to this contractual framework, it should be noted that Canada has made substantial R&D investments in universities, research institutions and industry in recent years. Research institutions have since become better equipped, new institutes were and continue to be founded, and funding organisations and strategic funding programmes have seen considerable increases in recent years, resulting in significant potential for collaboration. 

Key areas of cooperation between Germany and Canada

Over the course of the collaboration, the key areas of cooperation have been adapted to the priorities of the two countries, and currently concentrate mainly on the following fields:

  • Two bilateral projects on quality improvement and resistance against plant diseases in wheat and canola were funded by the BMBF/Ref. 617 until 2009 and 2010 respectively. Both Canada and Germany are also partners in the ERA-NET on Plant Genomics.
  • In the geosciences, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, BGR) carries out joint research projects with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), particularly in the subject areas of marine and terrestrial environmental geology and polar geology.
  • The German Aerospace Center (DLR) cooperates directly with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), focusing on robotics research, joint use of radar data and reciprocal use of ground stations.
  • The Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research (GSI) collaborates intensively and successfully with Canadian partners at the TRIUMF research institute.
  • The Helmholtz Alberta Initiative, an agreement to intensify collaboration in the fields of environmental research and the geosciences, was signed on 29 September 2009.
  • The partnerships between individual federal states and provinces form a further component of the cooperation: Baden-Württemberg cooperates with Ontario, Bavaria with Québec and Saxony with Alberta. Most recently, the “Alberta Saxony Intercultural Internship Alliance” was launched in February 2010; 15 higher education institutions from Saxony and nine higher education institutions from Alberta are taking part in this internship exchange.
  • Multilateral projects are becoming increasingly important due to global challenges, e.g. in environmental and marine research, space exploration and climate protection. Germany and Canada are close partners in corresponding networks.
  • As part of the activities of the 7th Framework Programme of the EU, the project “Access2Canada – supporting EU Access to Canadian Research and Innovation Programmes” began in autumn 2009 and the BILAT project with Canada in autumn 2010, both with the participation of the BMBF.

A highlight of bilateral cooperation

Since 2007, the BMBF has been negotiating a strategic partnership between Germany and Canada in the field of fuel cell research. The BMBF/Ref. 722 (Basic Energy Research) currently funds a German-Canadian joint project on PEM fuel cells. In 2010, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia added a bilateral project to its funding programme in which German and Canadian scientists are working to develop affordable fuel cells with a wide range of uses.
At the Max Planck – University of British Columbia Centre for Quantum Materials, German and Canadian scientists are cooperating in the area of new materials, an activity for which the BMBF division responsible for cooperation with Canada will be providing financial support amounting to approximately 40,000 euros a year over the next four years.

Funding for collaborations with Canada

In addition to funding from the BMBF’s specialist programmes, the division responsible for cooperation with Canada (214) supports activities to initiate collaborative projects (e.g. workshops) and the promotion of young researchers. Activities for promoting Germany as a study and research location are also becoming increasingly important.

Publikationen

Länderbericht Band 7 Kanada

Documents

Contact Persons

  • Dr. Barbara Hellebrandt

    • Senior scientific officer: Canada, USA
    • Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
    • 53227 Bonn
    • Telefonnummer: +49 228 3821-1433
    • Faxnummer: +49 228 3821-1400
    • E-Mail-Adresse: barbara.hellebrandt@dlr.de