CCI's Response to Manitoba's Innovation & Productivity Taskforce's Report

Earlier today, Manitoba’s Innovation and Productivity Task Force, chaired by CCI Chair Jim Balsillie, released its final report: Charting a Sovereign, Value-Added Future for Manitoba.

Jess Sinclair, CCI’s Director of Prairie Affairs, attended the launch event in Winnipeg and issued the following statement:

“Canada’s economy is falling behind because we have not adapted to the realities of the intangible-asset era. Manitoba’s Innovation and Productivity Task Force report recognizes that prosperity today is determined by who owns the intellectual property, data, and advanced technologies — not who subsidizes foreign firms to operate here.

The recommendations move beyond slogans. They call for strategic control over IP and data, sovereign compute capacity, modern infrastructure, and a workforce aligned with emerging economic demands. Crucially, the report also emphasizes federal-provincial alignment — a requirement if Canada is going to execute a coherent national strategy rather than piecemeal efforts that dilute impact and cede ground to foreign competitors.

This is the kind of disciplined, execution-focused industrial strategy Canada needs if we expect to compete globally, raise productivity, and secure long-term prosperity.

Success will depend on implementation. If Manitoba follows through with urgency and focus, it can become a national model for scaling domestic innovators and capturing the economic value created here at home. As Canada’s 21st-century business association, CCI looks forward to supporting this work and ensuring high-growth companies in Manitoba — and across Canada — have the platform and capacity to win in the global economy.”

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To learn more about CCI’s work in Manitoba and across the prairies, contact Jess Sinclair, CCI’s Director of Prairie Affairs. To read our 2026 Pre-Budget Submission for Manitoba, click here.

Media Contact:

Patrick Searle psearle@canadianinnovators.org