Réponse de CCI au rapport du groupe de travail sur l'innovation et la productivité du Manitoba

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