Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 3116 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DE LA TECHNOLOGIE DE L’INFORMATION ITAC on Trade and Competitiveness | Page 5 THE VOICE OF THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR IN CANADA | www.itac.ca The government should work to encourage more small businesses to start exporting via the internet, and should provide tailored programs to support and grow this market segment.21 Conclusion Many policy issues as outlined above fall outside the realm and sole decision-making authority of ISED. To ensure a strong and successful Innovation Agenda, the government will therefore need to implement a coordinated cross-government strategy that holds every department accountable for programs and files directly impacting Innovation Agenda imperatives. Working closely together, government, industry and other key stakeholders can build a foundation that not only nurtures the ICT sector within Canada, but supports every step of its growth on a global scale. 21 This should include raising the de minimis threshold to allow Canadian micro- manufacturers to more easily import materials they can value-add and export. For more information, please see The C.D. Howe Institute, Rights of Passage: The Economic Effects of Raising the de minimis Threshold in Canada. June 2016. https://www. cdhowe.org/sites/default/files/attachments/research_papers/mixed/E-brief_Rights%20 of%20Passage_June16.pdf. The Government of Canada should broaden its trade support programs to: i) help innovative technology firms develop a reliable sales base at home; and ii) better serve the thousands of innovative small businesses that export around the world via the internet. As Canada’s national ICT business association, the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) champions the development of a robust and sustainable digital economy in Canada. A vital connection between business and government, we provide our members with the advocacy, networking and professional development services that help them to thrive nationally and compete globally. A prominent advocate for the expansion of Canada’s innovative capacity, ITAC encourages technology adoption to capitalize on productivity and performance opportunities across all sectors. A member-driven not-for-profit, ITAC has served as the authoritative national voice of the $170 billion ICT industry for over 60 years. More than 36,000 Canadian ICT firms create and supply goods and services that contribute to a more productive, competitive, and innovative society. The ICT sector generates one million jobs directly and indirectly and invests $4.9 billion annually in R&D, more than any other private sector performer. © 2016 Information Technology Association of Canada Summary of Recommendations: Trade and Competitiveness 1. Foster competitiveness on a global scale by: • maintaining Canada’s competitive corporate tax environment, and not implementing tax policies that make it difficult to retain top talent • conducting a holistic review of Canada’s Tax and R&D framework to ensure it meets the needs of Canada’s technology industry • creating a dynamic, pro-innovation regulatory environment and new platforms that support demand-driven R&D • working with industry and provincial partners to increase capital access for fast-growing firms 2. Increase access to export markets and support digital commerce by: • working with partners to approve the Canada- Europe Trade Agreement, Trans-Pacific Partnership, and a new WTO Trade in Services Agreement • collaborating with international partners to develop interoperable approaches to privacy, data security and open trade in services over the internet • developing common approaches with other countries to combat frivolous, innovation- suppressing intellectual property litigation • harmonizing and removing unnecessary provincial and national barriers to open digital commerce • broadening trade support programs to better serve small businesses who export worldwide via the internet and to help innovative technology firms find anchor customers at home