Canadians fund a large share of research through public spending, and we are very good at producing discoveries with that money. Yet, many of those discoveries never leave the lab, representing lost opportunities for creating value from taxpayer dollars. This is not because these discoveries lack value, but because early development is risky, slow, and hard to support with existing funding tools. 

 

The SAIL Fund exists to address that gap. It supports the earliest stages of bringing emerging and disruptive technologies to market, where they are tested, refined, and either proven useful or shown not to work. When projects succeed, they can lead to better health tools, cleaner technologies, stronger industries, and new jobs. 

 

Importantly, when projects fail, Canada still benefits. The knowledge gained helps researchers, institutions, and funders understand what does not work and why. The talented people involved gain experience that they carry into their next roles in industry, academia, and the public sector, or go on to found new companies, armed with hard-earned lessons about what works and what does not. Data and insights provides the basis for iterative improvements to the innovation ecosystem. 

 

This approach helps keep talent, ideas, and intellectual property in Canada instead of exporting them elsewhere. Over time, this contributes to a stronger economy, a more resilient innovation system, and better use of public resources.