Thank you, Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen and members of the committee of science and research.

I'm pleased to speak to you today on behalf of the Fédération des cégeps, which represents Quebec's 48 public colleges.

Our institutions house 55 of the 59 college technology transfer centres, or CTTCs, 27 technology access centres, or TACs, as well as numerous disciplinary research units and hundreds of researchers.

We carry out quality research, supported by more than 5,000 qualified researchers working in world-class laboratories.

We're pleased to see that the federal government recognizes the importance of innovation to Canada's wealth and economic and technological competitiveness, and is committed to taking action in that regard.

It's now well documented that Canada, despite the quality of our basic research, still generates few innovations. As a result, we are less competitive than the best-performing countries.

On the one hand, we have universities that produce a constant stream of new knowledge, and on the other, many small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, struggle to integrate innovation into their business culture and undertake research and development activities.

Those SMEs, which represent 90% of the private sector workforce, are the backbone of our economy. It's therefore essential to take this reality into account when comparing our research and innovation support programs with those of other countries.

SMEs and organizations with a technological, social or environmental vocation are rooted in our cities and villages, and they fuel our local economies. However, they often lack the resources to expand internationally.

Building a bridge between universities and SMEs or organizations is essential to facilitate the transfer of scientific advances to the business sector. This bridge already exists in applied research conducted at our CEGEPs, colleges, institutes and research centres.

This gives SMEs and organizations access to a research potential comparable to that of major corporations. However, this potential can't be fully exploited if we continue to provide that college research with only 2.9% of the funding for research.

For an SME or local organization, the proximity to a college's researchers and specialized laboratories, which are accessible at a reasonable cost, can become the foundation upon which to build its growth. Access to expertize and facilities to build test beds, scale up discoveries, improve processes or integrate the circular economy is an essential element in boosting performance and productivity, and expanding the market occupied by businesses with direct socio-economic and environmental benefits.

Our CEGEPs, colleges and research teams are present throughout the province. They are already working with SMEs and local and regional organizations. They train the workforce that will implement new practices and technologies, while providing pathways where students interact with research teams and companies. The younger generation can therefore play an active role in finding concrete solutions to societal challenges. As a result, interest in scientific careers is emerging within our institutions.

If the government sets up the umbrella organization, the Fédération des cégeps hopes that it will adopt a neutral, inclusive and results-oriented approach, and that it will have the power to redistribute funding to enable every research and development actor to play their full role. We also ask that the college community be represented on the board in proportion to its research contribution.

In closing, only a well-funded and effective continuum of research, development, innovation and commercialization will contribute to the vitality of our regions, to the creation of quality jobs, to Canada's prosperity and to a more equitable distribution of wealth.

Thank you for your attention.