November 7, 2018 - Canadian Technology Conference Held in Toronto

The event you're looking for is the Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference, held at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto. It examined how emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and cognitive computing were reshaping risk management and digital strategy in the insurance sector. This conference ran separately from Ottawa's Canadian Science Policy Conference, which opened on November 7, 2018. If you're curious how these technology themes connected to broader national science policy conversations, you'll find the full picture ahead.

Key Takeaways

• A Canadian technology conference was held in Toronto at the Beanfield Centre, examining AI, blockchain, and cognitive computing impacts on risk and digital strategy.
• The conference was the Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference, focused on emerging technologies reshaping the insurance industry's digital strategy.
• AI was a central topic, reflecting growing industry concern about its impact on risk assessment and insurance operations.
• Blockchain technology was examined as a transformative tool affecting digital strategy and operational processes within the insurance sector.
• Cognitive computing was also highlighted as a key technology influencing how insurance companies approached risk and decision-making.

What Was the Canadian Science Policy Conference 2018?

The Canadian Science Policy Conference 2018 kicked off on November 7th in Ottawa, Ontario, running through November 9th at the Delta Hotel. This 10th annual conference carried the theme "Building Bridges Between Science, Policy and Society," bringing together stakeholders to strengthen Canada's approach to evidence-based policy framing.

You'd find the agenda tackled ambitious goals: improving international coordination to define Canada's global scientific ambitions, integrating diverse knowledge systems into policy development, and advancing Indigenous inclusion through meaningful consultation with traditional knowledge holders.

These weren't surface-level discussions—they addressed structural gaps in how science and policy communities actually interact.

Representatives worked to move beyond talk toward actionable mechanisms, recognizing that stronger coordination across provincial and federal levels remains essential for building a cohesive national science and innovation strategy. Provinces and territories provide approximately 30% of post-secondary research funding, yet the current landscape has been described as an "uncoordinated entanglement" marked by fragmented funding and unequal distribution. The conference organized its programming around five fixed themes, which have provided a unifying tenet for discussions since 2018. Much like the Tour de France evolved from a commercial venture into a globally celebrated tradition, Canada's science policy framework continues its own long-term transformation from fragmented beginnings toward a more cohesive and enduring institution.

Who Spoke and Who Attended CSPC 2018?

CSPC 2018 drew an energetic mix of scientists, policy makers, and community voices who collectively pushed the conference's bridge-building mission forward.

Speaker attendance included keynotes like Philippe Van Cappellen, Mary-Rose Bradley-Gill, Nikki Berreth, and Tom Corr, each contributing distinct perspectives on science and policy integration.

Dr. Mona engaged attendees during the gala, while an Elder delivered remarks at the gala dinner alongside national anthem performers.

Panel participants were equally compelling.

Tom Corr also appeared in commercialization and innovation discussions, and the Future Leaders in Canadian Brain Research panel spotlighted emerging talent.

María Cortés Puch and Paul Dufour rounded out the contributor roster, with Dufour later publishing an editorial on evidence in parliament.

You'd have noticed two distinct communities — scientists and policy makers — both keen to learn from each other. Attendees traveling from abroad also had the opportunity to participate in name day festivities observed in Canada during the November conference period. Joseph Tafese and Eva Greyeyes were among the contributors who extended the conference's reach through opinion editorials published in the months surrounding CSPC 2018.

The Three Gaps Canada's Science-Policy Divide Created

Beneath the optimism of shared ideas and energetic exchange at CSPC 2018, a harder reality was taking shape. Canada's science-policy divide had created three distinct gaps you couldn't ignore.

First, funding fragmentation left provinces, the federal government, and industry pulling in separate directions, with no unified strategy connecting their investments. Peer review duplication wasted resources that coordination could've preserved.

Second, governance failures meant no dedicated mechanisms existed to bridge federal and provincial research priorities. Administrative systems actively discouraged collaboration rather than rewarding it.

Third, representation gaps silenced critical voices. Indigenous recognition remained absent from science policy conversations, and colleges were routinely excluded from consultations shaping the ecosystem they operated within.

Together, these gaps didn't just slow progress — they undermined Canada's ability to compete strategically on a global stage. Tracking how policies evolve across these dimensions requires reliable access to science and politics facts that cut through complexity.

Why Evidence-Based Decision Making Defined the 2018 Agenda

Evidence-based decision making didn't just appear on the 2018 agenda by accident — it emerged as a direct response to the gaps threatening Canada's science-policy ecosystem. You could see it in every session: organizers designed the conference around moving from talk to action, pushing stakeholders to close the distance between research and real decisions.

Decision timelines were a recurring pressure point. Healthcare executives struggled to access research literature fast enough to act, and the EXTRA program's virtual desktop environments showed how technology could accelerate evidence literacy without sacrificing rigor.

Broad consultations, expert panels, and Indigenous knowledge integration weren't additions — they were central architecture. Organizers understood that without structured venues connecting science and policy actors, even strong evidence wouldn't reach the people making consequential decisions for Canadians. Participants in the EXTRA program, a cohort of mixed-gender healthcare executives, reported that the virtual desktop positively supported evidence-informed practice despite its design and function limitations.

The Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference, held at Beanfield Centre, Exhibition Place in Toronto, brought together senior leaders and technology professionals to examine how emerging tools like AI, blockchain, and cognitive computing were reshaping risk, engagement, and digital strategy across the industry.

What the 10th Annual CSPC Revealed About Science and Society

When the 10th Annual Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) convened in Ottawa, it drew over 1,200 participants — a 15% attendance jump — signaling that the relationship between science and society had become too urgent to ignore.

You'd see this urgency reflected across the conference's key findings on public engagement and knowledge mobilization:

1. Trust Gaps: 65% of Canadians expressed skepticism toward climate data, exposing critical communication failures.
2. Equity Deficits: Women remain 28% underrepresented in STEM leadership, demanding structural reform.
3. Policy Influence: CSPC resolutions directly shaped the 2019 federal budget, securing $2B in science investment.

These outcomes weren't coincidental. With 80% of delegates adopting a new science-society manifesto, CSPC demonstrated that bridging scientific evidence and public understanding requires deliberate, sustained action. As Canada's biggest forum for science and innovation policy, CSPC continues to welcome public, private, and not-for-profit sector stakeholders through its Partnership Program.

The 2026 conference builds on this legacy by centering its theme around Sovereignty by Design, mobilizing action to reshape Canada's Science, Technology, and Innovation capacity across all disciplines, sectors, and regions, including Indigenous knowledge.

How CSPC 2018 Influenced Canadian Science Policy After Ottawa

The 2018 CSPC didn't just generate conversation — it generated consequences. If you tracked Canadian science policy in the months following the conference, you'd notice its fingerprints. Policy coordination between provincial and federal funding bodies tightened, with Ontario Centres of Excellence and NSERC actively working to eliminate duplicated peer review processes. Federal infrastructure commitments of $2.8 billion signaled that the once-in-a-lifetime collaboration opportunity delegates discussed wasn't just rhetoric.

Indigenous inclusion moved from a talking point to a structural concern, with governments beginning to recognize Indigenous knowledge systems within broader science policy frameworks. Colleges gained stronger footing in consultations that previously excluded them. You'd also see renewed momentum around evidence-based decision making and expert panels, reflecting the conference's push for transparent, coordinated national and international science strategies. The Canadian Science Policy Centre continued this tradition of impactful engagement, with MDPI Canada later hosting a panel at the 17th Annual CSPC Conference exploring trust in science and approaches to scientific communication and misinformation. The organization has since formalized this commitment through its Strategic Plan for 2025–2030, titled "Imagining Canada's Future: Connecting Science, Innovation and Policy for Greater Prosperity," outlining initiatives such as a Connection Hub, Knowledge Mobilizers, and a Talent Incubator to strengthen Canada's science and innovation policy ecosystem.