Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday, April 29, 2013

Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with you during my short stay in the Netherlands. It is also of course an honour to be here representing Canada on the historic occasion of the investiture of King Willem-Alexander.

Let me start by saying that, from my perspective as a Canadian, the word “innovative” is among the very first that comes to mind when one thinks of the Netherlands.

The very fact that a significant portion of this country lies below sea level—yet remains productive, habitable land thanks to your extensive network of dams, dykes and dunes—speaks to the remarkable ingenuity of the Dutch people, past and present.

Canadians, too, have created a prosperous and caring society in a land whose climate and geography could be called inhospitable and severe. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention!

Of course, this is just one geographic rationale that helps to explain why people in our two countries are able to work together with such creativity and resolve. Communities are forged by circumstance, hardship, tolerance and ingenuity. These are values we hold in common. And I am happy to note the number of contemporary instances in which Netherlanders and Canadians are collaborating, innovating and learning together.

Many of you who are involved in such partnerships are here with us today, and I would like to thank and congratulate you on your success.

There is no shortage of examples to celebrate!

One such success is the 12-month Master of Science in Global Health program being offered by Maastricht and McMaster universities. This program is a wonderful example of international co-operation in post-secondary education. It also makes innovative use of technology to enhance learning, which surely counts among the keys to academic success today. 

I want to underscore how important it is that this program is strengthening health leadership and understanding at the international level. This is crucial, given the tightly interconnected world in which we live.

Allow me to highlight another exciting example of Dutch-Canadian collaboration, this one in the field of digital imaging and semiconductors.

As many of you undoubtedly know, last year’s winner of the Netherlands-Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year Award was Teledyne DALSA. This company, which is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, also has operations in the province of Quebec and in Eindhoven—one of this country’s innovation hubs.

Teledyne DALSA is a remarkable and well-established innovator, and I am particularly interested to note the important role that collaboration and cultural compatibility have played in its success.

I would also like to briefly mention the joint “Design for the Future” initiative for sustainable buildings and communities that exists between our two countries. This network of architects and urban planners, entrepreneurs, academics and government officials is working to increase the sustainability of our built environment—a sphere that I think we all agree demands our urgent attention.

I share these three examples in health, technology and sustainable design because they illustrate the fruitful partnerships taking place today between Canada and the Netherlands.

To further our innovation partnership under the “Design for the Future” umbrella, I am also very pleased that the Canadian Embassy, in co-operation with the Dutch foreign ministry, is planning a Dutch Innovation Mission to Canada 3.0—Canada’s premiere conference on digital media—in Toronto this May, followed by outreach to the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

Organized by the Canadian Digital Media Network—a Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence—Canada 3.0 symbolizes the excellent co-operation in our country between universities, academia and government that leads to the creation of innovation partnerships.

As the former president of the University of Waterloo, I can attest to Canada’s innovation strengths and to the role that creative co-operation plays in building our economy. This is seen in the Waterloo region, which has one of the most diverse economies in North America— growing twice as fast as the rest of Canada, and hosting some of the most dynamic companies in the country.

Both Waterloo and Eindhoven were ranked as the number one intelligent communities worldwide in 2007 and 2011, respectively, by the Intelligent Community Forum. Given the strengths of our communities, we are clearly natural partners with excellent potential for strengthening our innovation relationship.   

Furthermore, the Canada-EU innovation policy framework is building rapidly. Last June, Canada became an associate member of the EUREKA program—the largest research and development network in Europe, effectively widening the door for Canadian access to an international network of market-driven R&D.

And last December, Canada became an associate member of the Enterprise Europe Network—a business and innovation support network of 600 local organizations in 52 countries.

On numerous levels, we are exchanging ideas, knowledge and resources, all with the shared goal of increasing prosperity and well-being in our respective countries.

A curious feature of globalization is that it both enables and requires greater collaboration. In today’s complex world, few problems can be solved in isolation, but many challenges can be met and opportunities realized by working together.

Canadians and Netherlanders have a rich history of friendship and sharing—a story that is about to enter a new chapter with the installation of His Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, whose investiture I will attend tomorrow.

Later today, I will also honour the sacrifice of Canadian soldiers in the liberation of this country in 1945, as well as the steadfast dedication of Netherlanders in remembering that sacrifice.

These are among the bonds that underpin our enduring friendship. Let us commit to doing them justice as we seek to build a smarter, more caring world. 

Our story is yet another example of the remarkable things that can happen when diverse people achieve the right mixture of creativity, communication and co-operation.

For this reason, I am pleased to open this discussion on innovation. I look forward to hearing your insights, and to your continued success.

Thank you.