Science journalism jobs, a workshop, and more

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Thanks to the May 12, 2026 notice about recent science stories of interest (received via email and available online here for a time) from the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC), I have a few science communication opportunities

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Job opening: Senior Producer of Health, Climate, Science Unit, CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation] News 
Application deadline: May 20, 2026 | 23:59 ET 

This is a digital-first role. You’re as comfortable assigning a TikTok video as you are a text story for the website. Based in Toronto, this is a permanent, full-time position five days a week in office. Find out more> [Note: This will take you to CBC’s LinkedIn posting; I have some details about this job later in this posting.]

Job opening: Western Canada correspondent, N.Y. Times [New York Times]

Please note that the location of the role within Western Canada will be discussed during the interview process. The annual base pay range for this role is between: $CAD 158,000—$235,000. Find out more> [Note: Strictly speaking, this is not a science journalism job but I couldn’t resist; here are some details about this job later in this posting.]

Webinar: Reporting holistically on Arctic sovereignty

Science Writers and Communicators of Canada
May 26, 2026 | 17:00–18:00 ET
Location: Zoom
Hear from independent journalists and storytellers based in Canada’s territories who are reporting on sovereignty from the front lines to help expand our collective understanding of this political moment. Free for SWCC members | $30 CAD for non-members. Read more> [Note: I have more about this rather puzzling webinar later in this posting.]

Knight-Risser Fund for Western Environmental Journalism

Stanford University
Submission deadline: June 2, 2026 | 16:00 ET
Up to $10,000 is available to support an enterprise or investigative environmental story set in the western United States. Read more>

More on CBC Senior Producer of Health, Climate, Science Unit

These job posting details are from the Ladders website, Note 1: I have rearranged the order of the information; Note 2: You can apply for the job from the Ladders website; Note 3: A link has been removed,

CBC News is looking for a talented journalist, exceptional leader and subject matter expert who can run our Health, Climate and Science teams.

As senior producer, you will guide a team of multi-platform journalists tackling complex and pressing issues. You are passionate about finding and telling stories within these beats that audiences will relate and respond to. Strong news judgement is key: You’re tapped into the latest health and wellness trends, can engage people on climate coverage, and have a passion for telling stories about science, space and technology. 

You are ready to jump on breaking news and tackle the stories people are talking about. You also embrace original and enterprise stories and foster an environment that encourages reporters and producers to pitch ideas. You inspire teams to cover these stories in a way that gives the audience the news they crave, whether it’s explaining why something works or debunking unfounded claims. 

This is a digital-first role. You’re as comfortable assigning a TikTok video as you are a text story for the website. You know when to have your teams go live and when they should focus on content that is more evergreen.

You have experience dealing with complicated health, climate and science stories and a firm grasp of the CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices. You will be required to critically evaluate emerging research and studies. You have subject matter knowledge of the beats and a roster of sources and connections. 

You are an inclusive leader. You bring an understanding of how important diversity of perspective is to our journalism and you think of stories that will resonate with different communities across Canada. 

Based in Toronto, this is a permanent, full-time position shifted Monday to Friday, with a start time of 8 a.m. ET and an expectation of working overtime, weekends and holidays as required. This job is five days a week in office. 

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CBC/Radio-Canada • $90K — $120K *
Toronto, ON M3C 0E3 In-Person
Media
5 – 7 years of experience
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in journalism and leadership.
  • Exceptional leadership and organizational skills.
  • Strong understanding of health, science, and climate change topics.
  • Cultural sensitivity with experience in under-represented communities.
  • Familiarity with the CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices.
  • Ability to recognize and act on important issues in a timely manner.
  • Skills in generating original story ideas and overseeing journalism.

Responsibilities

  • Assign teams of multi-platform journalists to news and enterprise stories.
  • Map out coverage plans based on priority health, climate and science stories.
  • Align assignments with CBC News content strategy for timely delivery.
  • Propose and advocate for coverage plans in daily meetings.
  • Reflect Canada’s diversity in story selection and prioritization.
  • Collaborate with leadership across CBC News for cohesive reporting.
  • Develop and maintain contacts within a variety of sourcing networks.
  • Provide constructive feedback to reporting teams on their work.

Benefits

  • Permanent, full-time employment status.
  • In-office work environment five days a week.
  • Opportunities for professional growth and leadership development.
  • Exposure to impactful journalism on health, climate, and science.
  • Contributors to a diverse workplace culture and team.
  • Engagement with innovative digital and multi-platform storytelling.

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More on NY Times Western Canada correspondent

From the NY Times jobs website,

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The New York Times is looking for a talented, experienced and versatile journalist to join our International team as a Western Canada correspondent, based in Western Canada. The correspondent will cover the region as well as broader issues that impact Canada, including migration, intelligence, security and politics. 

This is a chance to join a committed team of reporters and editors who have a history of award-winning work, an eagerness to experiment with new story forms, and a passion for bringing Times journalism to a truly global audience across digital, print and other media. The role requires energy, passion and talent for what is a critical assignment for The New York Times.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial correspondent. In this role, you must be as comfortable covering immediate breaking news as you are writing thoughtfully and deeply on a variety of themes and issues. And above all, you must be collaborative and eager to work with, and learn from, Times colleagues in bureaus around the world. The successful candidate will bring keen analytical skills to their coverage as they think about regional and topical storylines.

The role will report to the editor overseeing Canada. 

Main responsibilities:

  • Cover live and breaking news, enterprise and investigations in the region
  • Generate ideas on coverage including specific targets or broad themes;
  • Write articles on deadline; receive feedback and edits
  • Familiarity with audience tactics to reach new readers across platforms
  • Build a network of sources across multiple subject areas
  • Collaborate with other reporters in the region during major news moments
  • Work with colleagues across Photo, Video, Audio and other departments to bring stories to life in a variety of formats across all NYT products
  • Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Qualifications:

  • Proven strong international reporting and writing experience, preferably for a global news organization
  • Ability to juggle breaking news, smart analysis and ambitious enterprise
  • Detailed and expert understanding of the nation’s history and clarity about the intricacies of federal and provincial politics within Canada
  • Proactive problem solver
  • Thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment
  • Ability to work on several assignments at once; produce insightful enterprise and news coverage; cultivate and manage sources/stringers; apply relevant experience to pursue ideas in consultation 
  • Familiar with local and national news outlets with a current knowledge of relevant sources
  • Collegial and collaborative behavior, integrity with assignments
  • Commitment to The New York Times’s strategy, ethics, standards and mission for both themselves, their team, stringers and colleagues

In order to be considered for this role, please submit your resume, cover letter, and links to your top 5-7 clips. Please note that the location of the role within Western Canada will be discussed during the interview process.

The annual base pay range for this role is between: $158,000—$235,000 CAD

REQ-019873

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs. 

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

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Reporting holistically (?) on Arctic sovereignty (?): Incorporating science, community and culture

Maybe I’m the only one who’s tired of the word ‘holistic’? It seems redundant when there’s this, “incorporating science, …. .

As for ‘Arctic sovereignty’, are they suggesting that the Arctic (including the Russian and various Scandinavian Arctics with the Canadian Arctic) become a sovereign region unto itself? It seems that’s not what the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) are suggesting, from their Reporting holistically … webinar page,

May [2026] Virtual Event

Canada’s Arctic is an important region for the country and is central to discussions of sovereignty. Yet Arctic sovereignty is far more complex than what’s typically conveyed in the news cycle. How does sovereignty shape Arctic communities beyond infrastructure and business investments, and how can the media report on the climate, community and cultural impacts of these developments?

In this virtual discussion, hear from independent journalists and storytellers based in Canada’s territories who are reporting on sovereignty from the front lines to help expand our collective understanding of this political moment.

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET via Zoom

Cost: Free for SWCC Members / $30 CAD for Non-Members

Are you a non-member of SWCC registering for this event? If you decide to become a member of SWCC within 2 weeks of the event date, your membership fee (in the applicable category) will be discounted by the amount you paid for event registration. To activate your discounted membership within the 2-week period, email office@sciencewriters.ca.

Moderator: Meral Jamal

Meral Jamal is an independent journalist. Originally from the United Arab Emirates, she is based in Iqaluit and writes news and feature stories from across Canada’s North.

Speaker: Pat Kane

Pat is a visual storyteller and writer based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. He takes a documentary approach to stories about life in Northern Canada, with a special focus on issues important to Indigenous people, including the relationship between land and identity.

Pat is a National Geographic Explorer, a 2020 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass mentee, and the recipient of the 2024 Dr. Jane Goodall Vital Impacts Environmental Photography grant. His work has been exhibited in galleries and at festivals internationally, and published by National Geographic, The New York Times, World Press Photo, The Atlantic, The Globe and Mail, The Walrus and other leading publications worldwide.

Pat is of Irish-Canadian and Algonquin (Anishinaabe) ancestry, and is a member of the Timiskaming First Nation.

Speaker: Dustin Patar

Dustin Patar is a freelance visual journalist who lives and works in Iqaluit, Nunavut. His work often focuses on the Canadian Arctic, including Inuit culture, the impacts of a changing climate, daily life and sovereignty. His photography has been exhibited both in Canada and internationally, and his stories have been published by The Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, The Walrus, The Narwhal, and CBC, among others. When he isn’t holding a camera or in front of a computer, he can be found behind a sewing machine, fixing some sort of vehicle, or out on the land.

As for the The Knight-Risser Prize for Western Environmental Journalism, go here.

Event at the Guggenheim Museum (New York City) on May 18, 2026: Trevor Paglen: The Lizard People are Here!

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Trevor Paglen, the current LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative Award Recipient, is giving a performance-lecture according to a May 8, 2026 Guggenheim Museum announcement (received via email and available online here),

Trevor Paglen: The Lizard People are Here!

Monday, May 18, 2026
6:30–8 pm EDT
Guggenheim New York

Buy Tickets

This performance-lecture invites audiences to consider whether we are entering a new era of invisible architectures and algorithmic systems shaping perception, knowledge, and power. In the program, 2026 LG Guggenheim Award recipient, artist, and author Trevor Paglen traces a dense network of ideas spanning philosophy, belief, deception, and speculation.

Bringing together psyops, artificial intelligence, magic, mind control, UFOs, the secret of the Ark of the Covenant, and the figure of a new demiurge, Paglen examines historical precedents for the manipulation of human perception and cognition at a moment when artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly pervasive.

Across his practice, Paglen has repeatedly revealed the infrastructures through which information systems—governmental, corporate, and algorithmic—operate beyond the threshold of human perception while profoundly reshaping how reality is understood. Drawing on figures and practices from diverse domains, ranging from the Central Intelligence Agency to stage magicians and contemporary technologists, the talk uncovers recurring strategies of influence and control. In doing so, it raises timely questions about why supposedly rational minds remain vulnerable to structures of influence that bypass conscious reasoning and instead engage our most instinctive psychological responses.

The program will be followed by a conversation between Paglen and Noam Segal, LG Electronics Associate Curator, reflecting on how rapid developments in artificial intelligence—from large language models to agentic and robotic systems—are reshaping everyday life, modes of thought, and artistic practice.

For those who don’t know, LG Electronics is a South Korean multinational electronics company. and for anyone needing a little more information about Trevor Paglen, there’s this from his Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,

Trevor Paglen (born 1974) is an American artist, geographer, and author whose work covers mass surveillance and data collection.[1][2]

In 2016, Paglen won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize[3] and he has also won The Cultural Award from the German Society for Photography.[4] In 2017, he was a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. On March 17, 2026, Paglen was awarded the 2026 LG Guggenheim Award (a collaboration between LG and Guggenheim New York).[5][6]

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Work

Sean O’Hagan, writing in The Guardian in 2015, said that Paglen, whose “ongoing grand project [is] the murky world of global state surveillance and the ethics of drone warfare”, “is one of the most conceptually adventurous political artists working today, and has collaborated with scientists and human rights activists on his always ambitious multimedia projects.”[2] His visual work such as his “Limit Telephotography”[9] and “The Other Night Sky” series have received widespread attention for both his technical innovations and for his conceptual project that involves simultaneously making and negating documentary-style truth-claims.[10] Paglen’s work relies on contemporary technology in two meaningful ways. Firstly, the views he photographs would be impossible to shoot without media tech, that includes the cameras, the microscopes, and even helicopters.[11] But interestingly enough, the shots would not be possible if not for the existence of the subject. The contrasts between secrecy and revelation, evidence and abstraction distinguish Paglen’s work. With that the artist presents not so much “evidence” as admonitions to awareness.[12][13]

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On balance, I found the Guggenheim’s description of Paglen’s work a little more accessible than the one in his Wikipedia entry. There’s also Paglen’s own website; from his bio page,

Trevor Paglen is an artist whose work spans image-making, sculpture, investigative journalism, writing, engineering, and numerous other disciplines.

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Another accessible description but more clicking (you’ll see when you get to his homepage).

Can AI chatbots cause you to harm yourself? a University of British Columbia study

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While this research is from last year, the topic is still timely. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) Kevin Maimann posted this September 17, 2025 story, “AI-fuelled delusions are hurting Canadians. Here are some of their stories” on CBC news online, Note: Links have been removed,

Last winter, Anthony Tan thought he was living inside an AI simulation. 

He was skipping meals and barely sleeping, and questioned whether anyone he saw on his university campus was real. 

The Toronto app developer says he started messaging friends with concerning “ramblings,” including the belief he was being watched by billionaires. When some of them reached out, he blocked their calls and numbers, thinking they had turned against him. 

He wound up spending three weeks in a hospital psychiatric ward. 

Tan, 26, says his psychotic breakwas triggered by months of lengthy, increasingly intense conversations with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

“It really insidiously crept into my ego, and I came to think that the conversation I had with AI would be of historic importance in the future,” Tan told CBC News. 

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A number of similar cases, of so-called “AI psychosis,” have been reported in recent months — all involving people who became convinced, through conversations with chatbots, that something imaginary was real. Some involved manic episodes and messianic delusions, some led to violence.

Microsoft’s head of AI, Mustafa Suleyman, warned of the phenomenon in August, writing in a series of posts that problems caused by AI tools that appear sentient to some users are keeping him up at night. 

“Reports of delusions, ‘AI psychosis,’ and unhealthy attachment keep rising. And as hard as it may be to hear, this is not something confined to people already at-risk of mental health issues,” he wrote. 

Tan, who co-founded the dating app Flirtual in 2021, started using ChatGPT for a project about ethical AI [emphasis mine], talking with it for hours every day about everything from philosophy to evolutionary biology to quantum physics.

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Surprising that even someone who’s an experienced developer could get trapped in a delusional web. Researchers at the University of British Columbia examined how the persuasion works.

An October 1, 2025 University of British Columbia (UBC) news release (also on EurekAlert) features a Q&A (question and answer format) on the topic of AI chatbots and self-harm, Note: Links have been removed,

Large language models are more persuasive than humans, according to recent UBC research.

Their vocabulary, perceived empathy and ability to provide tangible resources in seconds add to their persuasiveness, which has led to growing concerns and ongoing lawsuits about the potential for AI chatbots to cause harm to users.

In this Q&A, Dr. Vered Shwartz, UBC assistant professor of computer science and author of the book Lost in Automatic Translation [Lost in Automatic Translation: Navigating Life in English in the Age of Language Technologies], discusses her findings as well as potential safeguards for the future of AI.

Why does the persuasiveness of AI matter?

VS: Large language models like ChatGPT are already widely used to create content that can influence human beliefs and decisions, whether in art, marketing, news dissemination and more. They can quickly produce large amounts of text at scale. If they’re persuasive, there’s a real risk that people will use them to manipulate others for malicious purposes. We may be past the point of deciding whether they should be used in these areas, and instead need to focus on finding ways to protect against the malicious uses.

What did you find?

VS: We wanted to see how persuasive large language models such as ChatGPT can be when it comes to lifestyle decisions: whether to go vegan, buy an electric car or go to graduate school. We had 33 participants pretend to be considering these decisions, and then interact with either a human persuader, or GPT-4, via chat. Both human persuaders and GPT-4 were given general tips about persuasion, and the AI was instructed not to reveal it was a computer. Participants were asked before and after the conversation how likely they were to adopt the lifestyle change.

Participants found the AI more persuasive than humans across all topics, but particularly so when convincing people to become vegan or attend graduate school.

Human persuaders, however, were better at asking questions to find out more information about the participant.

What makes AI persuasive?

VS: The AI made more arguments and was more verbose, writing eight sentences to every human persuader’s two. One of the main factors for its persuasiveness was that it could provide concrete logistical support, for instance, recommending specific vegan brands or universities to attend.

It used more ‘big words’ of seven letters or more, such as longevity and investment, which perhaps made it seem more authoritative. And, people found their AI conversations more pleasant, with GPT-4 agreeing with users more often, and uttering more pleasantries.

What safeguards do we need?

VS: AI education is crucial. Some giveaways do still exist—for instance, almost all our participants worked out that they were speaking to an AI—but we’re getting close to the point where it will be impossible to tell if you’re chatting with AI or a human, so we need to make sure people know how these tools work, how they are trained and so, how they are limited. AI can hallucinate and get things wrong. It’s important to know that, for instance, the AI summary at the top of your search page might not be true.

Another key is general critical thinking. If something seems too good or too bad to be true, we need to investigate it. Check where information is coming from. Is it a trustworthy and known source?

When it comes to AI affecting mental health, companies could implement warning systems if someone is writing harmful or suicidal text.

We don’t really have full control over these models. Instead of companies rushing to monetize AI, there should be more thought about implementing guardrails effectively and widely. This could include looking beyond generative AI and its inherent limitations to different paradigms. We don’t need to put all our eggs in one basket.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper, Note: This one will not be in my standard style,

Shruthi Chockkalingam, Seyed Hossein Alavi, Raymond T. Ng, and Vered Shwartz. 2025. Should I go vegan: Evaluating the Persuasiveness of LLMs in Persona-Grounded Dialogues. In Proceedings of the Third Workshop on Social Influence in Conversations (SICon 2025), pages 65–72, Vienna, Austria. Association for Computational Linguistics.

The PDF is here: https://aclanthology.org/anthology-files/pdf/sicon/2025.sicon-1.pdf#page=50

Web Summit 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada from May 11 – 14, 2026

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The Daily Hive (May 7, 2026 article by Amir Ali) is trumpeting the appearance of Vancouver’s current (Ken Sim) and a previous (Gregor Robertson) mayors at the second Web Summit Vancouver meeting (formerly known as Collisions when held previously in Toronto) here in the city, Note: Links have been removed,

The biggest tech event of the year kicks off next week [May 11 – 14, 2026], and the current and a former Vancouver mayor will be helping to kick off the festivities.

Web Summit 2026 begins this coming Monday [May 11, 2026], and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and former mayor Gregor Robertson, who’s the current Canadian housing minister [and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada], will be sharing a stage to kick off the festivities.

It’s probably the biggest event of the year that isn’t named FIFA World Cup, and it takes place between May 11 and May 14 [2026].

Last year, Web Summit came to Vancouver for the first time, and it brought over 100 of the world’s top leaders in tech to the city.

The 2025 event saw over 15,000 people attend, and this year’s event could draw over 20,000, along with over 1,500 startups, 700 investors, 350 speakers, and delegates from over 120 countries, according to Innovate BC.. [emphases mine]

Opening remarks take place on Monday, May 11, [2026] at 6 pm, and along with Sim and Robertson will be Web Summit CEO and Founder Paddy Cosgrave, and B.C.’s minister of finance, Brenda Bailey.

Other notable speakers who’ll be speaking at the event include Evan Solomon [emphasis mine], Canada’s Minister of AI and Digital Innovation. B.C. Premier David Eby [emphasis mine] will also be speaking on a panel about growing the province’s tech sector.

Beloved physician Gabor Maté [emphasis mine] is also going to be in attendance as a speaker.

Some of the biggest brands and organizations that will be represented include Sony Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, CNN Business, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, Aston Martin, and Microsoft.

Last year’s Vancouver event marked the first time a North American city hosted Web Summit.

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While Web Summit is a massive tech event, it won’t draw in as many people as the huge Alcoholics Anonymous Convention that took place last year.

I have a couple of questions First, how much money did we make from last year’s event? I have some data from my May 23, 2025 posting about the estimated financial benefits from the then upcoming (May 27 – 30, 2025) event,

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Destination Vancouver estimates Web Summit Vancouver will produce substantial local economic spinoffs, with nearly $57 million in direct spending and over $93 million in overall economic impact for British Columbia in its first year [emphasis mine].

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Surely by now, they have a rough estimate, if not final numbers. Also, were there extra costs incurred. If so, what were they? Given that our current mayor, Ken Sim, is an accountant, it’s puzzling that he only ever talks about projected benefits (e.g. Web Summit; it’s too early to tell about the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches). If you are curious about how how the Web Summit Vancouver sausage was made, there’s my May 23, 2025 posting, which provides a little information if not all of the story.

Before proceeding to the second question, here’s a May 5, 2026 Government of British Columbia (BC) news release announcing the summit and proclaiming the advantages of holding a technology summit here in BC, Note: Links have been removed,

Summary
Why attend Web Summit Vancouver 2026 in British Columbia? Web Summit Vancouver 2026 showcases B.C. as a global tech hub.

  • Web Summit Vancouver returns May 11–14, 2026, connecting global investors and innovators with British Columbia’s fast-growing tech ecosystem
  • 15,000+ attendees from 117 countries in 2025 showcased B.C.’s strength in innovation, investment and global partnerships
  • British Columbia offers global scale and market access, with 12,000+ tech companies, top talent and strong links to North American and Asia-Pacific markets

Web Summit Vancouver returns May 11–14, 2026, bringing global investors and innovators to British Columbia to connect with investment-ready companies and explore partnership and market entry opportunities in one of North America’s fastest-growing tech ecosystems.

The B.C. Pavilion at the Vancouver Convention Centre will once again serve as a central hub on the show floor, with half day programming blocks dedicated to priority sectors. This structure supports curated connections between global attendees and B.C.’s investment-ready companies and partners across clean tech, AI and quantum, life sciences, creative tech, agritech and marine tech.

As one of the world’s largest and most influential technology gatherings, Web Summit offers international companies, investors and industry leaders direct access to B.C.’s innovation ecosystem and high-growth sectors to explore partnerships, investment pathways and emerging technologies shaping the future economy.

Web Summit Vancouver 2026 Builds on Strong Global Engagement In 2025

The inaugural Web Summit Vancouver in 2025 attracted over 15,000 attendees from 117 countries, generating international visibility for B.C.’s technology sector and innovation ecosystem.

B.C. companies connected with global investors, media and partners through targeted meetings, pitch sessions and on-site programming, supporting new business relationships and export opportunities. These structured engagements helped generate tangible deal flow and accelerate international partnerships.

The event also demonstrated how global gatherings can accelerate market access by bringing decision-makers directly into the province’s ecosystem.

Investment Programming alongside Web Summit Vancouver 2026

With strong momentum from 2025, Web Summit Vancouver 2026 and a coordinated program of host-led events is expected to further expand Vancouver’s global reach and impact.

Beyond the main conference, host-led programming will connect international delegates with investment-ready companies and targeted business opportunities across British Columbia. Delegates can access structured opportunities, including investor showcases, pre-matched B2B meetings, pitch sessions and sector-specific networking events designed to support deal flow, market entry and the establishment of international companies in British Columbia.

As a central hub, the return of the B.C. Pavilion will provide a dedicated space to explore the province’s innovation ecosystem, support meetings, informal networking and direct engagement with companies and partners actively seeking investment and collaboration.

For international attendees, the event offers a direct pathway to:

  • Meet investment-ready B.C. companies through curated and pre-qualified engagements
  • Participate in pre-matched meetings with investors and buyers
  • Gain insight into emerging global technology trends
  • Connect with a collaborative and fast-growing innovation ecosystem

British Columbia Tech Ecosystem Offers Global Scale and Investment Potential

British Columbia is home to one of North America’s fastest-growing technology ecosystems, with more than 12,000 companies employing over 180,000 people across the sector. This depth of talent and industry makes B.C. a strong pipeline of investment-ready companies for global partners.

For international investors and companies, B.C. offers a combination of talent, infrastructure and global connectivity that supports long-term growth.

Key advantages include:

  • A highly skilled and diverse workforce, supported by nearly 15,000 tech-related graduates each year
  • Strong research and commercialization capacity, with globally recognized universities and innovation hubs
  • Competitive business costs and a stable operating environment
  • Strategic access to North American, Asian and European markets through integrated trade and transportation networks

Vancouver’s tech ecosystem ranks among the top in Canada and is recognized globally for its talent concentration and cost competitiveness, making it an attractive destination for scaling companies.

Global companies including Amazon, Microsoft, SAP and Salesforce have established a strong presence in the province , alongside a growing number of high-value startups and scaleups.

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The focus is clearly business. So, my second question is ‘What is Gabor Maté doing at the ‘techie’ 2026 Web Summit?’ For anyone unfamiliar with Maté, here’s more from his Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,

Gabor Maté CM (/ˈɡɑːbɔːr ˈmɑːteɪ/ GAH-bor MAH-tay;[1] born January 1944) is a Canadian physician and author. He has worked in family practices and specializes in childhood development and trauma,[2] including long-term effects on physical and mental health, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),[3] and addiction. [emphases mine]

Maté’s approach to addiction emphasizes the role of trauma i [emphasis mine] n the development of substance use disorders, aiming to address underlying emotional pain as part of recovery.[4] He has written five books exploring topics such as ADHD, stress, developmental psychology, and addiction. Some commentators have raised concerns about the scope and evidentiary basis of his claims.[5][6][7]

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Interesting choice, non?

Now for some details, the pricing for the cheapest four-day ticket ‘General attendee’ is $830 CAD (including tax), the same price as last year’s as per my May 23, 2025 posting. A ‘Chairperson’ ticked will cost you $40,000 CAD (including tax). It makes the $1990 CAD (Including tax) price for the ‘Executive’ ticket almost look reasonable. As you might expect, the prices reflect the degree of access you will receive to special events and speakers

Here’s a sampling of the speakers at this year’s event and Maté is not the only unusual choice,

  • Michelle Grady, President,Sony Imageworks
  • Gary Marcus, AI Expert, Scientist & Author
  • Naomi Klein, Activist and writer
  • Matt Lyteson, CIO, IBM
  • Stephen Walt, Professor, International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
  • Rick Glumac, Minister for AI and New Technologies of British Columbia, Government of BC
  • Apl.de.ap, Rapper, Black Eyed Peas
  • etc.

I’m particularly taken with Apl.de.ap whose profile page revealed this,

Grammy winner Apl.de.Ap is transforming the Philippines via the world’s largest reforestation project. Planting 380M+ trees, he’s blending agroforestry with carbon credits to fight climate change and empower rural communities. Music was just the start.

I love trees.

Web Summit Vancouver 2026 is here should you wish to sign up.

Think like a scientist; critical thinking course for the incarcerated and others

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I stumbled across this September 19, 2025 article by Rosie Fernandez for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) radio programme “Qurks and Quarks” highlights science education designed to encourage critical thinking skills in some unexpected populations, Note Links have been removed,

In a world filled with misinformation, geophysicist Philip Heron is on a mission to share the benefits of critical thinking.

He is founder of a program called Think Like a Scientist, which he pioneered in the U.K., and has now brought to Canada.

It’s a brief course — only seven weeks long — that he’s taught in schools, but more surprisingly in prisons. [emphasis mine]

And for some of those who’ve experienced the program, it’s been life-changing.

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As a day job, Heron teaches in the department of physical and environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus, and runs this program in the summer, including at a number of Canadian prisons. 

He says he designed the Think Like a Scientist to teach the scientific method to those who don’t necessarily see themselves as students of science, including people who have been incarcerated.

The importance of failure

Heron says one of his aims is to help people understand that failure — in life, as in science — can be a pathway to success.

Heron says that many people in prison have had negative experiences with traditional education methods for a variety of reasons, including learning differences, race, gender, class or neurodiversity. So he avoids structuring his program like a traditional classroom, and instead encourages conversation about the topic he is presenting.

Some of the topics explored are climate change, earthquakes, robotics, space mission and the science of sleep. One of the key points in this course is the idea of embracing failure. Heron says this is a fundamental part of the scientific process.

“Behind the scenes, scientists fail so often that it’s just commonplace,” Heron told Quirks & Quarks host Bob McDonald. “And really what I want to teach the students in prison, as well as to students at the University of Toronto, [is] that failure is part of the process and it’s something that should be accepted.”

“We don’t just fail and stop, we fail and move forward.”

In part of his curriculum about space exploration, Heron shares a quote from Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques about managing mental health in space, given that when conflict arises, there’s nowhere to go and you’re far away from the people you love.

“After I finish …the whole room is like, ‘that’s prison! Throw in terrible food and you’ve got prison. I could be an astronaut!'”

…

Some of Heron’s former students in the U.K., such as Phoenix Griffin, say they were so inspired by the course they have gone to pursue academic careers of their own. 

“The biggest thing I took away from it was the confidence to try new things,” said Griffin, who is now out of prison and in her third year of university.

“It just gave me a new way of thinking. You learn from your mistakes so if you get it wrong it’s fine. So that was really big for me.”

The September 19, 2025 article has the 18 mins. 5 secs. “Quirks and Quarks” segment embedded there.

Phil Heron’s eponymous website can be found here along with its Think Like A Scientist webpage,

‘Think Like A Scientist’ is a course designed to improve critical thinking and encourage independent thought for students in any educational environment. We use adaptive education practices to increase accessibility to science education.

Thanks for stopping by! We are a collection of educators trying to make science more accessible. We run science outreach programs but also train graduates to be more accessible in their science communication.

…

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects have historically struggled to be inclusive and accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. STEM subjects at school and university have often been rigid in their teaching structure, creating barriers to education for students with more specific (or unrecognised) learning needs.

Furthermore, exciting and important science topics (such as climate change and space exploration) are often communicated in a way that reinforces these barriers. To discuss these issues, and to combat such barriers to education in academia and in the public, I have been working on creating accessible science frameworks for researchers and educators – in the form of the course and workshop Think Like A Scientist.

Think Like A Scientist started in 2017 in the English prison system and has recently featured in prisons in Australia (2024-2025), Spain (2025), and Canada (2023-present). However, we have run the courses in other settings, including schools, adult learning facilities, and youth work (both online and in person). The success of the course is based around the creation of a classroom dynamic that is accessible, inclusive, and relatable to students from all backgrounds.

Fundamentally – science is for everyone.

…

Yes, science is for everyone.

Targeting crop-munching agricultural pests with nanotechnology

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A September 23, 2025 Canadian Light Source (CLS) news release by Federica Giannelli describes a new approach to using pesticides,

A bane of farmers’ existence, it’s estimated that plant-eating pests are responsible for the loss of up to 40 per cent of pre-harvest yields globally. But a new generation of crop treatments that target only “bad” bugs could mean big gains for the Canadian agriculture sector, improving pest management tools in an industry that in 2024 generated over $142 billion. 

Dr. Justin Pahara and his team at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Lethbridge Research and Development Centre are designing new screening methods to learn whether current crop treatments are effective. Their end goal, however, is to develop a method for using nanotechnology to deliver specific chemicals into pests based on their unique DNA – without harming helpful insects.

For example, through methods developed and tested at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, the researchers found that lygus bugs contain regions of enriched minerals pointing to certain proteins that could one day be targeted with tailored agents to prevent them from eating crops. The lygus bug is a common agriculture pest that feeds on many crops, including canola. Pahara and his team’s innovative methods are published in the Canadian Journal of Chemistry.

“We all need food, and if farmers cannot grow their products efficiently and make a living out of it, it’s a problem,” says Pahara. “We need new tools for pest management. Insects are becoming more tolerant to chemicals in the same way antibiotic resistance works in humans.”

Developing targeted pest treatments would also make “carpet bombing” insects with harmful pesticides a thing of the past.

“The ‘spray-and-pray’ approach ends up also killing beneficial bugs such as pollinators, and predatory insects like spiders, wasps, and beetles that help maintain a healthy ecosystem,” says Pahara.

The first step was to study how pesticides get into pests in the first place, how the nanomaterials get into their bodies and where the substances accumulate, information that will help design better solutions.

Pahara and his team used the BioXAS beamline at the CLS to create X-ray images of cutworms and lygus bugs, showing what chemicals were present in the insects and where.

Then, the group developed special software to explore the bug images in 3D models using virtual reality, so they can take an even “closer look” at the inside of the insects’ bodies.

“Designing new approaches is a very challenging problem and people have been working on it for decades, but with little success,” says Pahara. “Ultimately it’s our job at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to pass on what we learn to Canadian industry to solve key technical problems so industry can take over with less risks.”

Now that Pahara and colleagues know their screening test works, they are expanding their research to weeds and fungi pests and will be able to start testing the delivery of nanomaterials developed by both AAFC and the NANO division of the National Research Council of Canada into insects’ bodies.

This brief CLS video offers a description of how the synchrotron was employed for this project,

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

3D X-ray fluorescence imaging of insect pests and analysis in a virtual reality environment by Armen Tchobanian, Damin Kim, and Justin Pahara. Canadian Journal of Chemistry Volume 103, Number 10, October 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjc-2024-0246 First published online: 22 August 2025

This paper is open access.

Nanocellulose from pineapple waste for soil-saving desert agriculture

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The last time I had a pineapple and nanocellulose story it was from Brazil (see my March 28, 2011 posting). This September 23, 2025 news item in Nanowerk describes some more recent research, Note: Links have been removed,

Food waste has long been a global challenge, but a new study shows it may also be part of the solution to desertification. Published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts (“Evaluating Nanocellulose from Food Waste as A Functional Amendment for Sandy Soils: Linking Fiber Structure to Water Dynamics, Soil Mechanics, and Plant-Microbes Interactions”), the research demonstrates how pineapple peels, typically discarded in large quantities by the juice and hospitality industries, can be transformed into nanocellulose fibers that dramatically improve the properties of sandy soils.

…

Caption: Study shows food waste-derived nanocellulose boosts sandy soil water retention, nutrient storage, and plant survival in arid regions Credit: Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science & Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates

A September 22, 2025 Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts (?) press release on EurekAlert, which originated the news item, provides more detail,

Led by an international team of scientists, the study focused on converting pineapple peels into fibers through mechanochemical treatments including shredding, alkali processing, bleaching, and ball milling. The resulting fibers, ranging from macro to nanoscale, were then tested in three types of desert sands commonly found in the United Arab Emirates: lithic, quartz-rich, and calcareous sands.

The results were striking. Soils amended with nanocellulose fibers exhibited up to 32.7% greater water-holding capacity and a 58% reduction in permeability compared to untreated sand. Evaporation rates slowed by over half, while soil cohesion and compressive strength improved four-fold in some cases. Importantly, nutrient retention also increased, with phosphorus retention nearly doubling in fiber-treated sands.

Plant growth experiments using cherry tomato seedlings further validated the amendments’ benefits. At moderate concentrations (0.25–1% fiber by weight), plants showed higher survival rates, more leaves, and healthier development compared to controls. However, excessive fiber content (3%) reduced survival, underscoring the need for optimized application levels.

Beyond agricultural performance, the study also assessed the biodegradation of fiber-reinforced soils. While compost-rich environments promoted microbial activity, nanocellulose fibers in sandy soils remained structurally stable, indicating their durability under arid conditions. This resilience could ensure long-term benefits for desert agriculture.

The findings align with broader circular bioeconomy goals, suggesting that food waste can be repurposed into high-value agricultural inputs rather than ending up in landfills. With the Middle East and North Africa importing more food than they produce, the approach offers a sustainable way to recycle organic residues into resources for local farming.

By linking fiber structure to soil mechanics, water dynamics, and plant-microbe interactions, the research provides a roadmap for restoring desert soils and improving food security in arid climates. As the authors note, future work should refine soil-water retention models and explore scaling the process to integrate other agricultural by-products, paving the way for broader adoption in sustainable land management.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Evaluating nanocellulose from food waste as a functional amendment for sandy soils: Linking fiber structure to water dynamics, soil mechanics, and plant-microbes interactions by M-Haidar Ali Dali, Mohamed Hamid Salim, Malak AbuZaid, Maryam Omar Subhi Qassem , Faisal Al Marzooqi, Andrea Ceriani, Alessandro Decarlis, Ludovic Francis Dumée, Blaise Leopold Tardy. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts Volume 10, Issue 4, November 2025, Pages 513-529 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2025.09.003 Available online 20 September 2025, Version of Record 21 November 2025

This paper is open access.

Dans la Forêt/Into the forest/En el bosque: a citizen science project in three languages (French, English, Spanish)

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I received this request back in March 2026; thankfully, there’s still enough time for folks to participate in Nicolas Mouquet’s (professor at the University of Montpellier; Université de Montpellier, France) latest aesthetic citizen science project,

Dear friends and colleagues,

You are receiving this email because you have previously completed a Biodiful survey or are a collaborator of Nicolas Mouquet.

As part of a scientific study on the visual perception of forests, we would greatly appreciate your help. This work is being carried out by Lùla Marcet within the CNRS [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique] laboratories CEFE [Centre d’Écologie Fonctionelle et Evolutive] (Montpellier) and SETE [Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimetale] (Moulis), under the supervision of Xavier Morin, Nicolas Mouquet, Gladys Barragan-Jason, and Maxime Chauchoix.

The aim of this study is to better understand how forests are perceived by as broad an audience as possible. As part of the BIODIFUL project, we are launching an online campaign.

We invite you to complete a short online questionnaire (about 10 minutes):

French: https://www.biodiful.org/#/foret
English: https://www.biodiful.org/#/forest
Spanish: https://www.biodiful.org/#/bosque

It would also be wonderful if you could forward this message to your colleagues, friends, and family, as we are trying to reach the widest audience possible. …

Here’s more from the various project pages (English, French, Spanish),

Into the forest

Hello and thank you for taking part in this questionnaire!
This survey aims to better understand how people perceive forest landscapes. To do so, you will be presented to photographs. For each pair, simply click on the photo that best matches the given instruction. The questionnaire is and will take about 10 minutes to complete. At the end, you will then be asked to answer a few additional questions.
– If you are using a mobile phone, please switch to landscape mode for optimal viewing of the photographs.- The quality of the photos may vary, please try not to take this into account when answering.
– The survey is open from February 25 to June 30, 2026 …

By clicking “Answer the survey,” you consent to the use of the collected data for the purposes of our scientific project; this survey is anonymous, and you may withdraw at any time.

Answer the survey

2842 people have already participated!

Dans la Forêt

Bonjour et merci de participer à ce questionnaire !

Cette enquête anonyme a pour but de mieuxcomprendre comment nous percevons les paysages forestiers. Pour cela, des paires de photos de forêts vont vous être présentées. Pour chaque paire, il vous suffit de cliquer sur la photo selon la consigne annoncée. Vous devrez ensuite répondre à quelques questions complémentaires. Cette enquête ne vous prendra qu’une dizaine de minutes. 
– Si vous utilisez votre téléphone portable, veuillez le mettre en mode paysage pour une meilleure visualisation des photos
– La qualité des photos peut varier, essayer de ne pas en tenir compte dans vos réponses.
– Cette enquête est ouverte du 25 février au 30 juin 2026 … 

En cliquant sur « Répondre à la campagne », vous consentez à ce que les données collectées soient utilisées dans le cadre de notre projet scientifique; cette enquête est anonyme, et vous avez le droit de vous retirer à tout moment.

Répondre à la campagne

9043 personnes ont déjà participé !

En el bosque

¡Hola y gracias por participar en este cuestionario!Esta encuestatiene como objetivo comprender mejor cómo percibimos los paisajes forestales. Para ello, se le presentarán varios pares de fotografías de bosques. Por cada par, solo tiene que hacer clic en la foto según las instrucciones indicadas. La encuesta le tomará aproximadamente diez minutos. A continuación, deberá responder a algunas preguntas adicionales.
– Si utiliza su teléfono móvil, por favor póngalo en modo horizontal para una mejor visualización de las fotos.
– La calidad de las fotos puede variar, trate deno tenerlo en cuenta al responder.- Esta encuesta está abierta del 25 de febrero al 30 de junio de 2026 …

Al hacer clic en «Responde la encuesta», usted consiente que los datos recopilados se utilicen en el marco de nuestro proyecto científico; esta encuesta es anónima y puede retirarse en cualquier momento.

Responde la encuesta

312 personas ya han participado!

For the curious, here are two postings about Mouquet’s citizen science projects,

I have participated in a few of Nicolas Mouquet’s previous aesthetic ecology projects and he seems to be very careful with any personal data you share. I get the occasional email informing me of a new project or notice that he’s published a paper based on my (and thousands of others’) aesthetic observations.

South Korea’s nanotechnology master plan and national strategic technology framework

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It’s always good to learn more about South Korea’s science policy. On that note, Jin-ho Lee’s April 27, 2026 article for Digital Today outlines South Korea’s plans for its science and technology efforts, with particular emphasis on nanotechnolgy,

…

The National Science and Technology Advisory Council held its sixth deliberation meeting on April 27 [2026] in the council’s main conference room, chaired by Vice Chair Lee Kyung-soo (이경수). It was the first deliberation meeting held since the launch of President Lee Jae-myung’s first-term administration on Feb. 26 [2026].

The meeting reviewed and approved 2 agenda items, including the sixth nanotechnology master development plan for 2026 to 2035 and the direction for upgrading the national strategic technology framework.

The sixth nanotechnology master development plan is a comprehensive plan set up every 5 years to build a foundation for nanotechnology research and foster it systematically. …

Through the plan, the government presented strategies and 13 priority tasks to help South Korea become one of the world’s top 3 nanotechnology powers. It will pursue innovation in the nanotechnology industry through measures including global technology leadership through nano convergence, fostering the nano convergence industry, expanding nano convergence in the AI and quantum transformation, and creating a sustainable nanotechnology innovation ecosystem.

In particular, the government will support first-of-its-kind research in 5 major areas of nanoscience: sub-nano control, artificial nanomaterials, nano intelligence, nano transformation and nano-bio hybrids. This year it plans to select and support pilot projects within the nanomaterials technology development programme.

The government will also upgrade the national strategic technology framework. It strengthened links and convergence among technologies under 3 missions: leading the AI transition, taking initiative in trade and security, and building the foundation for future innovation. Based on this, it derived “NEXT national strategic technologies” spanning a total of 55 technologies.

…

It newly included key defence and security technologies such as defence semiconductors, bio artificial organs and blood, brain-computer interfaces, reusable launch vehicles, drones, and eco-friendly autonomous ships. The government plans to invest 60 trillion won in national strategic technologies over the next 5 years and foster the full cycle, including securing foundational technologies, commercialisation, building industrial ecosystems and preventing technology leaks.

…

Lee Kyung-soo, vice chair of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, said, “We will ensure that the deliberation meeting does not remain a formal procedure but functions as a venue for substantive policy discussions.”

A little digging unearthed this 2024 (?) South Korea Ministry of Science and ICT (Information and Communication Technology; MIST) press release,

MSIT Unveils First Master Plan for Developing Critical and Emerging Technologies (2024-2028): A Blueprint for National S&T Sovereignty

– Aiming for national S&T sovereignty and global leadership in 12 Critical and Emerging Technologies (CETs), with plans to expand current leading positions from 3 areas to 6
– Investing over KRW 30 trillion over the next five years in 12 CETs ― such as AI, semiconductors, advanced biotechnology, and quantum technologies ― with flagship projects to support rapid commercialization
– Significantly enhancing technological security capabilities through robust strategic technology partnerships with like-minded countries and capturing the golden time for emerging technologies

The Ministry of Science and ICT (“MSIT”; Minister Yoo Sang-Im) announced the First Master Plan for Developing Critical and Emerging Technologies (2024-2028): A Blueprint for National S&T Sovereignty on August 26 (Monday) at the Deliberative Council Meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology (PACST).

In 2022, during the Plenary Council of PACST chaired by President Yoon Suk Yeol, the Korean government identified 12 CETs* and 50 key technologies crucial for securing supply chains, emerging industries, foreign affairs, and national security. The government has since concentrated its R&D investments and policy support on these technologies.

* The 12 CETs are ① Semiconductor and display, ② secondary cell, ③ advanced mobility, ④ next-gen nuclear power, ⑤ advanced biotechnology, ⑥ aerospace and marine technology, ⑦ hydrogen, ⑧ cyber security, ⑨ AI, ⑩ next-gen communications, ⑪ advanced robotics and manufacturing, ⑫ quantum technology.

The First Master Plan ― a five-year strategy outlining the mid- to long-term outlook and policy direction for the development of 12 CETs ― is the culmination of comprehensive efforts across the government. Developed collaboratively by 22 government ministries, offices, and agencies in accordance with Article 5 of the Special Act on the Fostering of Critical and Emerging Technologies, this plan represents a unified approach to advancing national technological capabilities.

Named the Blueprint for National S&T Sovereignty, the plan focuses on three major policy tasks designed to propel and leapfrog the country beyond mere national survival. It also details key policy directions for each of the 12 CETs, aiming to position Korea at the forefront of global technological competition and enhance national capabilities.

The main components of the First Master Plan are as follows:

Background and Outlook

As the OECD [Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development] pointed out that there is a growing “securitization of STI policy,” the competition for technological dominance has become a new normal in the global arena of science and technology. In particular, the formation of technology blocs is growing and strengthening among like-minded countries focusing on critical and emerging technologies such as semiconductors, AI, and advanced biotechnology. Concurrently, the quest for science and technology sovereignty, grounded in world-leading technological capabilities, is increasingly viewed as essential for driving national growth.

With the enactment of the Special Act on the Fostering of Critical and Emerging Technologies and the establishment of the First Master Plan, the government has laid out a national innovation strategy centered around CETs. This is expected to contribute to Korea securing next-generation technologies and enable the country to advance through private sector-led technological innovation. The focus is on incorporating a wide range of poilcy mix, including not only government research and development but also the promotion of technology commercialization, strengthening international cooperation, strategic investment in mission-oriented projects, performance management, and public-private collaboration.

The masterplan sets forth three main objectives under the vision of “A Nation of Science and Technology Sovereignty, Armed with Unrivaled ‘Super-Gap’ Technology”: i) comprehensive support for the swift commercialization of the CETs, ii) significant enhancement of proactive measures for technology security, and iii) innovation in mission-oriented research and development.

[Task 1 – Future growth engines] Concentrated support for swift commercialization of the CETs

➊ (Expanding R&D linked to commercialization) R&D in the 12 CETs will receive more than KRW 30 trillion in support over the next five years, centered primarily on private demand. Investment in the three ‘game-changer’ fields will be significantly increased. To achieve tangible results, 10 CET projects with a cumulative value of KRW 3 trillion (based on preliminary feasibility studies) will be actively pursued. Additionally, the Ministry will identify new Flagship 2.0 projects in key R&D areas that lack sufficient research, such as advanced robotics, manufacturing and hydrogen.

* For the three key game-changer fields, support will be increased to KRW 3.4 trillion in 2025 from KRW 2.8 trillion in 2024 (24% y-o-y growth, data from the PACST draft plan)

As for R&D support for small and medium-sized enterprises, over 50% of new project funding will be allocated to key areas within the 12 CETs. There will also be a focus on strengthening public-private partnerships to foster the growth of highly advanced, strategic technology-based startups, along with providing funding support through the fund of funds.

➋ (Blockbuster Innovation Groups & Support for demonstrations) In accordance with the Special Act on the CETs, the Ministry will focus on identifying and supporting the BIG 100: Blockbuster Innovation Groups. Specialized research institutes will be established to lead mission-oriented research and commercialization of CETs, along with specialized training institutions to nurture innovative talent. Additionally, regional technology innovation centers will be developed in connection with balanced regional development efforts. To quickly transfer research outcomes in the CET areas, support will also be provided for the advancement of leading universities and corporate research institutes.

➌ (Improving Business-Friendly Policies for the CETs) Following this year’s introduction of the “super-gap special listing procedure” for qualified companies officially recognized for possessing specific CET-related technologies, the government will expand growth support measures. This includes enhanced policy financing from relevant ministries and increased public procurement of innovative products. Multiple ministries will collaborate to enhance policies that are tangible and beneficial for businesses. This includes providing tax benefits and patent acquisition support for CET-related companies, as well as implementing proactive regulatory innovations for promising strategic technologies in a phased manner.

➍ (Customized Talent Development) Recognizing that talent is a valuable asset for industries, Korea will strengthen talent development programs, including specialized graduate schools in the CET fields and initiatives to enhance the skills of current employees. Data-driven talent policies will be implemented, utilizing workforce maps and job posting data to analyze job positions, as well as integrating researcher information with employment databases. Efforts will be intensified to make Korea a “melting pot” for global expertise by attracting top international talent and implementing measures to prevent the outflow of exceptional domestic talent.

[Task 2 – Technological Security Powerhouse] Significantly bolster proactive response capabilities in technological security

➊ (Robust strategic technology cooperation with like-minded countries) Strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners such as the U.S., Japan, and the EU in all aspects of research, legislation, and security to solidify technological security. Actively respond to the formation of technology blocs through mechanisms such as the Dialogue on CETs and the AI Summit, and advance Korea-led agendas and norms in international organizations and other science and technology arenas.

In addition, based on the data analysis provided by the Global R&D Strategy Map, tailored cooperation strategies will be developed, taking into account the technological advantages of each partner country, the types of cooperation needed for key technologies, and the list of partner organizations. The Ministry will select and support international collaborative R&D projects in CETs that require significant investments.

➋ (Securing the golden opportunity for CETs) Korea will rapidly embark on an initiative to quickly identify, support, and secure strategic technologies that will be pivotal in the global tech race. Through inter-agency information sharing and AI modeling, an early analysis and forecasting system tailored to future technology supply chains will be established. This system will be utilized for assessing emerging technologies and predicting key countries’ policies. To support rapid research and development, the Ministry will abolish the preliminary feasibility study system for R&D budgets, reduce the time required for deploying research equipment, and introduce greater flexibility for international R&D. At the same time, the Ministry will focus on securing cutting-edge future materials that support the CET initiatives.

The CET support mechanism will be periodically updated in response to changes in the global race for technological dominance. Similar to the U.S. White House’s CET system*, Korea’s CETs will be updated every two years based on data and public-private demand, following deliberations from the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology (PACST).

* (Example: U.S.’ Critical and emerging technologies) Since the announcement of the National Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technologies in October 2020, the U.S. has updated the CET list twice. As of February 2024, the list now includes 122 technologies across 18 areas, from 103 technologies in 19 areas.

➌ (Strengthening technology protection and research security) In preparation for intensifying global competition for technological dominance, support for security management in research environments will be enhanced. Guidelines for strategic technology protection will be established for researchers, and research security systems will be strengthened to address data requests from foreign institutions and overseas research funding.

➍ (Investment and cooperation in dual-use technologies) Research and development for the selected 10 strategic defense technologies, structured around the 12 CETs, will receive concentrated support. In particular, cooperation between military and civilian research (spin-on/off) will be continuously strengthened to facilitate the rapid integration of strategic civilian technologies into defense systems and to leverage the outcomes of defense R&D.

[Task 3 – Mission-oriented innovation] Establish a mission-centric R&D system to produce visible outcomes

➊ (Concentrated support for mission-oriented R&D) Projects directly linked to securing leading-edge technologies and maintaining competitiveness will be designated as Mission-Oriented Visionary Projects (MVPs) under the Special Act and will receive intensified support. These designated projects will benefit from broad support measures based on the Special Act on the CETs, including budget utilization, project agency designation, and alleviating corporate burdens. The Ministry plans to introduce the National Science & Technology Lab (NSTL), an open collaboration system designed to break down barriers between different research institutions. This initiative will be implemented starting this year, alongside the expansion of the designated Global Top Strategic Research Groups.

* Mission-Oriented Visionary Projects (MVPs): Projects that are directly related to fostering CETs, which will receive mission-centric support and management.

➋ (Integrated performance management) A performance management system will be established to outline the key missions and timelines for achieving goals, based on the implementation plans developed by the relevant ministries* for each CET sector after delieration by the PACST. This system will conduct a comprehensive review that encompasses not only technology development and key project performance, but also talent development, international collaboration, and the need for institutional improvements to foster a thriving ecosystem. The results of this review will be linked to investments and evaluations. Additionally, the national R&D analysis and future projection systems will be integrated with the 12 CET sectors to improve the status, outcomes, and evidence-based policy development.

* Mission-oriented, Strategic Roadmap for the Critical and Emerging Technologies (2023.8-2024.2, Special Committee on the CETs under the PACST)

➌ (Online platform for joint innovation through industry-academia-research institutes-government collaboration) Establish a coordination and collaboration system between high-level policy bodies (for the three game changer areas, space, etc.) such as the National Artificial Intelligence Committee and the Quantum Strategy Committee, and the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology. This includes operating a policy collaboration system between industry, academia, and research institutes, including launching a CETs Innovation Forum to gather public views on advancing the technologies. In addition, efforts will be made to establish a K-Technology security think tank to lead discussions on issues related to the 12 CETs on the global stage.

12 CETs: Key Support Strategies by field

The MSIT will provide tailored support for the 12 CETs-based on domestic technology advancement levels, categorizing them into leading fields, follow-up and competitive fields, and pioneering future fields.

▲ (Leading fields) In leading fields directly related to Korea’s flagship industries, such as semiconductors and secondary cell, the focus will be on achieving top global technological leadership and maintaining a strong position in the international supply chain. To enhance technological superiority over competitor countries, the Ministry will support large-scale R&D initiatives conducted jointly by the public and private sectors. In response to increasing global regionalization, a proactive response system will be established that integrates diplomacy and security. Additionally, recognizing the importance of supply chain stabilization, the Ministry will provide strategic support for the domestic development of critical and emerging materials.

▲ (Catch-up & competitive fields) Korea is striving for global leadership in this category of fields such as AI, advanced biotechnology, and next-generation nuclear power. Efforts will will focus on accelerating the early commercialization of CETs supported by a robust research ecosystem. Given the close connection of these areas to digital and AI transformation, support will be provided to expand research infrastructure, including AI computing resources. Additionally, we will strengthen industrial linkage projects that act as a catalyst for the commercialization of foundational deep-tech technologies based on CETs.

▲ (Pioneering future fields) Korea aim for a “technology leap-frogging” in fields such as quantum technology, aerospace, marine, and hydrogen. The focus is on the public-sector-led innovative and frontier research projects and the formation of a “Blockbuster Innovation Group” which are expected to help quickly bridge the technology gap with leading countries. Given the high significance of these fields in international STI policies ― particularly in terms of diplomacy, security, and carbon neutrality ― the goal is to strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries and active engagement in multilateral cooperation mechanisms to secure technological sovereignty.

Goals and Objectives

Through these efforts, Korea aims to expand its world-leading technological capacities in the 12 CETs, from the current 3 leading areas to 6, and produce 15 new unicorn companies based on the CETs to drive the country’s future growth.

In particular, the government has set a goal to maintain Korea’s top position in technology competitiveness within its flagship industries―memory chips, secondary cell, and next-generation displays. Additionally, Korea is striving to propel itself into the top three global leaders (G3) in three transformative technological fields: AI chips, advanced biotechnology, and quantum technologies.

Minister Yoo Sang-Im said, “To gain a significant lead in the global market, it is essential for Korea to secure its scientific and technological sovereignty through the advancement of the 12 CETs.” He added, “In line with the name ‘A Blueprint for National S&T Sovereignty,’ my Ministry will collaborate with other government ministries, academia, industry, and research institutes to diligently implement the policy tasks outlined in the First Master Plan for Developing Critical and Emerging Technologies. This initiative will not only enable Korea to stay relevant in the global tech race but also allow a pivotal step forward in securing future growth engines and technological security capabilities.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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That’s all for now.