Mitacs Releases First Progress Report on Inclusive Innovation Action Plan

One year in, Mitacs’s three-year Inclusive Innovation Action Plan is contributing to sustainable change in equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation in Canada

Vancouver, BC — Mitacs is pleased to publish the first annual report on the progress of the 2023–26 Inclusive Innovation Action Plan (IIAP). The document reveals that the organization has made considerable progress in its commitment to creating equitable systems and processes, improving access and support for equity-deserving students, and integrating equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation efforts into its networks and partnerships.

The IIAP was launched in August 2023 to foster greater accountability to the equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation efforts within the organization in alignment with Mitacs’s Strategic Plan 2021. The IIAP lays out goals and initiatives to ensure Mitacs leads in inclusive innovation.

2023–24 annual progress report highlights include:

• Improving inclusion by applying an EDI lens to advance internal recruitment and retention practices — such as increased pay transparency —, promoting inclusive language, and training staff on various topics.
• Advancing reconciliation efforts by boosting Indigenous participation in Mitacs programs. A total of 11 members from the Business Development team received specialized training to engage with Indigenous researchers and organizations with increased cultural competencies.
• Increasing engagement of equity-deserving groups in Mitacs’s ecosystem by consulting and surveying Mitacs staff, interns, and partners.
• Supporting the economic development of small and medium-sized enterprises owned by equity-deserving groups by developing and implementing a diverse supplier list.

Mitacs’s progress in inclusion innovation over the past year has translated into significant benefits not only to the organization and its partners but also to Canada’s innovation ecosystem as a whole. The 2023–24 IIAP annual progress report is available at Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Quotes:

“To inspire culture change in our organization and beyond, we engaged all departments at Mitacs to feel a sense of ownership in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation in their day-to-day decisions and actions. The progress we see on the Inclusive Innovation Action Plan annual progress report shows how committed we are to this work. I’m excited to renew our commitment to inclusive innovation through the next year of implementation of this plan and to see the continued impact on our ecosystem.”

Angelin Soosaipillai, Vice-President, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Mitacs

“I’m very proud of the work that was done over the past year to put into practice the goals outlined in the Inclusive Innovation Action Plan. The progress shown through the annual report reveals that our commitment to advancing EDI and reconciliation is stronger than ever. We’re eager to continue building on this work and propelling Mitacs and our partners forward in our journey towards inclusive innovation.”

John Hepburn, CEO, Mitacs

About Mitacs

Mitacs works to bring innovation to more people in more places across Canada and around the world. Mitacs makes investing in new knowledge easier through access to top researchers, flexible project plans, and co-investments in talent.

A not-for-profit organization, Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.

Learn more at mitacs.ca