iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 29/09/2026

We're publishing deep-dive analysis of each Maple 8 pension plan over the next few weeks — looking at how much they invest in Canada, and what kind of assets they're buying. First up: The biggest pension fund in Canada. Read our report card here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/cppib-report...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 28/09/2026

Overall, Canadian pension funds don't invest much in Canada. But when you dig into the numbers around equity investing — and particularly private equity, which would capture high-growth companies — the numbers are dire. Read the full analysis here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

Canadian pensions investing in Canadian companies: It's even worse than you think | Canadian Shield Institute

Canada’s eight largest pensions, known as the Maple 8, are world renowned and envied for the Canadian Model. When other countries have looked to...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 28/09/2026

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

Canadian pensions investing in Canadian companies: It's even worse than you think | Canadian Shield Institute

Canada’s eight largest pensions, known as the Maple 8, are world renowned and envied for the Canadian Model. When other countries have looked to...

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 24/09/2026

Canadian pension funds should be mandated to invest 3 per cent of assets into high-growth Canadian companies. Some of my @canadianshieldinstitute.ca colleagues and I wrote a policy paper on this. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/wort...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 24/09/2026

Is it too much to ask for Canada's biggest pension funds to invest 3 per cent of assets in real Canadian growth? We don't think so. Today we're publishing a policy paper delving into how our biggest pension funds are actually investing our money. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/wort...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 23/09/2026

CPPIB made big announcements for the Canada Investment Summit. A new fund targeting Canada. But the big picture here is that CPP’s investments in Canada have been falling for decades.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 22/09/2026

Canada consistently outranks peers in foreign investment. In 2025, Canada's inward FDI stock exceeded our GDP. With a consistent increase in FDI, why is Canada not prospering? We need to consider how FDI can produce productive growth.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 22/09/2026

“The EU has done so much over the past few years on digital sovereignty, on reducing their dependency on Big Tech,” Canadian Shield Institute Managing Director @vassb.bsky.social says. “I hope we can borrow from them.” www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

bloomberg.com

What EU Membership Would Mean for Canada

It’s not clear what an “associate” might be, but closer ties are attractive amid Trump’s threats.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 21/09/2026

Foreign direct investment is transitioning, away from greenfield and towards mergers and acquisitions (M&A). M&A isn’t always bad, but can be an extractive tool of foreign investors to buy up Canadian companies to capture valuable IP or eliminate an up-and-coming competitor.

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 17/09/2026

There has quietly been a HUGE shift in sentiment about defence industry investment among Canada's capital allocators. Traditionally, Canadian banks didn't lend to military suppliers. Not anymore. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/the-...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

The Bankers are Getting Behind Canada's Defence Mobilization | Canadian Shield Institute

For those of us who pay close attention to defence policy, the drumbeat of announcements from Canada’s Big 5 banks was a big deal: TD announced $150...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/09/2026

If Canada is looking to deepen ties with the EU, does that mean that the France and Germany bars will go up?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 16/09/2026

If Canada is seriously looking about how we can deepen ties with the European Union, maybe we should think about copying their homework on digital sovereignty. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/euro...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

Europe can teach Canada a thing or two about digital sovereignty | Canadian Shield Institute

Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Strasbourg, getting feted by the European Parliament. The news is that Canada wants to get closer to the EU, and the...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/09/2026

Two-thirds of Canada’s inward FDI comes from just 5 countries. The U.S. alone holds 51%, with the U.K. in a distant second place (7%). Prime Minister Carney brought investors from around the world to Toronto, but what is our strategy for diversification?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 16/09/2026

Canada ranks #2 among advanced economies for foreign ownership(21% of the economy). The risk isn’t the total, it’s concentration in strategic sectors. Motor vehicles: 100% foreign ownership. Chemicals: 74%. IT services: 52%. Canada is chasing more FDI. Do we have a strategy?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 16/09/2026

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 15/09/2026

Canada elected a famous superstar economist as prime minister and... surprise... he's taking a big swing on economic policy, in a room with asset managers who control US$70 trillion. It's a big deal. Read our analysis of the Productivity Mega Deduction: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/the-...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

The ‘Productivity Mega Deduction’ Really is Huge | Canadian Shield Institute

The name is cheesy, but the “Productivity Mega Deduction” announced today by Prime Minister Mark Carney is, in fact, a very big deal. Carney made the...

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 15/09/2026

Extremely timely stuff from @vassb.bsky.social in The Walrus. How much foreign ownership is too much? How do we court investment that grows our economy, without just selling off critical capacity? It's possible, but we need a smart strategy. thewalrus.ca/canada-forei...

thewalrus.ca

Canada Is Losing the Fight Against Foreign Ownership | The Walrus

We worried about Americans controlling our mines and factories. Now they dominate our digital economy

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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Increasing foreign investment, and increasing sovereign ownership and control, are often two opposing goals for a country A good @canadianshieldinstitute.ca piece on how to balance security and sovereignty needs, with more foreign investment canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/the-...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

The Value of Foreign Direct Investment in the New Economy | Canadian Shield Institute

The Canadian Shield Institute is an independent policy institute advancing Canada's economic resilience, sovereignty, innovation, and global competitiveness....

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 14/09/2026

As Canada is courting a trillion dollars in new investment, Shield's Matthew da Mota asks whether we are ready to screen all of that foreign capital for national security concerns. Read the full op-ed here: financialpost.com/news/economy...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 14/09/2026

Not all investment is good for the Canadian economy. As a country, we need to update our thinking about FDI to account for the realities of the 21st century economy. Here's a roadmap for how to update our policy approach: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/the-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 14/09/2026

We're going to hear a lot of talk this week about investment. But not all investment is created equal, as @vassb.bsky.social writes in the Toronto Star. The thing to watch is going to be whether Prime Minister Carney is drawing investment that leads to real growth. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

thestar.com

Mark Carney wants to attract $1 trillion to Canada. It’ll only make sense if we fix this glaring problem

Investment within Canada should focus on building out the economy or funding infrastructure rather than mergers or bonds.

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 11/09/2026

Really good column from @vassb.bsky.social on Canada's campaign for more foreign investment. It actually matters quite a lot where the investment is coming from, and the details of what they're investing in! www.thestar.com/opinion/star...

thestar.com

Mark Carney wants to attract $1 trillion to Canada. It’ll only make sense if we fix this glaring problem

Investment within Canada should focus on building out the economy or funding infrastructure rather than mergers or bonds.

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Imbroglior @dkfoster.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

"Economist Mariana Mazzucato has argued that modern economies have become increasingly sloppy about distinguishing between value creation and value extraction, blurring between producing new value and capturing value that already exists."

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 10/09/2026

Canada doesn't need more foreign direct investment. We need a better strategy for investment that drives real growth in the 21st century economy. Today we're publishing a new report looking at how investment has changed, and how Canada should adapt: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/the-...

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 09/09/2026

Really interesting chart from my colleagues at the @canadianshieldinstitute.ca. Canada has some of the highest rates of foreign investment in the world. We treat foreign direct investment like it's good for the economy. But if it's so good, how come Canada isn't doing 3x better than Germany?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 09/09/2026

Ottawa wants $1 trillion in new investment for Canadian major projects – but investors want a say in governance. Shield’s Matt da Mota said that "Governance is really the key,” and that Ottawa should set rules on investment that preserve sovereignty and autonomy.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 09/09/2026

Canada significantly outpaces countries like the UK, Australia, the USA and Germany on foreign direct investment as a share of GDP. As Ottawa pushes to attract FDI, we're asking: What kind of investment actually drives real economic growth?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 08/09/2026

If you follow the news about Prime Minister Carney's investment summit, you might think we are starved for investment capital as a country. So here’s the basic question: What does it mean that Canada’s stock of foreign direct investment has grown more than 5x since 2000?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 08/09/2026

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 01/09/2026

The Lake Ontario situation is about much more than a label on a map. It's got serious implications for Canada's digital sovereignty, @vassb.bsky.social writes in the Globe and Mail. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

theglobeandmail.com

Opinion: Google Maps has become a tool of digital imperialism

The ‘Lake America’ mess shows that U.S. tech companies are so powerful, they get to render geographic reality

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 01/09/2026

For the Toronto Star, I wrote about the trade war, digital sovereignty, and Lake Ontario. We are already dominated by American tech giants. If Canada fights this trade war and we don't renegotiate the terms of digital trade, we will lose. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

thestar.com

Google changing Lake Ontario to Lake America isn’t just frustrating. It points to a deeper problem for Mark Carney

Canada’s digital infrastructure is too tied to companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 29/08/2026

On Friday, the government announced nearly $200 million in funding for Xanada to scale up photonics manufacturing, as part of its quantum computing. Shield's Matthew da Mota explains why this is a very good investment for us to be making right now. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

Canada makes moves to seize our quantum advantage | Canadian Shield Institute

On Friday, AI Minister Evan Solomon announced a $195 million federal commitment to Xanadu Quantum Technologies through the Strategic Response Fund....

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Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Worthwhile read from @canadianshieldinstitute.ca especially given what Canada's already given away on the digital sovereignty front.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 28/08/2026

Canadian sovereignty has been a trade irritant for the United States for a long while. We looked through 15 years worth of the National Trade Estimate—a yearly list published by the USTR of all U.S. trade irritants divided by trading partners. Read more: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 27/08/2026

Shield Managing Director @VassB was on CBC Front Burner talking about the U.S. trade war, and how the Americans feel as though any impediment to tech companies operating freely in Canada is a trade barrier now. Listen here: www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-p...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 24/08/2026

One of the key industries for the trade war is auto manufacturing. Just a few weeks ago, we did a dive into the automotive value chains. It's a sector with near total foreign ownership, where Canada is a branch plant for manufacturing and R&D. More here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...

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Irrelephant @onewheeldoin200.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Digital sovereignty is at least as important as traditional forms of it. Otherwise we are surveiled and covertly influenced by a hostile USA.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 22/08/2026

The trade war represents a fundamental change in Canada's relationship with the United States. Canada urgently needs a clear digital sovereignty strategy. We cannot keep giving away concessions on digital trade to save the old economy. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/we-n...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

We Need a Digital Strategy for the Trade War | Canadian Shield Institute

It’s weird to realize you’re watching history unfold in real time. There’s going to be plenty of discussion about the specific details of the trade...

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Stephen Marche @stephenmarche.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

If you woke up wondering what Canada does next, there's a show that deals with how Canada keeps its sovereignty in the new world disorder. Eight episodes. Trade. Alliance networks. Military. Technology. Influence. gloves-off.ca

gloves-off.ca

Gloves Off

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 22/08/2026

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

We Need a Digital Strategy for the Trade War | Canadian Shield Institute

It’s weird to realize you’re watching history unfold in real time. There’s going to be plenty of discussion about the specific details of the trade...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 21/08/2026

“I’m deeply concerned that this latest agreement is going even further. If we actually care about digital sovereignty and resilience, we need to hold onto our ability to regulate the digital platforms that Canadians use every day,” – @vassb.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

theglobeandmail.com

Canadian tech experts concerned that trade talks may concede sovereignty over digital policy

Remarks from U.S. trade officials have also sparked fears that Ottawa may be preparing major concessions on its digital-policy agenda to address concerns from U.S. tech and streaming giants

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 19/08/2026

"If Prime Minister Carney is trading away our ability to govern the digital realm, in the name of 'alignment' with American standards, then we are locking in a permanent state of subordination." From @vassb.bsky.social. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/what...

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

What "Digital Trade Alignment" Would Cost | Canadian Shield Institute

So, we’ve got a last-minute reprieve on the 50 per cent tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump was threatening. And Trump is boasting about some...

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James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 19/08/2026

By tracking mentions of sovereignty in the House of Commons, and conducting linguistic analysis, we can say that there's never been another moment like this in Canadian political history. Cool analysis by my colleagues at @canadianshieldinstitute.ca. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 12/08/2026

On this week's episode of Gloves Off: How does Canada defend and exercise our sovereignty in a world defined by U.S. tech dominance, and the ideology that they are pushing on us? youtu.be/lCEj9Wq14HI?...

youtu.be

7. How Canada Beats Tech Influence

YouTube video by Gloves Off with Stephen Marche

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The Walrus @thewalrus.ca · 10/08/2026

Google’s AI summaries are getting basic facts wrong while websites and archives disappear. As our digital record erodes, who will not only preserve public knowledge but keep it accessible? Writer Vass Bednar explores: thewalrus.ca/google-search-is-dying

On the left: a photo of a man in a grey suit standing on a stage in front of a very large screen displaying a phone on a white background alongside the words Circle to Search. On the right: text that reads “Google Search is dying. What comes next is worse. As AI eats the web, the internet’s collective memory is disappearing.”

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 10/08/2026

An ongoing project of the The Canadian Shield Institute is our "Sovereignty Score" framework. We think about sovereignty through ten different factors involving economic prosperity, national security, and governance. 1/ canadianshieldinstitute.ca/the-sovereig...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 07/08/2026

This week the federal government announced a $10 million investment to fund a manufacturing facility for electric compressors for EVs. The project will employ 300 people. Is this good for Canadian sovereignty and economic prosperity? Read our analysis: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/sovereignty-...

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