Innovation Hubs and Labs

What is an Innovation Lab?

Innovation labs are based on the idea that the competencies and mindsets needed for systematic innovation are not the same as those required for stable, daily operations and service delivery at the front line. Innovation labs seek to provide approaches, skills, models and tools beyond what most trained civil servants usually possess. This may call for the creation of dedicated ‘safe’ spaces and opportunities for collaboration on new processes, programs or policies across units, departments and sectors to assist the exploration phase of innovation. Labs typically involve key stakeholders, including end users such as citizens and businesses, in a process of co-creation. For governments this means crafting new solutions with people and not just for them.

With innovation labs, the hope is that the establishment of dedicated, cross-cutting organizational structures can strike a blow at vested interests, power plays, and organizational infighting. Labs do so by being permanent structures with a mission to temporarily unfreeze organizational embedded practices. (Powering Collaborative Policy Innovation: Can Innovation Labs Help? 2012.)

Innovation Hubs/Labs in the Government of Canada

Updates and activities happening within the Government of Canada Innovation Hubs and Labs community can be found on GCcollab

Hubs and Labs within the Government of Canada *(please add your group and update outdated info)*
Department	Name of Group	Contact(s) [name, title-email]
Canada Border Services Agency	Border Technologies Innovation, Acceleration, Integration and Emerging Technology	Paul Sanderson, Senior Program Advisor - Paul.Sanderson@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
Canada Border Services Agency	Innovation & Business Optimization Division
Canada Revenue Agency	Accelerate Business Solutions Lab	André Patry, Director - andre.patry@cra-arc.gc.ca
Canada Revenue Agency	Research and Innovation Lab	Natasja Mackwood, Policy Analyst - natasja.mackwood@cra-arc.gc.ca
Canada School of Public Service	Learning Lab	raymond.violette@canada.ca + kony.trudel@canada.ca
Canadian Coast Guard	Foresight & Innovation HUB (Coast Guard Experimentation [CGX])	William Murray, Manager - DFO.CCGInnovationGCC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Canadian Food Inspection Agency	Business Implementation Support and Integration Division (BISI)	CFIA-innov-ACIA@canada.ca
Canadian Food Inspection Agency	Data Analytics and Modelling team	Joanna Grenon, A/Director - joanna.grenon@canada.ca + jae-jin.ryu@canada.ca
Canadian Heritage	Creative Marketplace Lab on Data, Skills and Technology	Joelle Paré, A/Director, Marketplace and Legislative Policy - joelle.pare@pch.gc.ca
Canadian Heritage	PCH Innovation Lab	robin.kilroy@pch.gc.ca
Développement économique Canada	Incubateur d'innovation	diego.dube@canada.ca
Elections Canada	Elections Canada Innovation team	jessica.schultz@elections.ca + margy.vilé@elections.ca + [Michel Roussel - email]
Environment and Climate Change Canada	Innovation and Youth Engagement Division	Sunny Uppal, Director - sunny.uppal@canada.ca
FINTRAC	Innovation & Change Network	Joseph Dixon, Manager, Follow-Up and Strategic Engagement (FUSE) Team / Co-founder, Innovation & Change Network - joseph.dixon@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca + kris.wright@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca + claire.niedbala@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca
Global Affairs Canada	Science, Technology and Innovation	Stéphane Lessard, Executive Director -
Health Canada/PHAC	Behavioural Science	Jorida Cila - jorida.cila@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Health Canada/PHAC	iHUB	Hc.ihub.sc@canada.ca + jenni.bennett-gilmour@tpsgc-gwgsc.ca
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada	Blueprint 2020	maureen.collins@cic.gc.ca, tracy.godin@cic.gc.ca, bob.lanouette@cic.gc.ca
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada	Operations Planning and Performance Branch, Research and Development Centre (OPPB, RDC)	Serge Joly, A/Director - serge.joly@cic.gc.ca
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada	Service Insights & Experimentation (Pier SIX)	IRCC.CEPierSIX-PilierSIXEC.IRCC@cic.gc.ca + stephanie.jay-tosh@cic.gc.ca
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada	Social Innovation Division, Settlement and Integration Policy
ISED	Innovative Solutions Canada	solutions@ised-isde.gc.ca
Natural Resources Canada	Policy Innovation and Experimentation	Matt Naccarato, A/Manager - matt.naccarato@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada	Innovation Hub	IH-CI@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Privy Council Office	Impact and Innovation Unit	Rodney Ghali, Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet - rodney.ghali@pco-bcp.gc.ca Chad Hartnell, Director of Operations - chad.hartnell@pco-bcp.gc.ca
Public Services and Procurement Canada	Innovation Secretariat	Stephanie Kirkland, ADM, Pay Administration - TPSGC.DGAPINNOVATION-PABINNOVATION.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.
Public Services and Procurement Canada	Innovation Zone (Office of the Chief Transformation Officer)	TPSGC.dgsizoneinnovation-isbinnovationzone.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Quebec Federal Council	Laboratoire d'innovation du Conseil Fédéral du Québec	simon.morin@canada.ca
Transport Canada	Innovation Centre	TC.Innovationcentre-centredinnovation.TC@tc.gc.ca
Transport Canada	Service Innovation Centre of Excellence	irwin.bess@tc.gc.ca
Treasury Board Secretariat	Canadian Digital Service	cds-snc@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Treasury Board Secretariat	Centre for Regulatory Innovation	cri-cir@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Veteran's Affairs Canada	VAC Innovation Hub	Elizabeth Douglas, Director General, Innovation, Strategic Oversight and Communications - elizabeth.douglas@veterans.gc.ca