MINISTRY OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
ONTARIO By Shawn Lawrence
NEW MINISTRY, NEW MINISTER, NEW APPROACH
Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation Reza Moridi. Photo: Catherine J Capek Photography
On February 11, 2013, the title of Premier of Ontario officially passed from Dalton McGuinty to Kathleen Wynne, and one of her first acts in office was a renewal of the cabinet serving alongside her. Among the more noteworthy changes to cabinet was the re-establishment of a Ministry devoted to Innovation. And with that, the Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) is back in the game. The person heading up this new incarnation of MRI is Reza Moridi, an awardwinning scientist, engineer, educator, business leader and community activist who represents the riding of Richmond Hill. Born in Azerbaijani-populated city of Urmia in Iran, Moridi was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2007, and was re-elected in 2011. He moved to Canada with his family in 1990, and has lived in Richmond Hill since 1991. In his prior life, Moridi was a nuclear energy spe-
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Biotechnology Focus / April 2013
cialist, but before long, the call of public service was too much to ignore. “I’ve had a passion for politics ever since I was a young boy and that passion has only grown stronger. Coming from a very troubled area of the world, Canada opened its arms to me and to members of my community and for many years I felt as though I owed Canada so much and needed to give, and that’s why I ran for office. Taking on this post is equally important.” Interestingly, Premier Wynne has chosen a scientist to head up MRI. This is a fact Moridi is fully aware of as he takes the reins of MRI at a critical juncture. Indeed, his appointment is welcome news to scientists and science-based businesses
in Ontario that have long laboured to get themselves heard by government, but have struggled with a communication gap that exists between what the research and business communities want from government and what government can provide. In some instances, the message of what is wanted can be lost in translation. As a scientist, Moridi sees himself equipped to understand the message coming from industry and scientists alike. He is also able to understand and appreciate the connection between research, business and the economy. This stems from a long career in academia serving as the Dean of the School of Sciences, Chair of the Physics Department, University Chief Librarian and as member of the Senate at Alzahra University in Tehran. The Minister has co-authored over 150 research papers, technical reports, training manuals and articles. He has also presented at scientific conferences all over the world. He believes his background in science will give him a leg up on his predecessors in heading up this Ministry. Coupled with his background in business (Moridi has also worked as a CEO and Chair in the electrical industry), his experience will make it easier to engage with the scientific and business communities, to connect the dots so to speak. “I fully understand the research community and the lab environment because that’s where I worked for a number of years personally as a student, as a professor, as a researcher, and as a supervisor of students. And I’ve never forgotten my scientific roots. I was also a business executive for a few years, and understand how businesses operate. This background gives me a unique opportunity to bridge the divide that exists between industry, the scientific community and also the political decision makers,” he explained. The Ministry of Research and Innovation like Minister Moridi has also undergone its own sort of evolution, having amalgamated with Ministry of Economic
