Measuring Collaboration Mechanisms in the Canadian Space Sector

Innovation in space science and technology involves interactions among players from the public and private sectors. Interinstitutional and intersectoral collaborations have been proven to stimulate innovative activities and improve their outcomes in many activity sectors. The government of Canada, including its designated agency for space-related affairs, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), is one of the major players in the Canadian space sector and has played an important role in encouraging these collaborations. Consequently, Canadian government organizations emphasize the importance of interinstitutional collaboration in accelerating innovation, promoting spin-offs, and ensuring sustainable funding for research and innovation programs. How should collaborations be measured, reported on, and evaluated? Measuring the extent of collaboration is challenging due to the variety of collaboration mechanisms and the degree to which organizations report on their interactions. The space sector also has specificities that call for a distinct methodology: the culture of secrecy, publication practices, the competitive advantage of certain collaborations, the limited funding available, and so on. This article will present a methodology for studying collaborations in the Canadian space sector using bibliometric data, surveys, and publicly available CSA contract data. Mapping these datasets will help identify the extent of interinstitutional collaborations, cross-fertilization between terrestrial and space research, and the impact of CSA funding on research outputs. Results from three case studies will be presented: Space Medicine and Life Sciences, Space Robotics and Rovers, and Earth Observation. Impact measurements not only play an important role in justifying stakeholders' investments, but also help clarify the innovation patterns and efficiency of the various mechanisms used.