Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; French: Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada; ISDE)[NB 1] is a department of the Government of Canada. ISED is responsible for a number of the federal government's functions in regulating industry and commerce, promoting science and innovation, and supporting economic development. The department was known as Industry Canada (IC) prior to 2015.
The department is led by the Minister of Industry (currently Mélanie Joly[4]), who also serves as the Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. Several other ministerial portfolios are associated with the department.[5] While the minister is head of the department, and provides policy/political direction, the day-to-day operations of the department are managed by the deputy minister, who is a public servant. The department headquarters are located at the C.D. Howe Building at 235 Queen Street in Ottawa, Ontario.
History
The Department of Trade and Commerce was created in statute on 23 June 1887 and proclaimed into force on 3 December 1892. In 1969, the department was replaced by the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce, which itself was replaced in 1990 by Industry, Science and Technology. This new department also absorbed the offices of Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion and Minister of State for Science and Technology, marking the inclusion of regional approaches and scientific emphasis in the development of Canadian industries. In 1993, the department expanded its portfolio further to include Consumer and Corporate Affairs.[6] In March 1995, the department was renamed Industry Canada.
Upon the November 2015 installation of the 29th Canadian Ministry led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the position Minister of Industry was renamed Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development. Subsequently, applied title under the Federal Identity Program was changed from Industry Canada to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.[7][8]
In May 2025, following the installation of the 30th Canadian Ministry led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Ministerial title responsible for the ISED portfolio was reverted back to Minister of Industry. In addition, the Carney administration brought major reforms to the federal cabinet, including a historically smaller cabinet[9] and the establishment, for the first-time in Canadian history,[10] of a minister responsible for artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
The department at large is headed by the Minister of Industry, Mélanie Joly.[5]
Four portfolios of ISED are designated to other ministers, however:[5]
Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Secretary of State (Rural Development)
Portfolio
ISED oversees 17 departments and agencies and is associated with an additional 4 organizations. Each of these organizations are related to one or more of the four focus areas of ISED: innovation in science and technology, trade and investment, growing small and medium-sized enterprises, and economic growth of Canadian communities.[11]
The departmental legislation for ISED is the Department of Industry Act,[13] which states that the minister's objective is to use their role in order to "strengthen the national economy and promote sustainable development."[14] The Act also outlines a number of supporting objectives. The minister must also use their position to support domestic trade and support a healthy marketplace through investment and technology.[14]
As of 2021[update], ISED is responsible for various legislation, especially those related to economic development, including:[15]
^Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department ofIndustry (French: Ministère de l’Industrie).
