If Ottawa has gone from a city of 20th century civil servants to a high-tech capital of the 21st century, it is largely thanks to Peter Morand. As a token of his appreciation, one of the streets in the Ottawa Bioscience Technology Park, which he helped to found, was named after him.
Prior to becoming CEO of the Canadian Science and Technology Growth Fund, Mr. Morand devoted much of his 40-year career to helping Canadian scientists and engineers. Upon his arrival at the University of Ottawa as a researcher and professor of chemistry, he worked to create links between the academic world and the business community. As Dean of what was then the Faculty of Science and Engineering from 1976 to 1980, he helped found the Office of Research Development and the Cooperative Education Program at the University. He also set up the Research Service and developed a computer program to identify researchers with specific expertise in order to put them in contact with external sources of funding. Later, when he was vice-rector for university relations and development at the University, Mr. Morand expanded the Service's role by entrusting it with funding research chairs, establishing partnerships with industry and the organization of transdisciplinary activities.
In 1990, as President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), he contributed to the drafting of a national policy for science and technology and he consolidated the links between university researchers and the Canadian industry.