Building Canada’s Brain Capital

Building Canada’s Brain Capital is part of PPF’s Build Big Talent project. 

A flourishing Canada depends on more than just improving productivity, competitiveness and GDP growth. It depends on the health, skills and the creativity of its people.

Brain capital brings these strengths together. At the Public Policy Forum, we are examining how public policy can help people learn, adapt and contribute throughout their lives, including as technological upheaval profoundly impacts the way we work.

Brain capital — a  made-in-Canada concept that was developed in 2011 by the late Hon. Michael H. Wilson and Bill Wilkerson — is the sum of brain health and brain skills. This concept provides a framework for understanding how people develop the capabilities needed to thrive throughout their lifespans, from early childhood education to successful cognitive aging. These capabilities include critical thinking, creativity, judgment, resilience, collaboration and problem-solving, all of which contribute to personal success, workforce participation, innovation and economic growth.

As the birthplace of the brain capital concept, Canada has a unique opportunity to build on its strengths in research, talent and innovation, and advance a made-in-Canada approach that positions brain capital as a foundation for both economic prosperity and a flourishing Canada.

What is missing to deliver a brain capital-led approach is a coherent policy framework that translates what we know about brain health and brain skills into practical action to support Canadian talent and cohesive societies. Central to this work is the question of how greater policy coherence and institutional alignment across governments, employers and other sectors can translate Canada’s brain capital advantage into tangible improvements in the lives of Canadians.

The project will explore how Canada can maximize its brain capital advantage in an era of social disruption and rapidly evolving technologies, while ensuring that public policy keeps human agency, dignity and potential at the centre of decision-making. The project builds on our five-point policy framework for a Canadian brain capital strategy:

1. Establish a clear vision for a Canadian brain capital strategy. 

2. Define guiding principles and strategic objectives for Canada’s brain capital advantage. 

3. Clarify the roles, responsibilities and governance mechanisms of brain capital institutions. 

4. Support evidence-based decision-making on the socio-economic dimensions of brain capital. 

5. Promote coordination across stakeholders and jurisdictions already working in the brain skills and brain health domains. 

This work draws on PPF President and CEO Inez Jabalpurwala’s over 25 years of leadership in translating brain capital from concept to implementation in workplace mental health, talent development and innovation. It also builds on close engagement with Dr. Andrew Nevin, Director of the Center for Brain Health and co-author of “Flourishing in Canada”, and leverages PPF’s expertise in research, convening and cross-sector collaboration.  

By bringing together leaders from across government, business, education, research and civil society, the project will identify practical actions that strengthen brain capital as a foundation for resilience, adaptability and lifelong success. Ultimately, the goal is to build a pan-Canadian strategy that positions brain capital as foundational infrastructure for a flourishing Canada in which people have the opportunity to learn, adapt, contribute and thrive as part of Canada’s talent advantage.