By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)
This brief blog post presents IBM’s lobbying communication reports through the months of January and February 2023. As noted in an earlier company profile blog post featuring IBM, the lobbying practices of IBM Canada have not received as much journalistic attention as other large tech companies like Uber, Netflix, and Google. This blog post uses news articles to and information from IBM’s Registry of Lobbyists profile. In January and February 2023, IBM logged a total of five communications reports with various government officials. Each communication report was about “science and technology.” IBM’s profile with the Registry of Lobbyists notes that the company communicates “with government officials about the Strategic Innovation Fund (“SIF”), more specifically funding for innovation.” The SIF “provides major investments in innovative projects that will help grow Canada’s economy for the well-being of all Canadians.” The fund is developed to support “research, development, and commercialization of new products and services” and to attract new investments to Canada that will create jobs, as well as “public-private partnerships to develop and demonstrate new technologies.” IBM’s January and February 2023 lobbying communications may have been about the recent passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, a Canada-US agreement “to facilitate investment to promote secure and resilient semiconductor supply chains, creating jobs in both countries.” Charles Manel reported that IBM and that Canadian government agreed to a “significant investment to develop new and expanded packaging and testing capabilities at its Bromont facility.” This development will allow Canada to contribute to the development of semiconductors and printed circuit boards in North America.
IBM January 2023 Communication Reports
| Communication Date | Lobbied | Subject Matters | Responsible Officer |
| 2023-01-20 | Ian Foucher, Chief of Staff Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Science and Technology | Dave McCann |
IBM February 2023 Communication Reports
| Communication Date | Lobbied | Subject Matters | Responsible Officer |
| 2023-02-02 | Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry House of Commons | Science and Technology | Dave McCann |
| 2023-02-16 (Update) | Boyan Gerasimov, Director of Policy Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Mitch Davies, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister & Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Anson Duran, Senior Policy Advisor Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Françis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Science and Technology | Dave McCann |
| 2023-02-22 | Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for Brome—Missisquoi House of Commons | Science and Technology | Dave McCann |
| 2023-02-27 | Mary Gregory, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Science and Technology | Dave McCann |