The Missing Middle Podcast Fixing Canada’s Health Data Rules Without Killing Innovation
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Dec 17, 2025 Are Canada's health data rules stifling innovation? Discover how outdated privacy laws and excessive alignment with EU regulations may harm the life sciences sector. Explore the 'Brussels Effect' and its global implications on Canada's regulatory environment. Learn why modern health innovation hinges on massive data access and how the fragmented rules across provinces lead to inefficiency. Plus, see what Canada can learn from innovative approaches in Japan and Singapore that balance data sharing with privacy protection.
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EU Rules Become Global Defaults
- The Brussels Effect means EU rules often become global standards because companies adapt to access its market.
- This can export Europe's precaution-focused approach and stifle innovation elsewhere, including Canada.
Trade Push Drives Regulatory Alignment
- Canada is pursuing more trade beyond the U.S., pushing regulatory harmonization with big markets like the EU.
- That trade logic makes adopting foreign rules tempting, even if those rules don't suit Canada's innovation goals.
Data Is The Fuel For Health Innovation
- Canadian life sciences need massive, linked datasets from hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and devices to innovate.
- Outdated federal and numerous provincial rules create red tape that blocks cross‑institutional research and product development.
