Canadian SMEs with formal IP strategies are 4x more likely to export and 2x as likely to experience high growth.
Yet, many lack access to the resources and policies they need to succeed.
Canada has a unique opportunity to secure its position as a leader in the global knowledge economy—but only if we address the systemic challenges in our IP ecosystem.
That’s why, in partnership with Intellectual Property Ontario, we convened over 200 industry leaders, policymakers, academia and entrepreneurs at the 2024 IP Summit in December to discuss practical solutions for empowering Canadian innovators to overcome these challenges.
Today, we’re proud to publish Volume 1 of the 2024 IP Summit Key Takeaways, which highlights some of the Freedom to Operate challenges facing Canadian innovators and actionable steps we can take to ensure a prosperous future.
The report contains:
🔒 Key Challenges Identified:
- Freedom to Operate: Over 50% of Canadian IP is foreign owned, putting domestic innovators at a disadvantage. SMEs struggle with legal and competitive barriers, leaving them unable to scale their innovations globally.
- Commercialization Gap: While Canada produces 4% of the world’s scientific research, less than 1% translates into owned IP.
- Outdated Policies: Canada is one of only two developed nations lacking policies on federally funded research ownership.
🔑 The Path Forward:
- Modernize IP Policies: Prevent early foreign buyouts and create frameworks that enable SMEs to retain and scale their IP globally.
- Strengthen IP Infrastructure: Provide SMEs with tools, expertise, and resources to navigate IP challenges and increase their Freedom to Operate.
- Collaborate Across Sectors: Unite policymakers, academia, and industry leaders to align efforts and close Canada’s IP gap.
The insights from the 2024 IP Summit are a call to action for all of us.
By modernizing policies, building robust infrastructure, and fostering collaboration, we can secure Canada’s position as a global innovation leader.
Download Volume 1: Navigating the Intangible Economy
