Canadian Agencies Unite to Launch National Intellectual Property Education Framework

A coalition of more than a dozen organizations from across Canada has announced a collaborative effort to bolster intellectual property (IP) education and awareness for businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide. The partnership includes federal and provincial agencies, technology accelerators, and innovation-support organizations spanning British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and Atlantic Canada.

Konstantinos Georgaras, head of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), emphasized the importance of IP knowledge, stating, “Strong IP knowledge helps turn ideas into economic impact.” This collaboration seeks to create a more coordinated ecosystem to assist innovators in understanding and leveraging their intellectual property effectively.

Federal Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly highlighted the strategic significance of the initiative, noting, “Canada’s strength depends on our ability to develop, protect, and scale the ideas and technologies that drive our economy.” She further remarked, “Through this agreement, IP stakeholders have committed to collaborating in the advancement of available, accessible IP education tools.”

Minister Joly added, “By working together, aligning around shared priorities, and drawing on the unique strengths and needs of our regions, we can create a more connected IP ecosystem and help ensure Canadian innovation contributes to Canada’s long-term prosperity, resilience, and competitiveness.”

Among the local participants are New Ventures BC Society, Innovate BC, and DIGITAL. Peter Cowan, CEO of Innovate BC, underscored the need for comprehensive IP understanding, stating, “Canada’s ability to compete globally depends not only on developing breakthrough innovations, but on ensuring innovators understand how to protect and leverage the intellectual property behind them.”

Cowan elaborated, “By strengthening IP education and strategy across the country, we can help more Canadian companies capture and retain the value they create, scale with confidence, and build globally competitive businesses rooted in Canada.” He described the collaboration as “an important step toward creating a more coordinated innovation ecosystem that equips entrepreneurs with the tools they need to turn ideas into lasting economic impact.”

Other organizations involved in the project include Intellectual Property Ontario, Axelys, Communitech, MAIN Accélérer l’innovation au Québec, Innovate Calgary, Springboard Atlantic, North Forge, Invest Ottawa, Research Manitoba, and the Innovation Asset Collective.

Angie Schick, Executive Director of New Ventures BC, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, saying, “We’re excited to collaborate across Canada to build a stronger, IP-ready startup ecosystem.” She added, “By sharing our resources, we’re creating a unified education pathway that empowers Canadian businesses to ideate, scale, and lead.”

The agreement outlines plans for participating organizations to develop a common approach to IP education, establish a shared national competency framework to organize content consistently, and exchange best practices and insights.

Rhonda Barnet, Interim CEO at DIGITAL, stressed the practical necessity of the initiative, stating, “To compete globally, Canadian innovators need more than awareness. They need a strong foundation of practical IP capability.”

Barnet concluded, “This collaborative partnership strengthens IP maturity across the ecosystem and aligns with our commitment to fostering strong IP and data capabilities so that innovators can build, protect, and leverage their intangible assets, compete globally, and ensure the benefits of innovation stay here in Canada.”