$8 Million in IP Funding to Support Ontario-Based Canadian Research and Innovation

For Ontario, and Canada, to remain competitive in a global marketplace universities, start-ups, and research funders, must recognize that invention alone is insufficient. Time and money spent on innovation must be accompanied by a disciplined and proactive approach to identifying, protecting, and commercializing intellectual property (IP) — and this practice must be embedded across the research lifecycle if Ontario is to fully capture the value of its innovation system. Thankfully, Ontario has a plan, an Intellectual Property Action Plan to be precise, that continues to evolve. 

Ontario’s updated commitment to IP commercialization, announced on April 29, 2026, marks a meaningful update and affirmation of the principles set out in Ontario's Intellectual Property Action Plan, first articulated in 2020. This recent announcement confirms that the provincial government will invest up to $8 million through Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) to expand IP supports for publicly funded research institutions which includes universities. This builds on a successful pilot program and brings total provincial investment in post-secondary IP support under the Plan to more than $17.5 million. The stated objective is clear: to ensure that discoveries made in Ontario “start here, scale here, and stay here,” generating jobs, attracting investment, and strengthening the provincial economy. 

In practical terms, the expanded IP funding program introduces several important tools. Most notably, IPON will co-invest in research-driven IP, covering up to 80% of eligible protection costs. This materially lowers a longstanding barrier to early-stage patenting activity within universities and spinouts. The announcement also includes an Innovation Fellowship Pilot Program to support up to 180 entrepreneurs with funding, training, and IP education, alongside enhanced collaboration on technology transfer and commercialization services across institutions. 

These developments build on IPON’s broader mandate as a provincial agency established to help researchers and businesses generate, protect, manage, and commercialize IP more effectively. At its core, IPON reflects a simple but powerful principle: “you can’t sell what you don’t own.” By combining funding, education, and access to expert advice, the program aims to embed IP as a strategic asset within Ontario’s innovation economy rather than an afterthought. 

To appreciate the significance of this expansion, it is worth revisiting Ontario’s 2020 Intellectual Property Action Plan. That initiative was the province’s first coordinated attempt to prioritize IP generation, protection, and commercialization as a driver of economic competitiveness. It responded to structural challenges within Canada’s innovation ecosystem, including declining patent filings by academic institutions and relatively low IP ownership among SMEs. 

The plan emphasized improving IP literacy, clarifying the role of commercialization offices, and creating centralized access to legal and strategic IP expertise. The establishment of IPON in 2022—and its continued expansion through the 2026 funding announcement—represents a deliberate shift from policy development to implementation. Ontario is no longer simply encouraging better IP outcomes; it is actively funding and structuring them.

For in-house IP managers and research leaders at universities, the implications are both strategic and operational. Academic publication remains a cornerstone of university activity, but it does not, on its own, generate protection or exclusive rights. Without timely filing of patents, industrial designs, or other IP rights, valuable discoveries risk entering the public domain and becoming difficult to commercialize.

The persistent challenge in Ontario—and more broadly across Canada—is not a lack of innovation, but a gap in IP capture. Universities produce world-class research outputs, yet IP filings have not consistently kept pace. Addressing this gap requires more than funding; it requires process discipline, cultural alignment, and access to experienced IP professionals who can identify protectable subject matter early and translate it into robust rights.

Technology transfer offices (TTOs) sit at the centre of this effort. They play a critical role in bridging academic research and commercial outcomes, supporting invention disclosure, patenting, licensing, and spin-out formation. However, the increasing scale of IPON-funded activity places additional pressure on TTOs to triage opportunities effectively and to deploy resources where they will have the greatest impact — and to utilize the services of IP professionals to help execute and provide additional overflow capacity.

This environment highlights the importance of close collaboration between TTOs and external IP counsel. Effective patent strategies are not limited to filing applications; they involve shaping claim scope, sequencing filings across jurisdictions, aligning protection with commercialization pathways, and building portfolios that support investment and licensing. These are specialised capabilities that complement the technical expertise within universities and the operational focus of TTOs.

Marks & Clerk’s experience working with universities and research bodies reflects these realities. Technology transfer offices play an essential role in translating academic discoveries into tangible commercial opportunities. Supporting this process requires a combination of legal expertise, commercial awareness, and sector-specific insight. To that end, Marks & Clerk has developed a body of thought leadership and practical guidance, available through our dedicated resource hubs for TTOs and universities and research institutions.

For Ontario stakeholders, the convergence of policy support through IPON and professional expertise in the private sector presents a timely opportunity. Universities can reassess internal invention disclosure processes, align publication and patenting strategies, and leverage available funding to expand their IP portfolios. Start-ups and research funders can similarly benefit from earlier and more structured engagement with IP strategy as a driver of enterprise value.

For policymakers, the 2026 investment signals continued commitment to ensuring that Ontario captures the benefits of its own innovation. For institutions and innovators, it underscores the importance of execution: identifying inventions early, protecting them effectively, and positioning them for commercialization. And for IP professionals, it reinforces the opportunity—and responsibility—to act as strategic partners in translating research into real-world impact.

Ultimately, Ontario’s innovation advantage will turn not just on the quality of its research, but on its ability to systematically capture, protect, and leverage the intellectual property that flows from it. Marks & Clerk's  team of patent agents in our Toronto and Ottawa offices are recognized IP Ontario service providers and are well positioned to assist Ontario-based universities and research institutes to capitalize on this momentum and funding opportunity.