Strong, Sovereign, Secure: CCI’s Recommendations to Improve Canada’s Economic Security

In response to the Government of Canada’s call for submissions on ways to strengthen Canada’s economic security, the Council of Canadian Innovators has developed a policy brief on behalf of our members.

Canada's economy operates within a global system where managing intangible assets like intellectual property is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. This intangible economy drives innovation and business success, but Canada risks falling behind without effective strategies to generate and protect its IP. To stay ahead, IP management must be woven into all areas of economic policy, from research to trade agreements.

Canada’s economic security depends on strengthening its industrial capabilities, which means boosting our ability to produce and export advanced goods and services. A decline in this economic complexity threatens our long-term prosperity and weakens our position as a key trade partner and ally. We must take action to modernize our competition policies to counter anti-competitive practices.

Global value chains (GVCs) are now central to the world economy. The pandemic exposed weaknesses in Canada’s supply chains, showing the need for a more secure system. Since supply chains are deeply tied to GVCs, Canada must map, assess, and manage the risks within these networks to protect its standard of living and address security threats.

There are several specific steps that Canada can take to make our economy more resilient within GVCs which are highly dependent on intangible assets.

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Recommendations from the Council of Canadian Innovators:

1. Protect Canadian ideas and our capacity to innovate by taking a sovereign, security-informed approach to IP, data, and other intangible assets to maximize freedom to operate.

2. Protect Canada’s global security interests and our economic competitiveness by mapping, assessing, and acting to strengthen our position in GVCs.

3. Protect Canada’s capability to respond to economic and security threats at home with a policy approach that sees our standard of living and trade and technological competitiveness as fundamentally linked.

4. Protect free, open markets in Canada by enhancing competition law enforcement.

Read the full policy brief with further details here.

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Contact médias :

Nick Schiavo
Director of Federal Affairs
‍nschiavo@canadianinnovators.org

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À propos du Conseil des innovateurs canadiens

Le Conseil des innovateurs canadiens est une organisation nationale basée sur ses membres qui remodèle la façon dont les gouvernements à travers le Canada pensent à la politique d'innovation, et qui soutient les entreprises d'envergure nationale pour stimuler la prospérité. Fondé en 2015, le CCI représente et travaille avec plus de 150 entreprises technologiques canadiennes à la croissance la plus rapide. Nos membres sont les chefs de la direction, les fondateurs et les cadres supérieurs qui sont à l'origine de certaines des entreprises à grande échelle les plus prospères du Canada. Tous nos membres sont des créateurs d'emplois et de richesses, des investisseurs, des philanthropes et des experts dans leurs domaines de la technologie de la santé, des technologies propres, de la fintech, de la cybersécurité, de l'IA et de la transformation numérique. Les entreprises de notre portefeuille sont leaders sur leur marché vertical, commercialisent leurs technologies dans plus de 190 pays et génèrent entre 10 et 750 millions de dollars de revenus annuels récurrents. Nous plaidons en leur nom pour des stratégies gouvernementales qui augmentent leur accès aux talents qualifiés, au capital stratégique et aux nouveaux clients, ainsi qu'à une liberté d'exploitation élargie pour leurs poursuites d'échelle à l'échelle mondiale.