IP protection practices by manufacturing firms

Canadian manufacturing firms fall into two groups: The first uses patents and trademarks as a part of successful innovation strategy consisting of regular R&D financed by R&D grants and tax credits introducing world-first innovations. These are usually large firms in the technology-intensive core sector. The second group includes firms of all sizes in all sectors that rely mostly on trade secrets. They typically transfer technology from abroad by introducing Canada-first innovations and rely on government information services more than on R&D grants and tax credits.