CIPO Business Strategy 2013 - Inspired by Innovation. Committed to Success.

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A Framework for Action

Message from the Chief Executive Officer

Business Strategy Update (2013-2014): From Vision to Action

I am pleased to present the annual update of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) Business Strategy that was launched in 2012 with a five-year horizon. We have had a very good first year.

It was a year of discovery as CIPO embarked on an ambitious path articulated in our new vision: Our leadership and expertise in intellectual property support creativity, enhance innovation and contribute to economic success. The foundation to deliver on this vision is now soundly laid.

This vision signalled the convergence of two critical realities:

• One, that economic prosperity in a global economy is driven by new ideas and knowledge-based industries, and the value of many Canadian firms increasingly depends on their intangible assets, including patents, trademarks, copyright, and industrial designs.
• Two, as intellectual property (IP) rights encourage new knowledge and innovation, CIPO has a key role to play in supporting the government's overall agenda of improving Canada's growth and enhancing our economic competitiveness. What we do and more important how we do it supports innovators directly. The speed, quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the administration of Canada's IP system can affect whether or not ideas are successfully commercialized and brought to market.

We had the great opportunity to meet with innovators—our customers—across Canada to understand their needs, their expectations and the barriers they face in effectively using and leveraging IP to support their business goals. These insights on the requirements of innovators and the innovation cycle in which they operate are now driving CIPO's priorities and performance goals.

We have also engaged other key players in the innovation cycle—universities, colleges, incubators and accelerators—to comprehend better their particular needs and what role CIPO can play in supporting the commercialization of ideas and improving brand value. Many of the themes raised by those that CIPO has met with were echoed by a Parliamentary committee that heard from over 50 expert witnesses for its report on the IP regime in Canada. Recommendations specific to CIPO's business centered on the need for quality, timeliness, reduced red tape, supporting international business activity, and more concerted awareness and outreach efforts to enable innovators to make better informed decisions about where and when to file and what options are available to them.

Over the last year, I was equally struck by the level of personal commitment CIPO employees have for the vision and the values we espouse as trusted partners in building an innovative Canadian economy, as proud employees of CIPO, and as individuals who value diversity and show respect for each other and customers.

This discovery year confirms the path we have taken and we will continually refine our approaches with your feedback. While we have learned a lot, we have also accomplished a lot:

• Continuous improvement efforts resulted in a material reduction in turnaround times throughout CIPO.
• CIPO made progress in reducing its inventory of unexamined applications and productivity continues to trend upwards.
• Nearly 200 small and medium-sized enterprises were engaged in roundtable discussions across Canada.
• A customer segmentation framework was developed that will allow CIPO to more easily identify the needs of innovators.
• CIPO's IP case studies were evaluated and an action plan was implemented with a view to better serve the education community through improved delivery mechanisms.
• Regulatory packages were developed that are designed to reduce administrative complexity and better reflect modern business practices.
• Several Patent Prosecution Highway pilot projects were extended, increasing the benefits of work sharing.
• A Centre of Expertise was established to assist managers with change initiatives and support the workforce in being more adept and thriving in times of change.
• A new e-service offering was launched that allows CIPO clients to view their payment transaction history online.
• A Business Improvement Services Centre of Expertise was created to support Lean activities that create operational efficiencies and value for our customers.

Going forward, CIPO will continue to deepen its commitment to supporting customers and business success. In the coming year we will undertake the following activities:

• Take concrete actions to reduce application turnaround times while maintaining or improving product quality.
• Continue to modernize our regulatory framework so that it reduces red tape, becomes more responsive to CIPO's customers and better reflects modern business practices.
• Align ourselves with international IP systems and practices to better serve businesses that operate on a global stage.
• Continue to modernize our Information Technology (IT) systems to ensure that our tools are responsive to both our workforce and customers.
• Continue to improve our workforce by making learning opportunities more accessible while encouraging employee engagement and recognition.
• Continue connecting with customers and those in the innovation cycle to ensure that we continually understand and are responsive to their evolving needs.

I invite you to take a look at the CIPO Business Strategy roadmap that shows what we have accomplished as well as the concrete steps we will be taking this year and beyond to reach our vision.

We are inspired by innovation and committed to success.

Sylvain Laporte
Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trademarks and Chief Executive Officer

Initiative Timelines - Pillars and Goals

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