Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

What Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada does

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is a Canadian federal government department, established in 2021 as the successor to the Department of Industry, that leads the federal Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio. Headquartered in Ottawa at 235 Queen Street (C.D. Howe Building) with a workforce of 5,001–10,000 employees, ISED coordinates six core operating entities: the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), Competition Bureau Canada, Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada, Measurement Canada, and Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC). Its mandate spans improving conditions for investment, enhancing innovation performance, increasing Canada's share of global trade, building competitive marketplaces, regulating telecommunications and broadcasting spectrum, and supervising bankruptcy administration.

The department operates a distributed digital services platform rather than a unified software product. Core technology assets include the Canadian Trademarks Database (weekly-updated searchable registry covering active and inactive marks with Nice classification and Vienna code filters), the My ISED Account self-service portal, the Business Grants and Financing Portal, the Trademarks Document Retrieval Service, and an AI-powered Business Assistant Chatbot. Underlying analytics runs on Siteimprove with AWS Frankfurt hosting, compliant with the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics. The department manages major funding instruments including the Strategic Innovation Fund, Universal Broadband Fund, Innovative Solutions Canada challenge program, Canadian Quantum Champions Program, and Canada Small Business Financing Program.

ISED is funded through parliamentary appropriations rather than commercial revenue, with specific services (e.g., trademark registrations) subject to Treasury Board cost-recovery fees. Customer segments are horizontal — all Canadian businesses (from startups to large enterprises) and Canadian consumers — plus secondary segments including AI researchers/companies and consumer advocacy groups. Distribution is primarily self-serve through digital portals with limited in-person service via the ISED Citizen Services Centre. Disclosed recent funding deployments exceed CAD $1.27 billion across industrial policy, broadband expansion, quantum computing, spectrum auctions, and procurement programs, including a CAD $317.6 million Telus spectrum auction, $530M+ to the NextStar Energy battery plant, and up to $23 million each to four quantum computing firms.

Name

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Legal name

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Website

https://ic.gc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is a federal government department that leads Canada's innovation, science, and economic development portfolio, serving Canadian businesses and consumers through intellectual property registration, spectrum licensing, broadband programs, and strategic industrial funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Public Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Government services
• Intellectual property registration
• Business financing programs
• Spectrum licensing
• Consumer protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is a Canadian federal government department that administers intellectual property registration (patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs) through the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, delivers business grants and financing programs including the Strategic Innovation Fund and Universal Broadband Fund, manages spectrum and telecommunications licensing, enforces competition and consumer protection regulations, and operates digital public service portals such as My ISED Account and the Canadian Trademarks Database for use by Canadian businesses and consumers.

Product overview

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is a federal government department, not a commercial product company. It operates a portfolio of interconnected government services and programs rather than a unified software product. The primary operational services include the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) which manages patents, trademarks, and copyrights through its online portal including the Canadian Trademarks Database; the Business Grants and Financing Portal providing access to federal business funding programs; My ISED Account for digital self-service; and various connectivity programs like the Universal Broadband Fund. ISED also administers strategic initiatives including the Strategic Innovation Fund, Innovative Solutions Canada challenges, and the Canadian Quantum Champions Program, along with digital inclusion programs and the Canada Small Business Financing Program. These services are delivered through the ised-isde.canada.ca platform and related sub-portals, with no commercial product architecture but rather a distributed set of government service delivery channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
• Canadian Trademarks Database
• Business Grants and Financing Portal
• Digital Inclusion Programs
• My ISED Account
• Universal Broadband Fund
• Strategic Innovation Fund
• Innovative Solutions Canada
• Canada Small Business Financing Program

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• CarbiCreteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026CarbiCrete received $1 million grant from ISED and NRC to support Phase 2 of the Low-Carbon Construction Materials Challenge. The Montreal-based company specializes in low-carbon concrete technology that replaces cement with steel-making by-products.
• NorthwestelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Northwestel received over $86 million in federal funding through the Universal Broadband Fund to bring high-speed internet to 11,650 households across all 25 communities in Nunavut using Telesat's LEO satellite constellation.
• Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026CAAIN announced a $9-million open competition for AgTech innovation funded from the federal Strategic Response Fund, administered by ISED, focusing on automation and smart farm platforms.
• CENGNminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026CENGN's first Living Lab Initiative cohort of nine Canadian startups received combined project values of $6.5 million with $2.6 million in ISED Strategic Response Fund support for technology commercialization.
• Xplore Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Xplore received $60 million in combined federal and provincial funding to expand 5G Ultra fixed wireless internet across rural Alberta through 400+ towers, targeting over 70,000 underserved households.
• Xanadu Quantum TechnologiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025Xanadu was selected for the Canadian Quantum Champions Program and will receive up to CAD $23 million in Phase 1 funding for fault-tolerant quantum computing development using their room-temperature photonic architecture.
• Nord QuantiqueflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025Nord Quantique will receive up to CA$23 million in Phase 1 funding from the Canadian Quantum Champions Program to develop scalable quantum computers and double team size in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
• Photonic Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025Vancouver-based Photonic was selected for Phase 1 of the Canadian Quantum Champions Program, receiving up to $23 million to advance distributed quantum computing systems.
• Marine ThinkingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2024Marine Thinking delivered the Marine Guardian Boat to Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council as part of an ISED and NRC project, supporting search and rescue operations with autonomous-equipped vessel.
• National Research Council of Canada (NRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRC is a portfolio organization under ISED's leadership. They collaborate on various innovation programs including the Canadian Quantum Champions Program benchmarking initiative and the Low-Carbon Construction Materials Challenge with Innovative Solutions Canada.
• Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIPO is a portfolio organization responsible for the administration and processing of intellectual property in Canada, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs. It operates as part of ISED's portfolio.
• Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRC is the Government of Canada's primary laboratory for research and development in wireless technologies, with focus on efficient exploitation of radio frequency spectrum. Part of ISED's portfolio.
• Competition Bureau CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn independent law enforcement agency ensuring Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace. Operates as an ISED portfolio organization.
• Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHERC drives innovation and boosts Canada's industrial capacity to advance leading-edge technologies and support the growth of the life sciences sector in Canada. Part of ISED's portfolio.
• Business Development Bank of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDC hosted webinar highlighting Canada's shipbuilding and industrial marine sector growth driven by federal investment through the National Shipbuilding Strategy with approximately $2.4 billion awarded to SMEs.
• Provincial and Territorial GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISED coordinates with provincial and territorial governments on economic development initiatives including broadband expansion, industrial development, and trade promotion programs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• US Department of Commerce: The closest U.S. analogue to ISED: a federal department overseeing industry, economic development, trade promotion, technology policy, and intellectual property, with sub-agencies like USPTO and NIST performing the equivalents of CIPO and Measurement Canada.
• US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): U.S. federal agency under Commerce that administers patents, trademarks, and IP registration — the direct U.S. counterpart to ISED's Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), which runs the Canadian Trademarks Database and IP filing services.
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC): U.S. independent agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable — the closest U.S. counterpart to ISED's spectrum licensing, telecommunications regulation, and broadcasting oversight functions (which generated the $317.6M Telus 3800MHz auction).
• UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT): Successor to BEIS, this UK department leads national policy on science, innovation, technology, and industrial strategy, including broadband/digital inclusion and R&D funding — directly comparable to ISED's portfolio of innovation, broadband, and strategic industrial funding programs.
• UK Intellectual Property Office: The UK's executive agency for patents, trademarks, designs, and copyright — an international counterpart to CIPO within ISED's portfolio, operating a comparable trademark/patent registry and IP filing services.

Regional players

• European Commission DG CONNECT: European Commission directorate responsible for digital economy, broadband/connectivity, spectrum coordination, and parts of innovation policy — comparable in scope to ISED's telecom/digital remit but operating at the EU supranational level rather than national.
• Innovation Norway: Norwegian government instrument for innovation grants, entrepreneurship, and business development, comparable in mandate to ISED's Business Grants and Financing Portal and Strategic Innovation Fund but operating at smaller scale and in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): UN agency that administers global IP treaties (Madrid, PCT) and operates international trademark/patent registries — a broader incumbent whose mandate overlaps with the cross-border IP services CIPO delivers within ISED's portfolio.

Others

• National Research Council of Canada (NRC): ISED's own portfolio organization and primary federal research lab partner — co-delivers programs such as the Low-Carbon Construction Materials Challenge with CarbiCrete and the Marine Guardian Boat project, making it an internal sibling rather than an external competitor.
• Competition Bureau Canada: Independent law enforcement agency operating inside ISED's portfolio that enforces competition law — comparable in function to the U.S. FTC's antitrust role, but here serving as a co-located agency under ISED rather than a peer organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISED_CA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IndustryCanadaGC
• Facebookfacebook.com/CanadianInnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ised-isde
• Instagraminstagram.com/cdninnovation

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments57 records

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Frequently asked questions about Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada