Quebec strengthens patent retention thanks to Axelys

According to a report by The Canadian Press in October 2023, efforts to better retain intellectual property from Quebec research are beginning to bear fruit. While an IRÉC report revealed that in 2020 only 40% of patented innovations developed by Quebec research s remained in local hands, the trend now shows a notable improvement. 

Quebec’s Chief Innovation Officer, Luc Sirois, and Axelys CEO Jesse Vincent-Herscovici point out that the challenge is not only to retain more intellectual property in the province, but also to produce more of it. The creation of Axelys in 2021, whose mission is to accelerate the development and transfer of innovations from public research, directly addresses this issue. 

Since its inception, Axelys has supported 67 technology transfers, 52 of which were to Quebec organizations. Of the 163 patent applications supported by the organization, 127 came from companies in the province, a rate of approximately 78%. These encouraging results demonstrate the strength of a model focused on support, networking, and the local promotion of knowledge. 

Read the full article in Les Affaires