On November 4, 2025, the Government of Canada released its 2025 Budget (“Budget 2025”), which introduces measures aimed at boosting innovation, productivity and infrastructure across Canada. Budget 2025 includes plans to generate and retain intellectual property (IP) in Canada and seize the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).
For example, Budget 2025 proposes to protect Canadian IP and support Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises to commercialise and leverage their intangible assets by:
- Providing $84.4 million over four years, starting in 2026-27, to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to extend the Elevate IP program, as well as $22.5 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to renew support for the Innovation Asset Collective’s Patent Collective;
- Providing $75 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to the National Research Council to extend the IP Assist Program;
- Conducting IP performance reviews to find opportunities to support growing IP firms, boost domestic investment, retain and commercialize IP in Canada and assist businesses in expanding their IP into foreign markets; and
- Improving legal certainty and transparency in the IP system to help facilitate more intellectual property backed lending and limit abusive behaviour.
Budget 2025 also identifies AI as a key enabler of opportunity for Canadians. Accordingly, Budget 2025 proposes to use AI to create opportunities for Canadians by:
- Providing $925.6 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, to support the development of sovereign public AI infrastructure;
- Enabling the Canada Infrastructure Bank to invest in AI infrastructure projects and allow the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation to engage with industry to identify new AI infrastructure projects;
- Allocating $25 million over six years, starting in 2025-26, and $4.5 million ongoing for Statistics Canada to implement the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Measurement Project (“TechStat”). TechStat will be used to help understand the impacts of AI by measuring how AI is being used by organizations; and
- Exploring options for the National Research Council of Canada’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre to attract private investment, grow its operations and support Canadian innovation and new photonic applications.
The full text of Budget 2025 is available here.
Summary By: Victoria Di Felice
E-TIPS® ISSUE
Disclaimer: This Newsletter is intended to provide readers with general information on legal developments in the areas of e-commerce, information technology and intellectual property. It is not intended to be a complete statement of the law, nor is it intended to provide legal advice. No person should act or rely upon the information contained in this newsletter without seeking legal advice.
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