Groundbreaking Partnership for Canadian Mining Innovation
The Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) and Marks & Clerk have forged a two-year associate partnership aimed at providing intellectual property (IP) services to members of the Mining Innovation Commercialisation Accelerator (MICA) Network in Canada.
Source: s.yimg.com
CEMI, a renowned centre for excellence in mining innovation, manages the MICA Network, which was launched in July 2021 with the support of the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund. The MICA Network is a $300 million innovation ecosystem that seeks to accelerate the commercialisation of advanced mining technologies.
Under the agreement, Marks & Clerk, a leading IP firm with operations in Toronto and Ottawa, has been designated as the preferred provider of IP expertise for the MICA Network. This strategic partnership is set to revolutionise the way Canadian mining innovators approach IP protection and commercialisation.
Members of the MICA Network will have direct access to Marks & Clerk’s team of lawyers and agents, who will offer legal, technical, and commercial support in securing and managing IP rights. This includes tailored workshops focused on mining IP issues, monthly advisory sessions, and joint efforts to measure and share knowledge regarding IP success among network members.
According to CEMI President and CEO Douglas Morrison, ‘Today, more than 90% of the value of leading global companies resides in intellectual property and other intangible assets – not in their buildings, equipment, or operations.’ He further emphasized that if Canada is serious about building globally competitive mining technology companies, it must help innovators not only develop breakthrough solutions but also protect and commercialise the intellectual property that underpins their long-term success.
The addition of dedicated IP assistance is intended to strengthen Canadian control over new mining technologies and the related IP. This will help maintain the country’s economic stability and support the management of resource extraction methods and critical mineral supply chains.
Marks & Clerk Canada partner Kevin Shipley noted that Canada is rich with natural resources and Canadian mining companies are highly innovative and rich in intangible assets – from proprietary technologies to specialised know-how and data and AI. ‘Marks & Clerk can help MICA member companies transform intangibles into intellectual property assets that can be leveraged for significant commercial advantage,’ he said.
