To make access to intellectual property more equitable, together

At MAIN, we believe that innovation can only be truly powerful if it is inclusive. With this in mind, we commissioned Élance to analyze the barriers to intellectual property (IP) access faced by underrepresented entrepreneurs—women, people of color, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, or those living in rural areas.

This post shares the key findings of the report, but above all the concrete avenues that will guide our actions in the coming months.

momentumPI aims to democratize access to intellectual property by supporting innovative entrepreneurs in their strategy. But without an inclusive approach, we risk reproducing systemic inequalities rather than correcting them.

This mandate therefore sheds light on an important gray area in our work and, above all, gives us concrete tools to do better.

The analysis conducted by Élance is unequivocal: there are profound and structural disparities in access to IP in Quebec.

Some highlights:

• The IP system is perceived as complex, opaque, and impersonal.
• 65% of respondents cite high costs as the main barrier to accessing intellectual property-related services.
• Only 26% of women surveyed know someone who has registered a PI (compared to 64% among non-marginalized women). The percentage is even lower for racialized people (25%) and members of LGBTQIA2S+ communities (17%).
• The percentage of people who feel very or completely included in the entrepreneurial ecosystem is 45% among women, 30% among racialized people, and 25% among immigrants, compared to nearly 60% among non-marginalized people.

Here are some of the levers identified:

1. Provide support to the entrepreneurial ecosystem to better respond to the diversity of entrepreneurial profiles (industry, knowledge, identities, etc.).
2. Simplify, popularize, and centralize IP information to facilitate access at every stage (especially upstream) and to reach rural communities.
3. Promote diverse models of innovation from underrepresented profiles, sectors, and regions, and seek out diverse testimonials and experts.
4. Create inclusive networking and exchange spaces that are tailored to identity and regional realities.
5. Adapt approaches by co-developing tools with the groups concerned, according to their specific needs.

Discover all the recommendations and even more findings by downloading the full report.

We have a unique opportunity to correct the blind spots in the system and build a fairer ecosystem. Implementing these recommendations will contribute significantly to the creation of a fairer, more equitable, and more inclusive intellectual property and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At MAIN, we are committed to:

• Integrate the report's recommendations into the development of momentumPI.
• Working with our partners to adapt tools, training, and practices.
• Co-creating solutions with the entrepreneurs concerned

This work is essential. Not only to better serve all entrepreneurs, but also to ensure that Quebec's innovation truly reflects its human potential. momentumPI can and must be a lever to achieve this, and now is the time to act.
That is why we recently announced a partnership with the CDEC de Québec to offer their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training to our network.