With standardization, Canada’s innovations reach new heights globally and at home. Standards help innovators commercialize their product or service, scale up, reduce development costs, and increase revenue. Since standards reflect the views of the people who develop them, participating in standardization also helps innovators to:
- shape their industry
- access and secure new markets
- drive innovation and improve productivity
- influence marketplace rules
- protect and exploit intellectual property
Intellectual Property and standardization
Protected intellectual property can be embedded into standards, making Canadian companies more competitive.
We collaborate with innovators and guide them along the path to standardization by:
- identifying promising innovations that would benefit from international standardization
- build the case internationally for why Canada should be entrusted to lead in developing relevant standards
- get support from key partners and approval for new work item proposals
- select and support Canadian innovators to be elected as chairs or secretaries of relevant technical committees to manage and guide the standards drafting process
- support Canadian innovators to better use their technology’s intellectual property to influence standards
- design supportive international certification and accreditation programs to increase access to international markets and facilitate regulatory compliance once standards are published
- engage Canadian regulators to ensure that new standards supporting Canadian innovations are referenced in relevant federal, provincial and territorial regulations and in procurement, where appropriate
Topics of interest
General Data Protection Regulation
Canadian organizations need to abide by this regulation if they offer goods or services to, or monitor the behaviour of, EU data subjects.
Clean technology
Clean technology innovation and commercialization is key to facing the challenges of climate change and enabling a net zero future.
SCC's Innovation Initiative: Propelling Canada to lead the Innovation Race
Whether it is a company that has developed a cutting-edge idea, or an established business that is adapting to stay relevant, innovation offers organizations the key to success. Read the Innovation Initiative final report to learn more about the program and Canadian innovation projects.
Articles
Fuelling innovation with standardization
Doc Brown fuelling the DeLorean with garbage to get “Back to the Future”—that’s what you might think of the first time you hear about Terragon’s MAGSTM device.
Standards and Intellectual Property: two peas in an innovative pod
Standardization and IP are both important strategic approaches to promoting innovation, facilitating market access, and developing competitiveness
Propelling Canada to lead the innovation race
Five years—more than 130 companies helped—Canadian leadership established internationally in standardization—amid a global pandemic: this is the story of the Innovation Initiative.
Case studies and news items
Case studies
SCC has worked with many innovators over the years. Find out how we help them navigate the standardization world.
SCC and BDC pair up to bolster Canadian business
SCC and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) have joined forces to broaden awareness of standardization and IP opportunities.
SCC and Canadian Intellectual Property Office join forces to boost Canadian innovation
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and the SCC have paired up, bolstering their partnership.
Videos
-
Peter Tsantrizos:
Well, a very simple way to look at it is if we're, if we have a new technology like the one you see behind me, the micro gasification system, if this was classified with the traditional ways, it would be classified as an incinerator. And, and as an incinerator it would require permitting that is really not suitable for this type of technology. And, uh, and there's really no way to actually define whether this equipment is safe because there was no standard related to it. So, Standards Council of Canada with participation from UL developed a standard that now anybody can use to utilize and implement this technology. So, a hotel for example, uses a number of boilers and a number of hot water heaters to produce the hot water needs. And now we can use MAGS as one of its boilers as compared to before that it would have to go through a special permit to actually be allowed to incinerate waste, which is a much different activity than actually using MAGS would be.
-
Michael Chatzigrigoriou:
So, from an iGEN perspective, there was a lot of value in us working with the Standards Council of Canada since we were able to have a standard that impacted our business directly in a positive way, uh, that gave us a competitive advantage over other products that are coming in to the same, uh, fold of the industry. So, this is not in any way being exclusive, but this is enabling iGEN to be a pioneer and support this important innovation as a made in Canada solution.
Explore and get involved
Get involved in standards development
By participating in standardization and shaping the standards of tomorrow, you can become a global leader at the very forefront of your industry, while helping to advance the health, safety and economic well-being of all Canadians.
Find and buy standards
Browse our database to search for published National Standards of Canada and international standards. You can also search for Other Recognized Documents. Find out where to buy the standards you need.
Learn about accreditation
We offer a wide range of internationally recognized accreditation programs and training across many conformity assessment areas.
Level up your standardization knowledge
Our standardization courses will help deepen your knowledge and ability to successfully use standards, and better understand how standardization works.