Intellectual Property Ontario establishes new Intellectual Property Advisory Panel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kitchener, ON (June 19, 2024) – Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) today announced the formation of a new Intellectual Property (IP) Advisory Panel to provide advice and insight to staff and management as the agency enters its second year of operations.
The IP Advisory Panel will play a critical role in advising IPON on policies and programs that enhance the protection, management and commercialization of “Ontario-made” research and innovation. Specifically, the Panel will provide independent, expert, and sector-specific advice on the IP service needs of Ontario entrepreneurs, researchers, and businesses; the types of services IPON will provide and how it will provide them; and which entrepreneurs, researchers, and businesses would benefit the most from these services.
The Advisory Panel, made up of lawyers with extensive IP expertise in the sectors currently served by IPON—medical technology, life sciences, artificial intelligence, vehicle technology, and mining and advanced manufacturing—will include:
Jasminder Brar – Recognized as one of the world’s leading IP strategists as an IAM 300 IP Strategist, Brar joins the Advisory Panel with over 15 years of experience working alongside startups and growth companies in the medtech, healthcare, and technology industries leading patent portfolio development, strategic licensing, and general legal and governance matters.
Leonora Hoicka – Having served as IBM’s Chief Trademark Counsel for over a decade, as well as in several other IP legal executive roles leading teams supporting IBM’s software and AI technologies and patent licensing, Hoicka brings over 35 years of IP management and commercialization experience to the Advisory Panel.
Paula Bremner – Specializing in IP strategy, patent and trademark litigation with a focus on the pharmaceutical sector, and patent and trademark prosecution, Bremner joins the Advisory Panel with over 25 years of experience in both private practice and in-house positions serving the biotech sphere.
“The establishment of IPON’s IP Advisory Panel represents a pivotal step in assessing how we can, not just meet, but exceed our mandate of providing IP support and services to help businesses and researchers innovate and grow,” said Dan Herman, CEO of IPON. “With the expertise and guidance of our distinguished Advisory Panel members, IPON is poised to elevate our offerings and help even more innovators across Ontario.”
As of April 2024, IPON has invested $12.89 million into IP support across Ontario’s innovation ecosystem, providing funding to 272 companies, eight colleges, and 12 universities.
Applications are always open to apply to access IPON’s IP support and services. Learn more at ip-ontario.ca.
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Media Contact:
Laura Bunn
Communications Lead
Intellectual Property Ontario
laura.bunn@ip-ontario.ca
Intellectual Property Ontario
Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) is a provincial agency that provides trusted IP support and services to enable Ontario businesses and researchers to innovate and grow. IPON works directly with innovators and postsecondary institutions to help them better understand how to protect and maximize the value of their IP, strengthen their capacity to grow and compete in the market, and advance the province’s economic growth. For more information, visit www.ip-ontario.ca.