Canada's Sovereignty and Prosperity Depend on Capturing the Value of Innovation: CPA Ontario

• Canadian enterprises need to build capacity to create, capture, protect and scale value in the innovation economy. 
• CPA Ontario, the regulator for nearly 110,000 Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs), has formed a new Task Force to help CPAs and enterprises create and protect Canadian innovation.
• Co-chaired by Jim Balsillie, FCPA, FCA and Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, the Task Force will develop a playbook on the innovation economy for CPAs and Canadian enterprises to better understand how to create and capture value.

TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2026 /CNW/ -- Governments around the world are leveraging trade policy, foreign direct investment, legislative strategies, international standards and much more to capture the value of innovation and advance their economic and security interests. Canada's ongoing trade dispute with the United States and the United States' focus on IP, AI, data and other intangible assets is just one example of this new global race to control the frameworks that impact and facilitate innovation.

For Canadian enterprises, the ability to create, capture, protect and scale the value of their innovation has become vital to economic prosperity and national sovereignty.  With Canada opening its doors to greater foreign investment, this work will raise awareness of how value is generated in the innovation economy and position Canadian enterprises to realize the benefits of this opportunity.

CPAs are uniquely positioned to capture the value of innovation through their controllership, governance and advisory roles. That's why CPA Ontario, the regulator for the nearly 110,000 CPAs in the province of Ontario, has formed the Competitiveness and Value Creation Task Force. Co-chaired by retired Research In Motion Chairman and co-CEO Jim Balsillie, FCPA, FCA, and Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, President and CEO of CPA Ontario, the Task Force brings together leaders from business, technology, finance, international trade and public policy to provide CPAs and enterprises with the guidance they need to protect and capture the value of Canadian innovation.  

"When the United States used the phrase 'digital trade alignment' during the last round of trade negotiations, it set off alarm bells," said Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, President and CEO of CPA Ontario. "Building a stronger future for Canada will depend on supporting, scaling and protecting Canadian ingenuity. With a unique vantage point across the whole enterprise, CPAs serve as architects of value creation, driving market capitalization."

CPAs see greater opportunity to realize value from Canadian innovation. Seventy-five per cent of surveyed CPAs in Ontario agreed that the innovation economy is underperforming relative to its potential, with commercialization identified as one of the top challenges.

"Canada needs to update its policy and management capacity to recognize the reality that assets like IP, data, AI and standards are the key drivers of economic growth and national sovereignty," said Jim Balsillie, FCPA, FCA. "To protect and scale Canadian innovation, we need to know how to value it. By building the sophisticated controllership needed to protect and capture the value of these assets, Canadian enterprises can turn innovation into lasting competitive advantage and strengthen Canada's long-term prosperity and economic sovereignty."

The initial focus of the Task Force will be releasing a playbook in the coming months which will provide practical guidance on intellectual property, intangible assets, standards, policy and AI governance, alongside supporting CPA Ontario professional development courses for the innovation economy.

About the CPA Ontario Competitiveness and Value Creation Task Force

The Task Force brings together leaders with expertise across business, technology, finance, international trade and public policy.

Task Force Chairs	Background
Jim Balsillie, FCPA, FCA	Retired Chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion and leading advocate on innovation, IP and Canadian competitiveness.
Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA	President and CEO of CPA Ontario and experienced leader across business, healthcare and public policy organizations.
Task Force Members	Background
Barry Appleton, FCIArb, LL.M., JD	International economic law specialist focused on trade, investment and sovereignty.
Cathy Cobey, CPA	EY Global Assurance Responsible AI and Technology Risk AI Leader specializing in AI governance, risk and trustworthy deployment.
Dan Ciuriak	Economist and former federal deputy chief economist specializing in international trade, industrial policy and economic development.
Dr. Ann Fitz-Gerald	Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs and expert in national security and technology governance.
Janet Gillies, CPA, CA	Executive Vice-President, Regulatory & Standards at CPA Ontario, with expertise in professional standards, regulation and public protection.
Andrew Kennedy, CPA	CFO of Capstone Infrastructure with senior experience in finance, infrastructure and public-company reporting.
John Ruffolo, FCPA, FCA	Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity and prominent Canadian technology investor and entrepreneur.
Brice Scheschuk, CPA, CA	Managing Partner of Globalive Capital and former WIND Mobile CFO with experience across technology, telecoms and investment.

About the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
We protect the public. We advance the profession. We enable CPAs to lead business and society forward. We ensure that our nearly 110,000 members and almost 19,000 students meet the highest standards of integrity and expertise. We help them stay ahead of global market trends and abreast of regulatory change. CPAs represent a globally recognized, premium designation. Our Chartered Professional Accountants are valued by organizations in all industries for their financial expertise, strategic thinking, management skills and leadership. We believe that success happens when both business and society benefit. For information on the profession visit cpaontario.ca

SOURCE Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

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