Innovation requires smart management: strategic use of intellectual assets
Europe's future lies in the intelligent use of knowledge. The European Commission's new Code of Practice for the management of intellectual assets sets out a clear path: intellectual assets – from patents and data to know-how and trade secrets – should be strategically managed, specifically protected and actively translated into innovation.
The efficient management of such assets is crucial to accelerating technological progress, opening up new markets and mastering societal challenges such as the green and digital transitions.
Implementing these recommendations should improve the exploitation of research results, accelerate innovation and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in research and development. All stakeholders – from universities and companies to individual researchers – are called upon to embed these principles as part of their innovation and knowledge strategies.
Specific to-dos for organisations and researchers:
- Develop strategies: Establish clear, organisation-specific IP strategies and integrate open science and open innovation principles.
- Clarify ownership issues at an early stage: Collaborations require reliable regulations on rights and exploitation. This also includes the development of conflict resolution mechanisms and dynamic business models. Where available, existing standard templates (LINK to IPAG) should be used.
- Think openly: Make research results openly accessible if there are no interests worthy of protection that conflict with this. Apply FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles.
- Strengthen competencies: Establish and expand training and further education programmes to anchor IP knowledge broadly within the system. Raise awareness of IP issues among all stakeholders, which can be done at an early stage by incorporating IP topics into student curricula.
- Keep an eye on the market: professionally evaluate, protect and sustainably exploit intellectual assets. Establish clear processes for technology transfer, licensing and exploitation – including fair licensing practices.