The IIPM group has been growing recently with the arrival of five new PhD students. Our research now focuses on two areas: (1) the strategic management of IP for maximizing value creation and capture from new technologies and (2) enabling technologies for effective IP management and analytics. Funded by EPSRC, ESRC and the RADMA Association we are now running a range of exciting projects.

Together with colleagues from IfM-ECS we are developing tools that enable firms, also small firms and start-up ventures to develop effective IP strategies based on CTM's leading expertise of roadmapping as widely adopted management tool. Other projects focus on IP strategies and ecosystems, appropriation strategies for service-business models and the use of AI / machine learning for advanced IP analytics. We are currently exploring use cases of blockchain technology and smart contracts in IP, such as automatized licensing markets for the internet of things. Projects also focus on the impact of IP for successful ventures in the Cambridge innovation system as well as the strategic use of IP for standards and particularly open IP approaches (e.g. patent pledges) for accelerated technology diffusion in sustainable technologies, such as electric mobility and synthetic biology. A recent major grant from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova allows us to study IP and licensing issues around digital property, such as in data-driven businesses or data-intensive industries together with colleagues from Chalmers University of Technology, University of Göteborg and Upsalla University in 2018 and 2019.

The IIPM group continues to run its IP Interest Group (IPIG) for senior managers from industry to engage in IP related peer-to-peer discussions. On 22 February 2018 we will be running the sixth Strategic IP Forum (SIPF). More information to follow.

If you like to get involved, please contact Dr Frank Tietze (IIPM head) at frank.tietze@eng.cam.ac.uk