Dehns’ IP Management Consultants Axel Moulin and Haakon Thue Lie recently contributed to the The Research Council of Norway’s hearing on Collaborative Research. In response to the Council’s question “How do we create value for Norway through collaborative research?” Haakon and Axel shared their insights on the role of intellectual property in successful research collaborations.
Collaboration fuels knowledge creation, but there are moments when that knowledge must be consolidated into protectable IP before it can be shared again in future partnerships. Well-timed IP audits at critical transition points can help organisations strike the right balance between openness and protection.
Contractual provisions in collaboration agreements play a central role defining ownership, disclosure rights, and access to research outcomes. Through research conducted by Haakon Thue Lie in collaboration with Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and Knut J. Egelie, a framework was developed to assess different degrees of openness, ranging from knowledge monopolies to open science.
Universities and research institutes often follow structured, sequential processes for managing IP, while entrepreneurial businesses tend to take a more adaptive, market-oriented approach. Successful collaborations between corporations, universities, institutes and SMEs depend on recognising and navigating these different approaches.
The value created through collaborative research depends less on how much IP is generated, and more on how deliberately openness, access rights, and IP protection are managed throughout the collaboration.
Dehns IP management consultants advise organisations on collaboration agreements, IP strategy, and open innovation, helping partners maximise the value of research while balancing openness and protection. Get in touch to plan a new research partnership or to strengthen your existing collaborations.