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🎯 IP Management Pulse #62
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Your inbox-insider from Prof. Wurzer every two weeks
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In corporate IP management, two types of developments are currently shaping strategic decision-making: increasing systemic uncertainty on the one hand, and long-term technological shifts on the other.
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GreenTech is becoming a driver of economic growth, skilled employment and investment, while digital MedTech IPOs show how subscription models and digital health services require strong IP foundations. At the same time, patent mediation and arbitration expand strategic dispute resolution in Europe, and university-industry partnerships turn early research into commercial opportunities.
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The themes covered in this issue are not selected editorially. They are derived from the Open Foresight Board (OFB) Trend Radar and from ongoing discussions within the Open Foresight Board, where in-house IP experts continuously exchange perspectives on emerging developments and their implications for corporate IP management.
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The Open Foresight Board is part of the Open Foresight Program and brings together in-house IP experts to identify, discuss, and prioritise emerging developments in corporate IP management.
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This issue presents selected signals that make these developments visible in practice — not as isolated news, but as indicators of broader shifts that require strategic attention. Our aim is to provide orientation by connecting current events with the underlying changes they represent. Here are the hot topics from 21st of May 2026 - 3rd of June 2026:
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NEWS
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GreenTech as driver of economic growth | IPOs in digital MedTech | Patent mediation and arbitration | University-industry partnerships
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DEEP DIVES
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When the system is missing, the expertise stays invisible | When Technology and IP Become Boardroom Questions | Evolving IP Strategy with Corporate Transformation
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IP MANAGEMENT LEARNINGS
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Patents and Pricing Power: New Evidence from Consumer Products
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🤗 🍵 I wish you an exciting and informative read. I look forward to your comments and our exchange on LinkedIn.
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GreenTech
Discussions within the Open Foresight Board show that GreenTech is increasingly becoming a strategic IP management topic for companies, investors and regional innovation ecosystems.
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For many companies, GreenTech is still primarily seen through the lens of sustainability targets, regulatory pressure and environmental responsibility. Renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, recycling systems, sustainable materials, water management and efficiency solutions are often discussed as necessary contributions to climate and resource challenges.
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At the same time, GreenTech is becoming a much broader economic question. Where green technologies create new markets, attract investment and require highly qualified technical talent, IP becomes a key factor for securing competitiveness. In this context, patents are not only instruments for protecting environmental inventions, but also strategic assets that support financing, growth and long-term economic resilience.
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GreenTech as driver of economic growth
A recent report published by the UK-based thinktank CBI Economics shows the growing importance of the GreenTech sector for the UK labor market as well as for the attraction of new investment money. Specifically, this technology-intensive sector is in demand of highly qualified workers, who earn more than employees in many other industries. Both of those facts show that GreenTech is critical not only for saving the planet, but also for protecting economic prosperity. And the basis for this protection is always IP, particularly patents on green technologies.
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What IP experts can learn from it
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For IP experts, GreenTech illustrates how closely sustainability, economic growth and patent strategy are becoming connected. When green technologies attract investment and qualified workers, the relevant IP question is not only whether a technical solution can be protected, but how patents can support market positioning, financing and long-term competitiveness.
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Background information on the IPBA Connect platform
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IP in Green Tech: From Protecting Inventions to Controlling Sustainable Innovation on the digital IP lexicon 🧭dIPlex
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Digital MedTech
Discussions within the Open Foresight Board show that digital MedTech is no longer only a technology topic, but increasingly a question of scalable business models, investor confidence and IP-backed market positioning.
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For many companies, digital health is still viewed through the lens of product extension: sensors, apps, software features, AI functions, data analytics or subscription-based services added around existing devices. In these fields, the commercial value often depends on whether the digital layer can be protected, differentiated and continuously developed.
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At the same time, IPO ambitions open a different perspective. Companies preparing for public markets must show not only growth potential, but also defensible technology positions. This makes IP a central part of the investment story, especially where digital health services, data-driven functions and medical applications become part of the valuation.
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IPOs in digital MedTech
Current news indicate that the European wearables manufacturer Oura is taking concrete steps for an IPO in the USA. This move may be the result of their expansion into the MedTech sector, which is supported by a broad range of new digital health-related services that are offered via subscription. To make this shift to new services and revenue models sustainable, also the IP foundation needs to be constantly reviewed and updated. Only this way, investor confidence can remain high.
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What IP experts can learn from it
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For IP experts, IPOs in digital MedTech illustrate how patent strategy can support valuation beyond the original hardware product. When companies move from wearables into health services and subscription models, the relevant IP question is not only whether the device is protected, but whether the digital service layer creates protectable technical contributions. The strategic task is therefore to align IP protection with revenue models, investor expectations and future market expansion.
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Background information on the IPBA Connect platform
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The Structural Shift of IP in MedTech on the digital IP lexicon 🧭dIPlex
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Unified Patent Court
Discussions within the Open Foresight Board show that the Unified Patent Court is no longer only a litigation topic, but increasingly a question of strategic dispute resolution across European markets.
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For many companies, the UPC is still primarily viewed through the lens of multinational patent enforcement. Centralized proceedings, cross-border injunctions and revocation risks can significantly change the strategic value and risk profile of European patent portfolios.
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At the same time, alternative dispute resolution opens a different perspective. Not every patent conflict needs to be resolved through full litigation. Where business relationships, licensing interests or complex technology collaborations are involved, mediation and arbitration can provide additional instruments to manage conflict more flexibly.
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Patent mediation and arbitration
While the Unified Patent Court (UPC) allows already for a few years to engage in multinational patent litigation in its member states, since 2nd June the establishment of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) additionally enables alternative dispute resolution options. This gives companies a broader range of instruments to resolve its pan-European conflicts.
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What IP experts can learn from it
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For IP experts, patent mediation and arbitration illustrate how European patent strategy is expanding beyond court-based enforcement. When companies face pan-European conflicts, the relevant IP question is not only whether they can litigate centrally, but which dispute resolution route best supports their business objectives. The strategic task is therefore to align enforcement, settlement, licensing and relationship management within one coherent UPC strategy.
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Background information on the IPBA Connect platform
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The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) on the digital IP lexicon 🧭dIPlex
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Quantum computing
Discussions within the Open Foresight Board show that quantum computing is no longer only a research topic, but increasingly a question of technology transfer, ecosystem building and IP-sensitive commercialization.
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For many companies, quantum technologies are still viewed through the lens of long-term scientific potential. Hardware platforms, algorithms, simulations and industrial use cases often require close interaction between academic research and commercial development before market-ready solutions can emerge.
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At the same time, university-industry partnerships open a different perspective. They allow companies and researchers to test early applications, explore technical feasibility and identify use cases with future commercial relevance. This makes IP ownership, usage rights and exploitation routes important from the beginning.
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University-industry partnerships
The maturing of new technological sectors often takes both a high degree of academic ingenuity as well as entrepreneurial spirit. One way to combine them are university-industry partnerships, such as the cooperation between EPFL and Quantinuum in the quantum computing space. The cooperation enables researchers to test various use cases for quantum computing, which may in the end also have commercial potential in the market, potentially leading to the creation of new business areas.
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What IP experts can learn from it
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For IP experts, university-industry partnerships illustrate how patent strategy can support commercialization before a technology field is fully mature. When academic research and industrial development are combined, the relevant IP question is not only who creates the invention, but how future use, ownership and market exploitation are structured. The strategic task is therefore to align research collaboration with clear IP positions and commercialization pathways.
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Resources on the IPBA Connect platform
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Quantum Technology and the Structural Lag of IP Decision-Making on the digital IP lexicon 🧭dIPlex
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In the resources of the Open Foresight Program, in-house IP experts find structured insights and practitioner-driven analyses developed with and by the OFB members, highlighting emerging trends, strategic signals, and real-world implications for corporate IP management that can be translated into actionable guidance for their own organisations.
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The Trend Radar of the Open Foresight Program is a structured foresight tool that identifies and visualizes emerging developments shaping corporate IP management. It is created as a result of a study among in-house IP experts, where researchers systematically collect feedback, weight its relevance, and synthesize it into key trend areas.
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Its purpose is not prediction, but orientation: helping organizations understand complex changes, prioritize what matters, and align IP strategies with evolving technological, geopolitical, and business environments. By translating diverse insights into a clear framework, the Trend Radar enables more informed, forward-looking decision-making in corporate IP management.
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Visible Council - the IP Expert Branding Column
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When the system is missing, the expertise stays invisible
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By columnist Giulia Donato, Branding & Communication Consultant at people and brand strategies
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Mid-sized IP firms often do not lack positioning, but a system that makes their expertise visible. Marketing is usually scattered across partner initiatives, posts, conferences and website updates, creating activity without cumulative market impact. The article argues that firms need a lean market presence system: clear audiences, owned topics, realistic formats, sustainable rhythm and governance. Partners should not become content producers; they should provide expert judgement, while a translation layer turns their insights into market-facing output. Effective marketing must connect directly to business development, making the firm’s expertise recognizable before client meetings happen.
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My Favorite from the 📝IP Business Academy Blog
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When Technology and IP Become Boardroom Questions: What the CTO Spring Forum 2026 Revealed About AI and IP Leadership with Dr. Diana Taubert
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The CTO Spring Forum 2026 showed that AI, humanoid robotics and IP communication are becoming core leadership topics for technology companies. AI is no longer just a tool, but an organizational transformation affecting R&D, decision-making and leadership. Humanoid robotics illustrates the shift from component thinking to systems thinking, where hardware, software, data and services interact. In this environment, IP must move beyond legal protection and become understandable at board level. The article argues that CTOs need to translate technological complexity into IP strategy, market position and competitive advantage, making IP part of modern technology leadership.
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My Favorite from the 🎧Podcast IP Management Voice
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Evolving IP Strategy with Corporate Transformation
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With Petter Westnes, Head of IP and Corporate Projects at Laerdal Medical
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This podcast episode presents Laerdal Medical as a case study for mission-driven IP management in MedTech. It shows how IP can support not only protection, but also innovation, differentiation, partnerships, quality assurance, and business growth. Laerdal connects patents, trademarks, designs, know-how, and trade secrets directly to its purpose of helping save lives. The episode also explains how digitalization changes IP strategy: sensors, data-driven training, platforms, and connected services require protection of ecosystems, user experience, data, and value chains. The key message is that modern IP management must be embedded early and systematically into innovation processes.
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In the 📑IP Management Letter series, IP experts find case-based narratives that show how strategic IP management works in real companies and industries, with practical insights they can directly apply to their own portfolios and client work.
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Patents and Pricing Power: New Evidence from Consumer Products
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The article "Patents and Supra-Competitive Prices: Evidence From Consumer Products" shows that patents can create measurable pricing power in consumer markets. Based on Amazon product data, prices fell by 8–10% after patent expiry. For IP management, this means patents should be connected to products, pricing, lifecycle planning and competitive strategy, not managed only as legal rights.
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