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SIGII, Best Practices in Patent Policing and Combatting Counterfeiting Detecting infringements and defending Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) requires that you must police your patents, trademarks, designs, etc. The IP department is evidently well-placed to do the job, but also needs help from outside its department, with transparent and easy-to-understand portfolio, awareness of the importance of IPR and good infringement detectors. This meeting will explore how all of this works in practice. Participants will also hear about and discuss enforcement practices in the USA and in China and be informed about possible trends in combating counterfeiting in Europe. Consultation with Commissioner Potocnik Members of the EIRMA Governing Board will join other senior members of EIRMA in a private meeting with Commission Potocnik in late June as part of the consultation process concerning the development of the European Research Area (ERA). During this meeting, we intend to discuss how industry can help to support the changes taking place in public sector R&D, and also how we see the formation of the more market-oriented developments required in order that the European economy will be able to sustain the levels of innovation which the ERA is intended to support. Participation in this event is by invitation only, but member companies are encouraged to indicate their interest by contacting the Secretary-General. Round Table: Monitoring for Needs rather than for Solutions It should be easier to innovate if we know the problem for which an innovative solution is sought. There are some tools around that can help identify the right problem for R&D to solve. Marketing has a certain idea of what the market is looking for. Business intelligence gives us an idea about the solutions the competition is working on. How can we extend these approaches to problem definition? The Round Table will be an opportunity for exchanging companies' views and experiences with finding problems rather than solutions. Managing and Selecting Ideas Corporate success comes from the successful translation of ideas for new and improved products, processes or services into profitable business opportunities. So it seems important to have effective ways to manage the idea generation process in the first place. However, not all companies are convinced that further stimulation of ideas is needed, and place more emphasis on implementation. This Round Table compared approaches to managing an appropriate influx of new ideas into R&D with the right balance between promising ideas with evident high business potential and more speculative ideas for the longer term. Speakers looked at criteria and methodologies used for stimulating this process, making good selections and handling internal communication to best effect. Managing RD&T in an Open System The scale and intensity of Open Innovation have increased substantially in recent years and demands an entirely new attitude: opening up yourself! Speakers at this Round Table described the Holst Centre collaboration at the Eindhoven High-Tech Campus; the system of Leading Technology Institutes in the Netherlands, exemplified by the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI); and the 'SmartGrids' Technology Platform. InnoCentive's approaches to global networking and knowledge brokering and broadcasting were explored, and other case histories considered how Nokia, Oce and Kone are taking advantage of the Open Innovation environment. Group Discussions highlighted the IP aspects and mutual trust as major issues. "The best management development happens when experienced managers come together to learn from each other - to discuss common concerns and visit each other's companies." - Financial Times The European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, which aims to enhance innovation through more effective market-oriented research and development. Unique features of the Association include the networking and personal contact that the Financial Times recommends. It's been offering this forum for over 40 years. EIRMA provides a platform for discussing ideas and exchanging practical experience. Its activities support companies in benchmarking and improving their innovation processes through well-managed and well-organised research and development. These establish EIRMA's members as a natural first point of contact for policy makers and others seeking the business community's insight. EIRMA's website provides further information on the items featured in IQ, other key aspects of research and innovation management and records of recent meetings and all publications. Publisher Editor Production Innovation Quarterly is published by the European Industrial Research Management Association doi: eiq-2007-010-0019 |
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