Description
STARTUP3 and the European IP Help Desk invite you to join a webinar – The importance of IP for SMEs!
Intellectual property (IP) and its value often not adequately taken into account and tackled by small businesses and startups alike. In the increasingly knowledge-driven economy, IP is a key consideration in day-to-day business decisions. New products, brands, and creative designs appear almost daily on the market and are the result of continuous human innovation and creativity. However, SMEs and startups often lack the time, resources, or knowledge to address IP issues.
On January 13th 2021, from 10:30 to 12:00 CET a training webinar called “The importance of IP for SMEs” will take place. Hosted by the European IP helpdesk, this training is dedicated to the STARTUP3 cohort, but is open to everyone.
The European Commission aims to help SMEs use IP more effectively by providing a coherent policy of IP support for SMEs, tools such as IP Helpdesk and by regularly monitoring the support available to small businesses.
Why and How?
SMEs can protect their innovative solution or improved solution by obtaining a patent that can give a business a competitive advantage. Patent protection gives them the right to exclude others, allowing them to fend off competition, assume a lead, and secure market position. If left unprotected, a good invention or creation may be lost to larger competitors that are in a better position to commercialize the product or service at a more affordable price, leaving the original inventor or creator without any financial benefit or reward. Adequate protection of a company’s IP is a crucial step in deterring potential infringement and in turning ideas into business assets with a real market value. After the training, participants should be able to address the following:
- What is Intellectual Property (IP)?
- What are Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?
- Common problems of SMEs in their day to day activities?
- Why should I deal with IP/IPR issues? Why should IP be an integral part of my business strategy?
- How can IP be a business asset?
- Which IP protection tools exist/can I use (e. g. trademarks, patents etc.)?
- To which institutions can I turn for help?
This training is part of the STARTUP3 acceleration programme and is open to any SMEs willing to initiate re-think their strategy, and tackle IP in order to protect their solutions.
Registration is free of charge, but still mandatory. Hope to see you there and Happy holidays!
