As intangible assets increasingly determine corporate valuation and competitive strength, intellectual property is moving from the legal department into the centre of strategic decision-making. Yet in many organisations, IP is still treated as a reactive activity: innovation happens first, and protection follows later.

The EPO – I3PM – CEIPI IP Business Academy IP Strategy Bootcamp addresses this gap by exploring how IP must be integrated directly into the frameworks of business models. A key contribution comes from Benjamin Delsol, who focuses on how companies can use IP not only to protect innovation, but to shape the way value is created and safeguarded.

From protecting inventions to designing value creation mechanisms

A business model describes the economic logic behind how a company generates profits and delivers value to customers. When IP decisions are disconnected from this logic, organisations risk weakening their competitive position before they even enter the market.

In practice, many companies still treat IP as a support function. Protection is considered once products are ready, markets are defined, and partnerships are already in place. This sequence creates a structural weakness: the very mechanisms that generate value are often not designed with IP in mind. The consequence is familiar. Competitive advantages remain vulnerable, monetisation opportunities are missed, and companies struggle to build sustainable differentiation.

Understanding how IP creates market power

A central theme of his session is the idea that companies can deliberately choose how IP supports their competitive positioning. However, different business models require different IP strategies.

The session introduces several archetypal approaches to IP-driven competitive advantages, illustrating how organisations can build different forms of market power. The key message is not that one model is universally superior, but that IP strategy must be aligned with the chosen business strategy. This perspective fundamentally changes how IP decisions are made. Instead of asking how to protect inventions, companies begin to ask how IP can reinforce their market position.

Connecting IP with mainstream strategic thinking

To enable this shift, the session links IP strategy with established management concepts:

  • From a market perspective, IP influences the attractiveness of industries and the structure of competition. It shapes barriers to entry, bargaining power, and the dynamics between competitors.
  • From a resource perspective, IP becomes a strategic asset that can be difficult to imitate and is capable of generating long-term competitive advantage.

By connecting these perspectives, IP moves from a specialised legal topic into the area of corporate strategy.

IP in business ecosystems and digital markets

The integration of IP into business models becomes even more critical in digital ecosystems. Value creation increasingly depends on interconnected technologies, platforms, and partnerships. In such environments, IP often determines how companies can position themselves within an ecosystem and how value is distributed between participants. Decisions about IP therefore directly influence long-term revenue models and strategic flexibility.

Why this matters for corporate decision-making

The broader implication is clear: companies that treat IP as an afterthought risk undermining their business model. Companies that integrate IP into business model design gain new opportunities to safeguard differentiation, secure revenue streams, and build defensible market positions. This perspective complements the psychological part of the bootcamp. Once executives understand why IP matters, they must also learn how to embed IP considerations into strategic decision-making.

Bridging strategy, psychology and execution

The “IP Strategy Bootcamp” brings these perspectives together. Participants learn not only how to communicate the value of IP, but also how to integrate IP into the core logic of business strategy. In an economy where competitive advantage increasingly depends on intangible assets, the combination of psychology and IP strategy determines whether IP becomes a true driver of business success.