Subscribe for compact, in-depth IP intelligence: trends, cases, and research curated by the team of the IP Business Academy and the IPBA Connect Platform. Get practical playbooks for positioning, LinkedIn, and business development. Learn from leading experts in the context of business models and R&D. Join the IPBA Connect community and turn IP knowledge into results — with dIPlex, live formats, IPBA Connect, and white papers as your launchpad.

Here you can find the latest issues in the archive and also subscribe. A fresh read with all important IP Management content will be sent to the subscribers every second Thursday at 7:00 (CET), so that they can start the day informed.

The next newsletter will cover the following topics:

Mergers in digital MedTech

Currently, the big MedTech companies are at a crossroads. While they are actively developing digital solutions to enhance their long-running product lines themselves, the purchase of dedicated digital solutions from specialized software companies may be a quicker and safer, but also more expensive alternative. An example for such a purchase is the acquisition of the AI startup PathAI by Roche for potentially more than a billion $. This shows the importance of digital technology in MedTech and the relevance of patent portfolios as a foundation for those mergers.

Tropical GreenTech

Green technologies are booming worldwide, but especially in Asia high patent activity indicates that practical applications for the market are developed at high speed. This activity is often linked to the world market, but local developers also have the opportunity to build and sell technologies, which fill niche markets. Examples are green technologies designed for tropical climates and agriculture. The comparably empty patent landscapes may allow for considerable exclusivity.

AI tools for IP acquisition support

Due diligence is a major part of any IP transaction, but especially when portfolios are big and prices are high, reducing any avoidable risks in the deal is crucial. On the other hand, the costs and time needed to analyze big patent portfolios can be enormous. This led to the development of novel AI-based tools to support IP experts in conducting due diligence. A current example for this is Limestone.

Patent valuation for decision-making

Decision-makers love predictability and planability of costs and revenues. But to be able to decide whether an investment into a patent is worth it or whether more IP budget is justified, decision-makers need to have both a price tag and a value attached to every IP asset. The determination of this value can be quite tricky, but also in this area new digital tools are being developed right now, e.g. at the EPO’s CodeFest 2026.

OFB Trend Radar

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, in which researchers systematically collect feedback, weight its relevance, and synthesize it into key trend areas.

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.

Why Positioning Is Also a Form of Self-Leadership

The article explains that positioning for IP experts is not merely about visibility, LinkedIn presence, or external communication. It is a form of self-leadership because it requires experts to decide what kind of work they want to be known for, which clients they want to attract, and which conversations they want to shape. Strong positioning creates clarity, boundaries, and consistency over time. It helps experts avoid being reduced to execution or defined only by past client requests. For IP experts who want to move upstream and join strategic business conversations, positioning becomes a way to lead how their expertise is understood.

Building an Investment-Ready Biotech Startup – Strategic IP, Corporate Governance, and Internationalization

The article presents Sciphage, a Colombian women-founded biotech startup, as a case study for building investment readiness in deep tech. It argues that biotech startups need more than strong science: they need strategic IP, clear governance, structured collaborations, and international protection pathways. The mentorship process helped reposition IP as a core business asset, align protection with commercialization, improve investor-facing materials, and prepare for future licensing and partnership opportunities. The key message is that IP is not a downstream legal formality in biotech. It is central to valuation, scalability, investor confidence, and the transformation of scientific innovation into a fundable company.

Evolving IP Strategy with Corporate Transformation

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.

Fractus and the Strategic Power of a Licensing Ready Patent Portfolio

Fractus shows how a deep tech startup can turn patents from defensive protection into a licensing ready business asset. By retaining ownership, drafting enforceable claims and protecting a recurring industry need, its portfolio enabled licensing, enforcement and reinvestment. The case demonstrates that strong IP management creates strategic business model optionality.