Schöck Bauteile is an expert in heat and sound insulation. The thermal insulation elements from Schöck set standards in the construction industry with their physical properties. In order to keep the competition at a distance and to be as exclusive as possible when it comes to customer benefits, Schöck needs a modern 360 ° IP strategy.

Energy saving is a central political goal across all government changes in recent years. The German federal government has set itself the goal of reducing energy consumption by 20% by 2020 compared to the 2008 level. The heating of buildings is an essential factor here. With a share of 40% of German energy consumption, the building sector is one of the largest energy consumers. In the domestic environment, most of the energy is used to heat living spaces and is wasted in the process.

The case study from the Master’s program in Intellectual Property Law and Management (MIPLM) shows how the market and innovation leader Schöck designed its IP strategy from a unique market and brand positioning. The central product, the Isokorb®, is available in dozens of variations for all practically relevant building situations. The Isokorb® as a brand name is the epitome of a product category for structural engineers, building physicists, architects, building contractors and precast factories, both for new buildings and for subsequent balcony connections. However, this makes it difficult to improve the market position through even greater product differentiation. For Schöck, the benefit is based on sustainably defending its market position against substitution, new market participants and well-known competitors. To do this, it is necessary, in particular, to design the technical prohibition rights from this desired market position along the business model and possible scenarios. A patent portfolio built up in this way can sustainably secure Schöck’s revenue and earnings position and contribute to growth.

Authors of the case study:

Dr. Harald Braasch

Dr. Braasch is member of the management board of Schöck AG und chief operations officer of Schöck Bauteile GmbH, where he started as head of the development department in 2000. As civil engineer he worked earlier on national and international projects for Dyckerhoff & Widmann AG.

Prof. Dr. Alexander J. Wurzer

Dr. Wurzer is Professor for IP Management at the Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (Centre d’Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Industrielle, CEIPI) at the University of Strasbourg, where he has been programme leader for the Master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law and Management (MIPLM) since 2007. He is Managing Partner at WURZER & KOLLEGEN GmbH, a consulting firm for strategic IP management.

MIPLM Case Study Schöck