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Isle of Wight firms learn to protect the value of intellectual property

Monday, December 18, 2006

Fifteen Isle of Wight businesses received a free introduction to protecting and capitalising on the value of their designs and inventions at a seminar hosted at the Innovation Centre by The Isle of Wight Enterprise Hub. In a world of constantly evolving products, the inherent value of an idea or a design is often underestimated, but it is what sets the great businesses apart from the rest. Island businesses were guided through some of the ways to protect the value of their intellectual property (IP) and ways of reducing the costs of patenting designs by Ryde based IP consultant, Kogitant’s, Jason Burwell.
Enterprise Hub Champions, Rob Sauven of Vestas Technology and Mike Anderson of Radiation Watch also shared some of their companies’ experiences of patenting and patent protection in places such as China.
Several of the businesses also took up the offer of a free introductory consultation with Kogitant, which has been retained by the Enterprise Hub Network to provide IP consultancy to Hub clients.
Mike Anderson and Rob Sauven welcomed the growing interest among new local businesses in IP protection. “Building a healthy economy on the Island, with better paying jobs, higher levels of investment and improved competitiveness in the global economy depends on growing the number of Island businesses in knowledge work”, said Anderson. “And making sure we protect the value of that knowledge,” said Rob Sauven.
The Isle of Wight Enterprise Hub, one of a number of SEEDA Hubs in the South East is operated by the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership at the Innovation Centre in St Cross Business Park.
Mike King, Managing Director of Isle of Wight Economic Partnership, said, “Higher productivity and growth in knowledge based industry is one of the keys to the continued success of the Island’s economy - our Enterprise Hub is one of the ways we can help local businesses to flourish.”
Ken Dueck, the Director of the Isle of Wight Enterprise Hub, supports start-up and early-stage knowledge and technology-based businesses who want to compete in national and international markets. Current start-up clients include DoctorBabel, Hawksley Silicon Systems, Navigate Solutions, R&S Developments and WaB Energy Systems. Somewhat older clients have now passed the £1 million turnover mark and include companies such as Enabling Technologies, RF Engines and Stainless Games. To find out more about the services of the Isle of Wight Enterprise Hub, call 01983 535846.