Do you undertake research and development in health or medical technology? Or are you responsible for others doing so?
Did you know that much intellectual property generated in health and medtech research is lost by early publication and failure to protect, with an adverse impact on patients, clinical staff and health innovation?

This overview course will help university and healthcare staff to recognise

when they and their team are creating intellectual property (IP)
the implications this has for the individual(s), their organisation, and commercialisation of the innovation, and
the correct processes to be followed to manage IP and pitfalls to be avoided.

It will also provide general guidance on effective collaboration and dissemination without breaching IP, and participants will develop the skills to discuss their innovation in this context.

Who should attend?

Academic staff and researchers
Clinical staff, operational leads and researchers from healthcare organisations within Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Dorset

who hold (or whose work may result in the creation of) intellectual property.

Applicants should have a role associated with research, and a need to be able to recognise when intellectual property is created and the implications for this. The course may be of particular benefit to early career health sector researchers.

Why should I attend?

Participants will be able to recognise potential IP early, allowing suitable protection to be planned and completed prospectively.
Participants will know the correct internal routes to follow in their organisation in relation to IP management, making their work and the work of IP leads more efficient.
Exploitation opportunities will be maximised and achieved as early as possible.
The risk of rendering IP un-protectable through disclosure or breach will be reduced, whilst maintaining efficient and effective collaboration.
Status with the employer and personal reputation will remain intact.

Learning and skills development objectives:

By the end of this course participants will understand the importance of capturing and managing intellectual property optimally to create healthcare impact, and be able to:

Describe what comprises an invention in IP terms
Describe the reasons for protecting IP
Describe the mechanisms available to protect IP arising from research
Create a plan around current and future IP
Recognise and avoid common pitfalls around IP
Identify approaches to exploiting IP
Identify and act in line with appropriate organisational policy.

Participants will develop skills to:

Discuss and write about IP they are responsible for in ways that support collaboration to develop the innovation further, whilst avoiding disclosure or breach of unprotected IP.

The day is free to attend, funded as part of the University of Southampton’s Higher Education Innovation Funding from UK Research and Innovation, and organised by Health Innovation Wessex. A £10 deposit will be charged at booking, refundable when attending on the day.

Understanding intellectual property to create health impact