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Innovation and Intellectual Property Management (IIPM) Laboratory

In this paper, we propose a responsible intellectual property (IP) strategy (R-IPS) framework based on five exploratory case studies of sustainable companies in energy, nutrition, consumer electronics, manufacturing and water treatment sectors. These companies responsibly use IP assets to create positive social and environmental impact (or reduce negative impact), and unlock new opportunities for financial (economic) gains. The extent to which firms today use IP rights such as patents and trademarks, and IP more broadly (including informal intellectual assets such as data and trade secrets, and contracts) as a strategic tool to facilitate sustainability remains to be understood better. More specifically, we need understanding of how companies could, or even should manage and use their IP more responsibly in these changing times during which transitions towards sustainable development are so thoroughly and urgently needed. The proposed framework defined using five dimensions namely deliberation/intention, sustainability IP alignment, flexibility and timing, inclusiveness, and co-creation can support managerial decision-making in formulating or re-designing IP strategies to increase organization’s social and environmental impact, maximising their contributions (e.g. accelerating transitions) towards building sustainable economies.

The full paper is available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S017221902300025X

News & Blog articles

IIPM @ R&D Management Conference

1 July 2025

Qi Ang Du and Frank Tietze attended this year's R&D Management Conference in Pisa (Italy) organized by the Institute of Management of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna . Frank Tietze acted as one of the chairs for the IP Management track jointly organized with Alfred Radauer, Martin Moehrle, Ioanna Stefan, Martin Bader and...

Newspaper article

2 June 2025

A short opinion piece by Prof. Tietze was featured in the Brussels Morning Newspaper calling for more innovation within our IPR systems to address global challenges: https://brusselsmorning.com/we-need-strong-intellectual-property-rights-for-a-sustainable-future/73186/

Thought piece: Has Innovation Broken Western Culture? Reflections on Contemporary Western Culture and Possible Innovative Ways Forward

20 May 2025

By Frank Tietze (2025) Western culture today is profoundly shaped by ongoing waves of innovation, a concept close to my heart and to which I have dedicated many years of my professional research and teaching career. Technological innovation particularly has transformed daily life, created jobs, and helped build tech...