Jane Lambert
In "Harnessing the Potential of the UK's Home Grown Inventors" - The Government's Proposed Industrial Strategy 24 Jan 2017 I discussed the government's industrial strategy green paper Building our Industrial Strategy and in particular its "Investing in science, research and innovation" pillar and its new commitment to "harness the potential of the UK’s home-grown inventors and stimulate user led innovation."
In order to implement this new commitment, the government promised to "place Intellectual Property Office representatives in key UK cities - starting with pilots in the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine to build local capability to commercialise intellectual property." Advertisements have already appeared on the IPO website for 2 Business Support Policy Advisors in Birmingham and Manchester:
"Both posts will work across their respective regions to:
- build and develop IP capability
- ensure that IP is integrated into business and innovation support programmes at a local level
Full particulars of the Manchester appointment appear at IPO Ref 2121 - C1 IPO North West Business Support Policy Advisor on the Civil Service jobs website. The post carries a salary of £35,542 - £39,585 and the successful candidate will be based at the Business Growth Hub at Churchgate House on Oxford Street. The closing date for applications is 3 Feb 2017.
The green paper also announced a challenge prize programme to be piloted through the NESTA Challenge Prize Centre which is intended to help inform the government's support to the ‘everyday entrepreneurs’ operating in companies and at home." In its press release Government launches Industrial Strategy green paper, Nesta comments 23 Jan 2017 NESTA's CEO, Geoff Mulgan, said:
"Nesta is particularly excited about the commitment to a pilot ‘Inventor Prize’ to be run with our Challenge Prize Centre. It will seek to harness the potential of the UK’s home-grown inventors and stimulate user led innovation."
Announcing the Inventor Prize 24 Jan 2017 NESTA explained:
"We’re working with BEIS (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) to pilot an ‘inventor’ prize that will inspire and harness the potential of the UK’s home-grown inventors and stimulate user-led innovation."
Having started and chaired for many years the Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield Inventors Groups, having supported the Manchester one and Ideas North West and having run IP clinics throughout the North for meany years I welcome this government's commitment to harnessing home-grown invention and innovation and will do all I can to support it
One of the ways in which I can do that is through the Inventors Club through which we shall try to offer a wide range of services. I can help with advice on intellectual property ("IP") and, in particular, with patents (see also my Patents FAQ and IP Glossary). To help inventors, entrepreneurs, their investors and professional advisors throughout the North West and the rest of the country I have expanded and improved my IP service (see Immediate IP First Aid Nationwide 25 Jan 2017.
If you have a new product and are wondering how best to protect it, if you are thinking of launching a new business and are thinking of registering a trade mark, if you have received a solicitor's letter accusing you of infringing someone's copyright, design, patent or trade mark, if you think someone is infringing one of your IP rights or you have any legal question relating to branding, design, technology or creative works, call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.
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