Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are of key importance when talking about Innovation Procurement (IP). According to the European Commission, there is strong evidence that leaving IPR ownership rights with the entrepreneurs, instead of transferring it to the public buyers, boosts the growth of innovative companies (including start-ups and SMEs) ramps up industrial commercialisation of innovative solutions and reduces the cost of procurement for the public sector.

The European legal framework is not specific when it comes to IPR allocation and leaves the public buyer to define it in the tender. Yet, which organisation holds ownership is not always evident as it depends on the case. This joint training session of the BRINC Network of Public Authorities and the BRINC Network for SMEs brought together buyers and contractors to discuss about the critical aspects of IPR, the issues encountered during negotiations or how tender specifications were set. This training module was co-organised with the P5 Innobroker project.

Presentations

• IP and IPRs, views from the administration side | Jean-Paul Triaille, legal officer, Central IP Service of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre
• IP and IPRs and corporate strategy | Prof. Pedro-José Bueso Guillén, International Expert in Public Procurement and business law, University of Zaragoza
• Public buyer: The innovative garbage truck in Limburg province (Belgium) | Wim Govaerts, Innovation Manager, Limburg.net
• Solution provider: ORITIA Y BOREAS's PPI contract with the Port Authority of Algeciras (Spain) | José María Terrés-Nícoli, Managing Director, ORITIA Y BOREAS

Conclusion document

Read the conclusion paper summarizing the main take-aways from the event regarding IP and IPRS views from the administration side; IP, IPRs and corporate strategy; stakeholders' views (public buyer) - pre-commercial procurement; stakeholders'views (solution provider SME) - Public procurement of innovation.

• Conclusion paper Joint BRINC-P5 Innobroker webinar on Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Procurement

Recording

Agenda

The BRINC - Brokering cross-border innovation through clusters project brings together Public Authorities (PAs), who are looking for circular solutions, with companies. In this way, the PAs gain knowledge about which products and solutions the companies can offer, and/or the insight that their needs can be met in ways that they were previously unaware of.

The BRINC project is co-funded by the European Union's COSME program (Competitiveness of SMEs).