MRF - My thoughts, page-19

Hi all, have been hearing in my industry about BMW producing graphene wheels, have come across some thing of interest,
Trend is our friend
MRF have that gap that needs filling, in all studies and development the biggest hurdle is cost, MRF will cut that cost.
Sit tight
Patience is the key
Have a great weekend
peppa



Graphene: The patent landscape is changing

Updated: 11th May 2015 at 09:14am

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By James Snaith, Marks & Clerk
James Snaith, a chartered patent attorney based at the Manchester office of intellectual property (IP) specialist Marks & Clerk, comments on patent informatics relating to graphene and how IP can be exploited to maintain a competitive advantage in this field.
Worldwide innovation in graphene technologies has received a significant boost in recent years since the award of a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”. With the graphene materials market predicted to grow from $20m in 2014 to $390m in 2024, identification and protection of IP in this market is of critical importance to maintaining a competitive commercial advantage.
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has produced a report, ‘Graphene: The Worldwide Patent Landscape in 2015’ providing an indication of the magnitude and geographical focus of innovation in the field of graphene. We have reviewed the data in this report and summarise and expand on its main findings below.

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Figure 1 from the UKIPO report shows the worldwide total number of patent applications relating to graphene technologies published each year between 2005 and 2014. Innovation in the field of graphene has seen an exponential rise over the period studied, with over 9,000 patent applications published in 2014 compared to 1000 in 2010 and fewer than 100 in 2005.

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Figure 2 from the UKIPO report shows the geographic distribution of applicants for patents in the field of graphene. China, Korea, the US and Japan represent the biggest filers of patent applications in this field, with China taking a majority share. Despite the UK playing host to the “groundbreaking” discovery in relation to graphene production, the UK lags behind other countries in terms of patenting activity.
Following strong interest in the findings of the UKIPO report from industry experts, we felt that further investigation was required to determine the main centres of research in this area within the European sphere, and we have commissioned a study to this end.

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Figure 3 reflects the results of our study and shows the number of European national patent office first-filings (excluding first-filings directly at the EPO and WIPO) for graphene-related technologies. This data is useful in identifying trends in the European geographical distribution of innovation in this sector, indicating that Germany, the UK and France represent the biggest filers of patent applications in this field.

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Focusing on the UK landscape, Figure 4 from the UKIPO report shows the top filers of graphene-related patent applications in the UK, with the University of Manchester leading total UK patent application filings. Indeed, academic institutions occupy the top three positions in this area, while a diverse range of entities spanning telecommunications, advanced materials, computing and energy storage technology industries take the remainder.
Protection of IP relating to key innovations in this burgeoning area of technology will be of critical importance to ensure that those working in this field can fully exploit potential opportunities offered by graphene, and ensures they are able to protect their inventions from competitors in the market place.
Arvia Technology Limited, based in Cheshire, is a water and wastewater treatment company and as explained on the company’s website, has developed its own graphene-based proprietary material – NyexTM. Arvia has been working to take its patented technology to market.
Arvia’s Chief Executive, Mike Lodge said: “By managing our product portfolio wisely, with support from Marks & Clerk, we have better choices and more flexibility in the decisions we make in patent applications.
“At Arvia we patent those technologies that we consider commercially viable. In some cases we develop new materials but decide to keep these as in-house trade secrets before applying for patent protection."
Arvia’s patent portfolio has also helped in securing £4m in its latest round of investment funding.
Lodge also goes on to say: “As a start-up seeking venture capital, the IP associated with patents has been valuable in showing investors that we have an innovative product.
“The patenting process is one of the mechanisms that help us protect the unique offering the technology provides. By filing patent applications it allows us to provide a competitive barrier, making it harder for competitors to copy our technology.”
For more information on using IP for competitive advantage, contact James Snaith at [email protected] or Jonathan Stafford [email protected]
Marks & Clerk advises start-ups and SMEs on all aspects of IP, from patent and trade mark protection, to helping young companies secure and leverage investment through strong IP.