Prediagnosis
/ Industrial Property Prediagnosis:
- Definition
- Performance and Evaluation
Brussels, 7October 2008
IP Prediagnosis
Introduction
Various surveys have shown that SMEs make little use of the industrial property system. Both internal and external barriers have been identified: industrial property is perceived by managers as being too expensive and too complicated.
At the same time, industrial property appears more and more as a key factor in businesssuccess and promoting it as a major issue for encouraging innovation.
In the light of these considerations, INPI has decided to place its work with SMEs at the forefront of its mission: the contract of objectives between INPI and the State set promoting industrial property at the top of the Institute’s priorities.
The service which INPI has developed to achieve this objective is industrial property prediagnosis.
After defining what it is, we shall consider the early results and the impact on company strategies.
Presentation
- Background
The SMEs hesitate to make use of the industrial property system which they hardly see as a strategic tool.
Prediagnosis has been set up to encourage them to put industrial property into practice.
- Definition
IP prediagnosis can be defined as the global analysis of an SME, taking into account all of its industrial and intellectual property resources: its patents and also its trademarks and designs together with its contracts and documentary research.
- Objectives
Prediagnosis has the sole purpose of raising the company’s awareness of industrial property.
To achieve this objective, what is offered to management is:
A straightforward diagnosis of the current state of the business in terms of its industrial property requirements,
An analysis of the relevance of an industrial property policy for the business,
A definition of the avenues to pursue while pinpointing the skills and the players to be brought into play.
However, prediagnosis will never focus just on documentary research, or the diagnosis of a single project or a legal service like drafting a contract or an application for an industrial property right.
- Sequence of events
Prediagnosis operates in three main stages:
The first interview during whichthe expert on the case takes stock of the company, of its business activities and environment, and produces an account of the current practice of the companyin terms of industrial property,
The report drafted by the expert on the basis of the information gathered during the previous stage,
The feedbackduring which the expert submits the prediagnosis report to the management, along with avenues to pursue, and recommendations to enable management to incorporate an industrial property approach in determining its strategy.
- Practical aspects
Prediagnosis is carried out by an expert from INPI,or from outside but trained and authorised by INPI.
The cost of the service, i.e.1,500 euros, is fully subsidised by INPI.
The company undergoing the prediagnosis signs an undertaking with INPI: this contract names the expert carrying out the diagnosis and the company spokesman and reaffirms the confidential nature of all information exchanged.
- The Target
Prediagnosis addresses SMEs with less than 1,000 employees making little use of industrial property to protect their innovations.
Prediagnosis may also cover projects from public incubators or research units.
- Resources made available
To carry out these services INPI has available:
Human resources: in the early stages a network of internal experts was set up and subsequently a network of external experts has been developed.
Technical resources: to coordinate and focus the services provided a guidebook has been produced and a series of standard appendices collected.
Quality: to keep track of the development of this service INPI has established a quality control system. The quality of the reports presented and the satisfaction levels of clients enjoying prediagnosis are systematically assessed.
Prospection network:to extend its prediagnosis service to innovative companies, INPI relies on its network of partners all round the country.
IP PREDIAGNOSIS
A vision of the future based on an understanding of the competitive assets that industrial property can generate
Results
- Performance in France
Since being established in 2004, more than 2,300 prediagnosis exercises have been completed.
INPI aims to provide this service to 1,000 innovative companies in 2008.
- Impact
An effective impact on the strategy of SMEs has been identified, in particular by surveys regularly carried out among companies having benefited from the service.
In 2007, a survey revealed a very high level of satisfaction among clients. More than 2/3 of them are actually taking action connected with industrial property as a result of prediagnosis.
- Evaluation by the European Commission
During 2007, prediagnosis has also been the subject of an assessment under a study carried out by the European Commission.
This analysis demonstrated the extremely positive performance of prediagnosis, highlighting the high level of satisfaction achieved among client companies together with the real impact that prediagnosis has on the way they practise industrial property.
The European Commission study also brought outthe factors that make prediagnosis successful: the qualifications of the experts fielded, its outreach via the local innovation-promoting networks and the way prediagnosis dovetails with other schemes.
- Future developments
The various analyses quoted suggest the lines along which the scheme may develop in the future. .
INPI will support companies at the key moments in their lives: at the time of start-up but also at handover or cross-border development.
Further facilities will be brought in to back up the arrangements already available to the experts performing this service.
- Developments abroad
Other Member States of the European Union have declared an interest in having a similar system on their territory.
These requests have been passed on by EPO to INPI, which currently has experts from several States in training.
IP PREDIAGNOSIS
A real impact on the way SMEs practise industrial property
Decisive success factors
Developments abroad