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Job profile IP Manager
The job descriptions and fields of activity of IP managers have evolved over the past decades and vary considerably depending on the industry. The need for creative minds who can understand innovation, technology, law and the market side and leverage the IP potential for companies is growing continuously and sustainably. These multi-layered requirements are often not reflected in traditional job profiles. Professional IP managers must create and shape their own job description. IP managers are experts at mediating between disciplines and departments, acting as enablers for corporate success by bringing together critical IP and management competencies.
The role of an IP manager is interesting for creative minds that do not think in traditional job descriptions and role models. Companies need to focus more than ever on market challenges and innovation, especially knowledge-based resources. As a result, IP managers are critical to business success. In recent years, an ecosystem has been developed for qualification, on-the-job training, conferences, literature and seminars related to the IP manager role.
IP managers excel at entrepreneurial and independent thinking. In addition to their understanding of technology and IP law, they are able to understand the strategic thinking of top management and apply their IP knowledge in a meaningful way. The IP manager role also requires creative thinking in terms of business models, innovation projects, marketing strategies and organizational development. Successful IP managers are proficient in a variety of areas including IP design, design thinking, business development, customer and brand experience, etc. They understand the language of their various contacts within the company, including R&D, legal, product management, marketing and sales departments, as well as top management and external service providers such as patent and trademark attorneys, brand and design agencies, technology vendors, researchers and trend agencies.
To fulfil their various roles in the company and lead others, IP managers can resort to the new quality standards in IP management for guidance like the ISO 56005 and the DIN 77006. There, quality in IP management refers both to the results of IP management in the organization and to the processes for generating these results. The involvement of all relevant participants and stakeholders in the various functional areas of a business operation, as well as a continuous improvement process, are the prerequisites for sustainable excellent quality in IP management.
Companies and business operations are required to define and implement necessary and meaningful processes in order to meet the demand for quality objectives in IP management as well. An important feature of IP management processes is their integration into the core processes of business operations. Above all, the process owners, who are not only the IP manager, must be defined and deployed.
Trainings
Intellectual property management has become a crucial factor and driving force in the knowledge economy. Due to the digital transformation, Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and the creation of new platform based business ecosystems, the economic development and competitiveness of companies increasingly depend on the generation and exploitation of their knowledge. Intellectual property can transform investments in competitive advantages and into economic benefits. IP-based appropriation strategies thus form the basis for creating value and advantageous competitive positions for companies to achieve sustainable success with business models and innovation activities.
Therefore, more and more training programs which combine law, economics and management topics emerge worldwide to fulfil the needs of the industry to perform high quality IP management. Those programs are often very practice oriented to qualify IP managers for the knowledge economy.
The IP Management Program at CEIPI, where the founding members of I3PM graduated from, is by far the most successful program for IP executives in Europe. Since 2005, this comprehensive IP management training is offered, for which it developed case studies with C-level executives and heads of IP from the industry to prove the practical success of its methods, skills and knowledge. It focuses on strategic business challenges, concrete implementation and success monitoring. The participants are either industry managers, entrepreneurs, start-up fellows, or institutional representatives, who learn legal, business, and management knowledge and skills that enable them to make meaningful decisions.
The IP management education at CEIPI is modular, ranging from university certificates to the University Diploma Course Intellectual Property Business Administration (DU IPBA), both in distance learning, the Master of Intellectual Property Law and Management (MIPLM, Master (II), LLM), and the PhD in IP Management.
But not only universities, also intellectual property offices are offering trainings in IP management, for example the WIPO with courses such as the distance learning program in IP management. And the EPO started with the high growth technology business series a whole training program consisting of multiple live and online conferences and training events.
Become a member
Join I3PM today and take advantage of the full range of benefits – I3PM is your inclusive and empowering community of international IP managers. We offer our members exclusive access to premium IP education, a strong and engaged professional network and high-level services and events.
