"Innovation to Investment": a question of priority, or of timing?

"Innovation to Investment – How to capitalise on your IP" takes place at the Barclay Escalator's London Innovation Loft on Friday 25 September. According to the organisers:

"Intellectual Property should be at the forefront of the mind of start-ups working in the Fintech/digital space.  Whether it is the importance of IP for access to funding, or understanding how to protect innovation and manage risks, a well thought-out IP strategy is essential to capitalising on your innovation".  

In this blogger's view the truth of the matter is that IP is at the forefront of the mind of practically every start-up these days, both in the Fintech/digital space and outside it -- but the difficulty faced by most start-ups is that of having IP in their minds at the right time and for the right reasons. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that, the smaller a start-up is, the greater is the demand for multitasking skills and for getting the timing right when cash flows, IP fees and deadlines and the need to engage with an ever-changing market are all competing for attention, and indeed for priority.

A cynic might be forgiven for commenting that IP is more at the forefront of the mind of start-ups than of many funders, for whom (i) getting their money back (ii) with interest and (iii) without risk are front, centre and indeed practically everywhere else in their consciousness. It would be great if this were no longer so and this blogger looks forward to the time when this happy end will come to pass.

This seminar should ideally be attended by start-ups themselves but in reality it is likely to be attended mainly by those who advise them. IP Finance hopes that the speakers -- Nigel Swycher (CEO, Aistemos), Julius Stobbs (Stobbs IP) and Ash Von Schwan (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton) -- will bear this need for perfect timing in mind when making their presentations.

Click here for a comment on the event from Aistemos, and here for full information, registration and a map showing where you can find the venue. Registration is free.

Keeping in STEP with intangible assets?

On 23 June 2008 the National Academies' Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy (STEP), in cooperation with the Committee on National Statistics, holds a one-day conference in Washington DC on Intangible Assets: Measuring and Enhancing Their Contribution to Corporate Value and Economic Growth (programme details here). According to information received together with the announcement of this event,

"Investment in intangibles, according to a 2006 Federal Reserve Board staff analysis, exceeds all investment in tangible property and, if properly accounted for, would raise US productivity growth by 20 percent for the period 1973-1995. These assets -- computer software, R&D, intellectual property, workforce training, brand equity and organizational capabilities -- now account for three quarters of economic activity. Increasingly, they are a principal driver of the competitiveness of US-based firms, economic growth, and opportunities for American workers. Some intangibles, like intellectual property, are being securitized, auctioned, and traded; a few years ago no one contemplated the existence, let alone the extent, of such "technology markets."

Yet despite these developments many intangible assets are not reported and are treated in the national economic accounts as expenses rather than investments. And there is no coordinated national strategy for promoting intangible investments apart, perhaps, from R&D.Sponsored by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis in response to a congressional directive, the agenda includes discussions of

* what are intangibles and how they work;
* how intangible investments compare and contribute to growth in the US, UK and Japan;
* how intangibles are created and used by firms;
* what new markets in intangibles are emerging;
* what government statistical agencies are doing to gather data on intangibles and
* what the government's role should be in supporting markets and promoting investment in intangibles.

Confirmed speakers include Commerce Under Secretary Cynthia Glassman; Irving Wladawsky-Berger, IBM; Jonathan Haskel, University of London and HM Treasury; Carol Corrado, Conference Board; Ken Flamm, University of Texas-Austin; Laurie Bassi, McBassi & Co; Baruch Lev, NYU Stern School; Ron Bossio, Financial Accounting Standards Board; Doug Lippoldt, OECD; Nir Kossovsky, Steel City Re; and Ken Jarboe, Athena Alliance".

Registration here.