It is 00:18 and until about one hour ago I participated at the closing dinner of CIP Forum 2011.
The conference held in Goteborg, Sweden celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and, even though it attracted a smaller audience than in 2009, I still found it to be an excellent place to network and engage in discussions with industry, academia and other IP practitioner’s.
It is clear that intellectual capital has become a global commodity and, between global powers there is a fierce competition for the best minds that can drive corporate/national growth. However it is also clear that besides USA which has a historic tradition of attracting talents and China which is actively working towards developing national talents; Europe and India are struggling in this respect. (I will go into depth as in why this is so and what the consequences are in a following blog…)
Another key highlight of the conference was the consistent reference to IP as a business tool for creating value and gaining competitive advantage. The translation of IP in business terms and the communication of IP related value for business managers is a daily challenge for any practitioner. In this respect I was happy to see so many discussions during the conference not focusing on IP as a legal right but solely as a business asset used for creating value.
Overall my experience was good as the event offers a wide variety of tracks and there were many interesting discussions during these three day sessions (some of which I will share with you in later blogs). I would however venture to say that the majority of these discussions were carried in the many mingling sessions rather than in the seminars themselves which were in need of a bit more practicality…
The administration of the program as well as the many hospitality events were much appreciated and definitely will remain memorable for all participants. Looking forward to CIP Forum 2013!
