In today’s knowledge-driven economy IP rights have become valuable business assets. Most successful companies in recent years have relied heavily on their creative and innovative capacity as their main source of competitiveness. Such inventiveness, know-how and creativity are captured and transformed into exclusive business assets through the acquisition of IP rights. This is why IP protection offers an important tool for businesses to enhance competitiveness and strengthen the position of their products or services in the marketplace. A large majority of SMEs (70%) estimate they need support in the area of IP management. But SMEs have limited resources (time, money etc) to get to informational resources.

Main Aims and Objectives: The objective of this project is to transfer the DIPS Project that has created an innovative education-concept aimed at learning the skills and knowledge requested to manage IPR in enterprises. The course, specifically designed for preparing persons to assess intangible assets and to manage IPR in companies, gives an identity to the IPR-management function in enterprises. This function is actually in most cases supplied by people without any specific IPR-knowledge. Most existing education programs on Intellectual Property Rights are targeted at lawyers and cover essentially the legal aspects. The DIPS e-learning training is aimed at targeting persons with different professional backgrounds.
Outcomes of the Project: The “Patent4SME” project will produce internet based training modules where individuals can register and attend different modules.

The characteristics of the Partnership: Partners of the project are from Turkey, Luxembourg, Greece and Bulgaria. Henri TUDOR Institute (LU) is the initiator of the transferred project. IDEC S.A. (GR) will strengthen the consortium from technical infrastructure of e-learning module. Turkish owner Tarsus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TTSO), partners MTOSB Management and Yenileşim Association will translate existing tool and support with local best cases and disseminate the tool. Euro-Training (BG) will design piloting activities. Greek and Bulgarian partners also translate and transfer the e-learning to their countries.

Impact envisaged: Intellectual property rights (IPR) among the prior subjecs that companies deal with in business life. This subject perceived to be high level issues and only legal people should deal with. However this legal people cost company time and money. Contrary to general perception, IPR information helps company to better compete in the market. People who completes these courses will help their company in preventing competitors from copying or closely imitating a company’s products or services; avoiding wasteful investment in research and development (R&D) and marketing, creating a corporate identity through a trademark strategy, acquiring venture capital and enhancing access to finance, obtaining access to new markets.