Agenda Day 1
8:00 am - 8:30 am
REGISTRATION & COFFEE
8:30 am - 8:35 am
OPENING REMARKS FROM IQPC
Carla Rodríguez -
Senior Conference Producer, Programme Director,
IQPC Exchange
8:35 am - 8:45 am
OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
Lucy Johnson -
Chief Operating Officer,
HGF
8:45 am - 8:50 am
LIVE POLLING
8:50 am - 9:35 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: WHAT IS IP NOW? RETHINKING IP VALUE AND PROTECTION BEYOND BRANDS, PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS
Cassandra Derham -
Head of Intellectual Property,
Amadeus
Dr. Verena-Maren Potting - Associate General Counsel, Amcor
In this day and age, intellectual property extends far beyond the traditional, with valuable assets often sitting in R&D, trade secrets, know-how, design, data, and organisational capabilities. But identifying value is only half the challenge as businesses must also understand how to capture ownership, protect their IP and create the right conditions for future commercialisation. With a plethora of legacy portfolios and uncertainty of what will prove fruitful in future, how can leaders build an IP strategy for 2027 that balances value creation with effective protection?
• Identify where new IP is emerging across know-how, trade secrets, data and dual-use technologies
• Consider how reputation and distinctive brand assets can be leveraged as sources of value beyond traditional trademark rights
• Understand the importance of documentation, ownership and confidentiality in determining appropriate legal protection
• Hear how to communicate the broader IP concept clearly to stakeholders and the wider business
9:35 am - 9:50 am
QUICK-FIRE PRESENTATION: BEYOND RECOGNITION - CAPITALISING ON EMPATHY AND AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP TO RAISE BUSINESS-WIDE IP AWARENESS
Lauren Schweizer -
Head of Group Intellectual Property,
SGL Carbon
IP awareness remains a persistent challenge, particularly when disparate teams have different priorities and levels of understanding, meaning that traditional approaches to raising awareness rarely inspire lasting behavioural change. An opportunity lies in building trust, and understanding what motivates the organisation's people. By combining empathy with authentic leadership, IP leaders can create an environment where colleagues feel comfortable engaging and opening up to a level of IP understanding. But how can this potentially powerful approach be harnessed to achieve an organisation that truly embraces IP?
• Explore how empathy and an understanding of different personalities can help IP professionals build trust across diverse business functions
• Discuss how to move beyond one-way communication and compliance-driven messaging with people-centred leadership
• Learn how to engage employees and stakeholders alike through open dialogue and shared experience
9:50 am - 10:20 am
PRESENTATION: STRONGER TOGETHER - COLLECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR SAFEGUARDING INNOVATION FROM PATENT ASSERTION ENTITIES
Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs, aka patent trolls) are responsible for buying 70% of the patents in the open broker market and for filing 86% of all patent litigation against operating companies. The real irony is that most of the patents used by PAEs originated with those same operating companies. Since operating companies are the ones providing most of the assets to PAEs, a private ordered solution is the most efficient to address this issue.
• Dive into the global PAE business, its current trends, and the problems PAEs create for those they sue
• Discuss emerging developments, trends and challenges in litigation funding
• Review how will the Unified Patent Court (UPC) is already increasing NPE litigation in Europe and will continue to do so
• Learn how a private ordered solution is the most efficient way to mitigate risk
10:25 am - 10:55 am THINK TANK: THE POST-GRANT STRESS TEST - BUILDING A COORDINATED STRATEGY FOR PATENT DISPUTES
Patent disputes are often spanning EPO oppositions and appeals, UPC proceedings and national litigation, requiring IP leaders to think beyond individual cases and adopt a coordinated, cross-jurisdictional approach. By focusing on alignment from the outset, organisations can anticipate vulnerabilities to strengthen their position in challenging, defending or enforcing patent rights. Pressure-testing strategies before disputes arise could be key to maintaining consistency, moving at pace, and achieving the best possible outcome, but with so many variables, how can IP leaders build a strategy that's both adaptable and stable?
• Explore how to align arguments and decisions across EPO oppositions and appeals, UPC proceedings and national litigation
• Consider how to mobilise the right expertise quickly while maintaining strategic continuity across parallel proceedings
• Identify potential vulnerabilities early and pressure-test validity, infringement, and evidence to strengthen offensive and defensive positions
• Discuss what an integrated, commercially focused approach to post-grant disputes looks like in practice
11:00 am - 11:30 am THINK TANK: BUILDING BRANDS BEYOND BORDERS - TACKLING TRADEMARK STRATEGY AND BRAND LAUNCH WHEN ENTERING A JURISDICTION
Omar Serrano Rivera - Global Senior Counsel, Brand Protection and Marketing, JDE Peet's
Launching in a new jurisdiction is rarely as simple as taking an established brand and replicating it in another market. Where the customer proposition, regulatory environment or operating model differs, the brand strategy must be adaptable, creating a complex challenge for IP teams. They must move quickly enough to support an ambitious market-entry strategy while ensuring the brand is properly assessed and cleared before significant time and investment is committed. Getting it wrong could have a dire impact on the launch, so how can IP leaders ensure they are brought into the conversation early to guarantee the launch of a brand that's genuinely viable?
• Explore how to move from a strategic idea to defining the proposition, selecting brands, setting timelines, and planning launch marketing
• Learn to avoid unnecessary risk by bypassing commitment to a brand that cannot be cleared
• Cover coordination with stakeholders, external counsel and market agencies to ensure a collaborative approach to success
• Share best practices for managing trademark clearance where brand proposition and operating model differ from existing markets
11:35 am - 12:05 pm THINK TANK: ALL EYES ON IP - CREATING A BUSINESS-WIDE IP CULTURE THAT REWARDS AND PROTECTS INNOVATION
André Monteiro Andrade - Vice President EMEA, Sales & Account Management, Protect, RWS Group
IP's ability to protect and create value depends on the wider business understanding its role. Yet building an effective IP culture is not simply about educating employees on patents, brands, or trade secrets, but embedding IP thinking into everyday decision-making and building trusted relationships with disparate teams. It's a lot to aim for: new ways to empower stakeholders, improve the quality of innovation, translate IP into the language of business, the list goes on. So how can IP become everyone's job without becoming everyone's responsibility to make decisions they are not equipped for?
• Discuss how stakeholder engagement and collaboration can create a more proactive IP culture
• Explore how to build stronger relationships with R&D and innovation teams to embed IP thinking into the business
• Learn how to demonstrate the value of portfolios by translating IP strategy into business priorities
• Delve into empowering employees to identify and develop valuable innovation while ensuring IP expertise informs critical decisions
10:25 am - 10:55 am 1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
11:00 am - 11:30 am 1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
11:35 am - 12:05 pm 1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
12:10 pm - 12:40 pm
PRESENTATION: THE CURIOUS CASE OF COPYRIGHT - UNDERSTANDING WHAT MIO/KONEKTRA MEANS FOR THE FUTURE DESIGN PROTECTION
The CJEU's recent judgment in the joined cases C-580/23 (Mio) and C-795/23 (Konektra) highlights the complexities that IP teams face when protecting product design across jurisdictions where copyright and design rights overlap. But it also raises fundamental questions: when will a design qualify for copyright protection, how should copyright and design rights operate alongside one another, and perhaps most importantly, what does the judgment mean for the strength and scope of protection available to rights holders?
• Examine the facts of C-580/23 and C-795/23 to understand the judgement in the cases, as well as the CJEU's reasoning
• Consider how the judgement affects the extent to which copyright can provide meaningful protection alongside registered and unregistered design rights
• Explore how the ruling may affect the way businesses build and enforce IP strategies where copyright and design protection overlap
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm
PRESENTATION: FROM DETECTION TO TAKEDOWN - WIELDING AI TO SCALE DIGITAL BRAND PROTECTION
Itai Galmor -
Chief Revenue Officer,
BrandShield
As brands face an increasingly complex digital threat landscape, protecting IP is no longer simply about identifying infringements. Counterfeits, impersonation, fake listings, rogue apps, fraudulent websites and misleading advertisements can emerge across thousands of digital channels, making effective enforcement increasingly difficult to manage at scale. With AI transforming both the sophistication of bad actors and the ability of brands to detect and respond to threats, how can IP leaders move from reactive monitoring to proactive, technology-enabled brand protection?
• Explore how AI can transform the detection, prioritisation and enforcement of digital IP infringements
• Delve into strategies for turning detection into effective takedown and long-term disruption of repeat offenders
• Understand how brands can build scalable protection strategies across marketplaces, social media, apps, websites and digital advertising
1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
LUNCH
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
LIGHTNING DEBATES: THE AI-ENABLED HUMAN RACE - DECIPHERING THE WORTH OF IP PROFESSIONALS IN THE AGE OF AI
In this quick-fire round of dialogues, attendees will have the opportunity to hear and share different views on the role of human expertise alongside AI.
Join this session to better understand where you (and your peers) stand.
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
2:45 pm - 2:50 pm
LIVE POLLING
2:50 pm - 3:05 pm
QUICK-FIRE PRESENTATION: CLEAR THE PATH - LEVERAGING FTO INSIGHTS TO UNCOVER PATENT RISKS
Eric Lin -
VP of Strategy,
Patlytics
In an increasingly digitalised world, FTO analysis' vale extends well beyond the traditional use of flagging potential infringement. When approached strategically, FTO insights can help businesses navigate complex landscapes inform product development decision, to say nothing of identifying opportunities to mitigate risk before it becomes a costly obstacle. But turning patent intelligence into actionable insight isn't always straightforward. So how can IP leaders ensure their FTO efforts deliver the right insights, at the right time, to clear the path to market?
• Explore how FTO analysis can provide greater visibility into complex and evolving patent landscapes
• Learn how to translate findings into intelligence that informs R&D, product development and commercialisation strategies
• Consider how to balance legal exposure against commercial objectives to effectively assess patent risks
3:05 pm - 3:35 pm
FIRESIDE CHAT: FEWER, BETTER, STRONGER - PRIORITISING QUALITY OVER QUANTITY WHEN PRUNING A PORTFOLIO
Miguel Soriano -
Patent Filing & Prosecution Director,
JTI
IP portfolios are growing against a backdrop of budget cuts, resource constraints, and the pressure to demonstrate that every asset delivers business value. Enter: portfolio pruning. From paring down legacy trademarks and patents to prioritising the brands and inventions that matter most, the focus is shifting from quantity to quality. But how can IP teams make difficult decisions about what to retain, and what to abandon? In this fireside chat, two IP leaders, one from a trademark and brand protection perspective, the other patent-focused, will share their views on building leaner, more valuable portfolios.
• Hear perspectives on assessing portfolio quality, value and relevance when identifying what to keep or let go
• Explore how to balance the cost of legacy maintenance and new investment to align with business priorities
• Learn about the benefits of incorporating technology and automation to improve portfolio management
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm THINK TANK: FROM RIGHTS TO POWER: WINNING THE SEP LICENSING GAME
As standards-based ecosystems become more complex, SEP licensing can no longer be simply about securing the right to use standardised technology or collecting royalties. IP leaders must navigate a myriad of considerations, from patent holders and implementers to the wider business and customers, if they want to turn a licensing strategy into genuine commercial leverage. So how can you successfully make the move from managing licensing exposure to using SEPs as a source of strategic power?
• Discuss balancing standardisation and personalisation to overcome IP risk and achieve commercial success when developing SEP strategies
• Explore how to leverage litigation documentation, licensing deals and evolving standards to inform SEP decisions when public information is limited
• Explore the appetite for commercialising IP beyond traditional licensing and identify possible opportunities for your business
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm SCENARIO SIMULATION: INNOVATION STARTS HERE - PARTNERING WITH BUSINESS TEAMS TO BUILD STRATEGIC PIPELINES
Nicole Klug - Head of Global Intellectual Property & Anti-Counterfeiting, Hugo Boss
In this interactive session, the group will be assigned a fictional scenario with the challenge of effectively partnering with R&D teams or brand owners.
Over 30 minutes, the team will work together to develop a practical strategy and action roadmap that could be applied to a similar situation in their own organisations.
The exercise focuses on delivering concrete takeaways, helping attendees identify opportunities, anticipate setbacks, and consider actionable steps that can inform their real-world relationship-building and decision-making. There is one slot of six available for patent-focused IP leaders, and another for brand protection-focused.
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm THINK TANK: THE NEW PROTECTION PLAYBOOK - LEVERAGING DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORTS, QR CODES, HOLOGRAMS AND OTHER EMERGING TECH TO STAY AHEAD OF ADVANCED COUNTERFEITING
Counterfeiting is more sophisticated than ever, with IP leaders facing entrepreneurial bad actors leveraging advanced capabilities to produce look-alikes that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from genuine product. Consequently, brand protection must evolve beyond conventional enforcement, incorporating new tools to strengthen traceability and authentication. At the same time, these technologies present an opportunity to go further, enhancing the consumer experience and supporting more sustainable product lifecycles. But with the pace of counterfeiting accelerating, how can IP leaders keep up by leveraging their own technologies to outsmart the perpetrators?
• Understand how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping counterfeits and look-alike products
• Hear how digital product design, packaging and emerging technologies can embed IP protection into the product itself
• Delve into using technology and data to identify counterfeits faster and improve enforcement across disparate markets
• Explore how advancing technologies can enhance the consumer experience through greater transparency, traceability and circularity
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm
1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm
1:1 BUSINESS MEETINGS
5:25 pm - 5:40 pm
QUICK-FIRE PRESENTATION: ANALYTICS IN ACTION - USING DATA TO DRIVE PORTFOLIO STRATEGY TOWARDS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
For many organisations, portfolio decisions are still driven by precedent, intuition or annual budgeting cycles. But as filing costs rise and innovation pipelines become more complex, IP leaders are turning to data to make sharper decisions about where to invest and how to create competitive advantage. Patent analytics and business-aligned metrics can help to build a strategy that actively supports growth and market leadership, but how can data truly be leveraged meaningfully to ensure portfolio decisions create maximum strategic value?
• Discover how to use patent, market and technology data to identify white space opportunities and focus investment on genuinely valuable innovation
• Learn how to uncover emerging technology trends and use intelligence to benchmark your portfolio against competitors
• Consider how to ensure IP resources are directed towards the technologies, products and markets that matter most to scalability
5:40 pm - 5:55 pm
QUICK-FIRE PRESENTATION: REDEFINING NOVELTY - LEADING THE AI RACE AS MACHINES CREATE TOMORROW’S PRIOR ART
R&D and innovation teams are increasingly using AI to accelerate invention development, fundamentally challenging how novelty, ownership and IP protection is assessed. As AI systems generate concepts, code, and prior art at unprecedented speed, the question of what constitutes a genuinely novel invention is becoming more prevalent in IP circles. In this new IP landscape, how can organisations evaluate patentability - and use AI themselves - without inadvertently jeopardising the very advantage they are seeking to protect?
• Consider whether assessment should focus on the capabilities of AI systems rather than the engineering inventive process
• Understand how AI-generated prior art is redefining the boundaries of innovation and expanding the state-of-the-art landscape
• Delve into the security risks of using AI within the innovation process, and how to educate R&D teams without dampening inspiration
• Hear how global regulations will need to adapt to keep up with the pace of AI's impact on IP protection
5:55 pm - 6:00 pm
CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
Lucy Johnson -
Chief Operating Officer,
HGF
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
DRINKS RECEPTION
The perfect opportunity to continue the conversations sparked throughout the day's sessions: at our drinks reception, exchange more ideas and strengthen new connections in a more informal setting. With a special theme adding an extra element of excitement to the occasion (details to be revealed soon!), get ready to unwind and enjoy a memorable evening with peers.
