Research topic

Innovation by standardization and intellectual property

Our mission is to provide knowledge on how standardization and intellectual property can contribute the development and use of knowledge, to contribute to economic growth and welfare, and, in specific, can accelerate sustainability transitions. Standardization and intellectual property can both hinder and help technological change. How can we create new standards that facilitate the further digitization and integration of energy and mobility systems needed for the transition to sustainability? How can we avoid premature lock in in suboptimal technologies? How can intellectual property contribute to the development and use of (sustainable) innovations, and at the same time create incentive for development of new knowledge?

Recognizing that both technical standards and intellectual property have an important impact on allowing inventions to become innovations that can scale up and contribute to economic growth and welfare, the TIS group is one of the leading research groups globally in this area, and also conducts policy studies and informs policy makers and stakeholders.

Our mission is to provide knowledge on how standardization and intellectual property can contribute the development and use of knowledge, to contribute to economic growth and welfare, and, in specific, can accelerate sustainability transitions. Standardization and intellectual property can both hinder and help technological change. How can we create new standards that facilitate the further digitization and integration of energy and mobility systems needed for the transition to sustainability? How can we avoid premature lock in in suboptimal technologies? How can intellectual property contribute to the development and use of (sustainable) innovations, and at the same time create incentive for development of new knowledge?

Valorisation and societal involvement play a central role in this research team. Among other things, the TIS researchers in this field have carried out dozens of studies for the European Commission, the US National Academies of Science, national European governments and other policy bodies, as well as for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They serve on the advisory bodies of the Forum Standardisatie (advisory body of the Dutch government on standardization matters) and international standards body IEEE. They have also been invited address the European Parliament during the public hearing on patents and standards in 2019.

Partners, funding agencies and commissioning bodies include NWO (various programs), European Commission, U.S. National Academies of Science (NAS), European Patent Office (EPO), NEN, ETSI, IEEE, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), NKL, and the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR).

Some research projects