About Us

4iP Council is a European research council dedicated to developing high quality academic insight and empirical evidence on topics related to intellectual property and innovation. We work with academia, policy makers, regulators, business stakeholders of all sizes, educators and students to facilitate a deeper understanding of the invention process and of technology investment decision-making. 4iP Council was established in February 2013 and is a non-profit organisation.

An advisory committee of eminent intellectual property experts provide independent guidance on 4iP Council’s research agenda as well as input on the organisation structure and governance.



The Challenge

Technology invention is an indispensable component of today’s innovation economies. However, technological research and development implies high risks and uncertainty: significant up-front investment is required, global competition is intense, prototypes often need to be developed for new ideas to be taken seriously, multiple failures usually precede success (if any) and, when a superior new technology is invented, it can be copied by free-riders.

This reality is not always understood. Misperception can impact decisions about intellectual property (IP) frameworks and could potentially weaken innovation economies. Without efficient IP protection, the risks associated with invention will outweigh the gains, and venture funding, entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation will drastically slow down.

Through fact based research and education, 4iP Council seeks to improve the understanding of how innovation happens.



Our Position

Supporters of 4iP Council see creativity and inventiveness as a right to be protected and rewarded. Technology invention is a long, arduous creative process that can result in life changing and global transformation. Just as the writer is compensated for writing a best seller, technology inventors should be rewarded for creating successful and potentially transformational technology solutions. Indeed, in a world increasingly driven by technology and short on the skills to create and manage it, we believe technology invention needs to be incentivised.

Strong intellectual property regimes foster the entrepreneurial behaviour that underpins innovation, driving social and economic prosperity. 4iP Council seeks to assist Europe in creating a friendly framework that fosters entrepreneurial spirit and venture funding in complex technologies.

 

Gender Equality Plan

4iP Council values and promotes gender balance and currently (January 2023) has a gender balanced leadership. Being a not-for-profit organisation striving for developing high quality academic insight and empirical evidence on topics related to intellectual property and innovation, we value diversity of views in our research and our events. 4iP Council’s management adopted this Gender Equality Plan (GEP), with the purpose of providing guidance and practical steps on future commitments. It is made available, for all the collaborators, contributors, consultants, staff members, ecosystem partners involved in 4iP Council’s activities as well as on 4iP Council’s website. More on 4iP Council’s Gender Equality Plan.



Network

4iP Council engages with a network of organisations in different ways to generate and communicate on new empirical research and projects on the role and impact of intellectual property in our society and economy. Here we outline some of the different ways organisations of different types, sizes and sectors are involved with us.

For further information on joining our network please contact us at info@4ipcouncil.com.


Supporters

23 March 2015

Organisations supporting 4iP Council have research and development activities in Europe and share the view that intellectual property rights enable innovation and increase social and economic welfare.


Ecosystem partners

23 March 2015

Our ecosystem partners share a common focus with 4iP Council and collaborate with us to help promote the understanding of intellectual property rights as an enabler of innovation and means to increase social and economic welfare.


Friends of 4iP Council

23 March 2015

Friends of 4iP Council support the view that intellectual property rights enable innovation and increase social and economic welfare and may collaborate with us through input on specific projects.


Join us

Please contact info@4ipcouncil.com if you would like more information about joining our Network.