World Intellectual Property Day, which takes place each year on 26th April, celebrates the role of intellectual property in encouraging innovation and creativity globally.
The theme of this year’s World IP Day is “Innovate for a Green Future” with a focus on green innovation and sustainable technology. Environmental issues are a growing concern across the world; an Ipsos MORI survey in 2019 revealed that 85 per cent of adults in the UK are now concerned about climate change, the highest figure since the survey began. From developing new sustainable materials in the fashion industry to increasing the efficiency of electric vehicles, businesses in all industries are now racing to develop more environmentally-friendly technologies. IP plays a vital role in enabling and protecting these innovations.
Carpmaels & Ransford has extensive and wide-ranging experience working with companies creating new green technologies. Experts from our Chemistry & Materials, Engineering and Tech teams have looked at a number of developments in this space over the past few months.
New alternatives to single-use plastic
Members of our Chemistry and Materials team considered the use of single-use plastic in the food packaging and beauty industries to mark Plastic Free July. In a series of articles, the team looked at developments in bioplastics, compostable plastics and environmentally-friendly coating materials.
- Bioplastics: A viable alternative to single-use plastics?
- The public wants less plastic – how do we respond?
- Innovation in the beauty industry – solving the ugly problem of single use plastic
- Hydrophobic coatings and the drive to replace plastic packaging
Environmentally-friendly meat substitutes
Much has been reported about how meat consumption globally contributes to climate change. This article considers the latest in meat substitutes and the rise of patent applications in this area.
Renewable energy and the need for effective energy storage
The intermittent nature of many renewable sources of energy highlights the critical importance of effective energy storage. This article looks at how companies are innovating in the energy storage sector and using IP to safeguard their R&D efforts.
