#92 Intellectual property models in GreenTech

This podcast episode explores how intellectual property strategies can support the diffusion of green innovations. It is based on the paper “Intellectual property strategies for green innovations – An analysis of the European Inventor Awards” by Pratheeba Vimalnath, Frank Tietze, Akriti Jain, Anjula Gurtoo, Elisabeth Eppinger, and Maximilian Elsen. Based on an analysis of 57 European Inventor Award cases, it shows that patents are not only protection tools, but also instruments for investment, collaboration, licensing, and market entry. A key insight is that green innovators often begin with closed IP models during research, then move toward more open licensing and partnership models during commercialization and diffusion. The episode highlights why sustainable impact depends not only on inventing green technologies, but also on designing IP strategies that enable scaling, adoption, and collaboration.