EU - Webinar: Patents and Trade Secrets

This webinar offers a clear and practical overview of the two most relevant IP tools for safeguarding technical knowledge: patents and trade secrets. Participants will first learn the fundamental differences between the two — what they protect, how enforceability works, and the legal and financial implications of each approach. The session then explores how to make the right strategic choice, considering factors such as technology maturity, market dynamics, collaboration settings, and dissemination plans.

Special attention will be given to challenges typical of research-driven environments, including the interaction with open science, obligations under EU projects, and the critical timing between protection and publication. Through practical case studies from industry and publicly funded research, attendees will gain actionable guidance on when to file a patent, when secrecy is the smarter option, and how to combine both tools in an integrated IP strategy that supports exploitation and impact.

• The key differences between patents and trade secrets
• Timing rules: when to protect before publishing or presenting results
• How to balance Open Science obligations with IP protection needs
• Decision-making criteria to select the most suitable protection route
• Organisational measures needed for effective trade secret management
• How patents and trade secrets can be combined in a hybrid strategy