SH&P at the Engineering Design Show 2024: Showcasing the Importance of Intellectual Property Protection for Engineers and Designers
Stevens Hewlett & Perkins (SH&P) had the pleasure of exhibiting and speaking at this year’s Engineering Design Show (EDS), held at The Coventry Building Society Arena.
For over a decade, EDS has been the “go-to” event for mechanical, electronics and design professionals. We were highly excited to be part of this vibrant, innovation-driven community once again.
Our presence at the event conveyed a single key message: intellectual property (IP) protection is crucial for engineering and design businesses.
Whether you are an electronics engineer developing cutting-edge components or a mechanical designer creating new systems, understanding and safeguarding your innovations is vital to your success.
Why Does Intellectual Property Matter to Engineers and Designers?
At SH&P, we specialise in protecting new ideas and innovations through patents, trade marks and design registrations.
We were represented at EDS by our Patent Partner, Richard Turner and Business Development Director, Bob Barnes, who spent two days meeting with many business owners, engineers and designers, all of whom had interesting stories to tell about their business journeys.
A recurring theme from these conversations was that many professionals were not aware of the risks they might face and how the inherent value of their innovations could be disadvantaged if their intellectual property is not adequately protected.
Richard Turner also delivered a well-attended presentation outlining the numerous advantages of filing patent applications and how patent rights can be commercially exploited.
This is why IP matters:
- Patents: You have developed a “breakthrough” mechanical component that drastically improves efficiency in the automotive industry. Without a patent, your invention could be copied by competitors, leaving your business without any recourse to protect your market share or profit from your hard work. With a patent, you could licence this to car manufacturers and get paid a royalty on everything they make that incorporates “your” technology.
- Design Rights: If your business focuses on designing unique product aesthetics, such as sleek consumer electronics or innovative industrial designs, registered design rights can help protect the appearance of your products from being copied. This ensures your brand stands out in the marketplace. It will deter cheap imitations.
- Trade Marks: Engineers often overlook trade marks, but they are essential if you are building a brand that you want customers to recognise and trust. A strong trade mark can be a crucial asset in differentiating your products and services from the competition.
At the EDS show, we discussed how engineers and designers could secure protection across multiple areas, ensuring ideas remain their own and are not stolen.
We also highlighted examples of companies that have successfully leveraged their intellectual property to grow and thrive in competitive markets. For example, we spoke with a firm designing new electronic interfaces for consumer devices. By obtaining patent protection for their technological advancements and trade marking their brand, they have put themselves in an ideal position that will allow them to expand with confidence, knowing their innovation is legally safeguarded and its value protected.
A Growing Community of Innovators
The Engineering Design Show was not all about intellectual property and was as much a “celebration” of innovation.
The SH&P team was thrilled to see the sheer variety of projects on display, from advancements in AI-driven automation systems to cutting-edge robotics. Many of the attendees we met with were small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are leading the way in their respective fields. However, with innovation comes the need for robust IP strategies.
If you are developing a new product or technology, don’t wait until it’s too late. Intellectual property can be a powerful tool for securing investment, protecting market position and adding value to your business. We are always happy to talk to companies and individuals and provide clear commercial advice in relation to IP.
A Seamless Event
We would like to give a special thanks to Simon Bonell and the entire team at the Mark Allen Group for organising such an engaging and popular EDS event. The level of organisation made it easy for us to connect with professionals from across the engineering and design spectrum. From start to finish, the event ran very smoothly and it brought together many creative and innovative people under one roof.
Let’s Talk IP
If you attended the Engineering Design Show or are working in the fields of engineering and design, now is the perfect time to think about how intellectual property can benefit your business. Whether your are interested in securing patents for a new invention, protecting the designs that differentiate your products or establishing your brand through trade mark protection, SH&P can help guide you through the process.
Get in touch with us now to discuss how you can protect what matters most—your ideas.
We will be back at EDS next year and we look forward to seeing you then!