Intellectual Property Office: Ministerial Priorities 2024-25

(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)

Wednesday 8th May 2024 Written Statements

[The Minister for Science, Research and Innovation (Andrew Griffith)]

I am repeating the following written ministerial statement made today in the other place by my noble Friend, the Minister for AI and Intellectual Property, Viscount Camrose:

Creativity and innovation fuel investment and growth in the UK economy. The Government aim to strengthen the UK’s place as a global leader in science and technology and are backing the UK’s most exciting technologies and sectors of the future. We are boosting investment in innovation, working together with industry, and providing the right conditions to grow our economy, create high-quality jobs, and benefit society.

The role of intellectual property (IP) remains crucial to achieving our ambition and increasing investment in science and technology. It encourages and incentivises the UK to innovate and gives individuals, businesses, and organisations the confidence to create new ideas, products, and technologies, knowing their IP can be protected. Our society, economy, and environment will benefit from their work and endeavours, and we are backing them to succeed and grow.

We are experiencing a period of rapid technological and scientific change. The pace is accelerating and driving a remarkable new era for the world. That is why we must continue to build on the UK’s strengths in AI, quantum, fintech, life sciences, and clean energy technology because advances in these areas will make a real difference to our economy and public services.

For the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), this backdrop represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Its response and the IP system need to keep pace with the operating environment and the expectations of those protecting their IP and using its services.

We are moving to a world where the operations of firms, and their supply chains are heavily internationalised, and our approach must reflect this. Through effective collaboration, the UK is shaping the IP system internationally and ensuring the UK’s rights granting services remain competitive.

I am pleased to support the IPO’s strategy for the next three years, which sets out its clear mission to help grow the economy by providing an IP system that encourages investment in creativity and innovation. The IPO corporate plan 2024-25 document outlines a clear plan for this financial year. As an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the IPO has set priorities which are agreed by Ministers.

I am pleased that today I can inform the House that my priorities for the IPO in 2024-25 are to:

launch the One IPO customer account and new online IP search tool for all patent customers;

achieve an average overall customer satisfaction of 85% or more; and

achieve efficiencies worth at least 3.5% of its core operating costs.

The IPO has strong plans in place, which I am confident will contribute towards economic growth and enable the UK to maximise the opportunities in science, technology, and innovation.

[HCWS444]