Patentopolis A serious game   Help companies and research organizations Bridge technology and business Use and manage their patents

 

There are already many successful management games developed, but none for patents. Patentopolis is a new game on patents with various applications. Several recent studies find that today companies, research organizations and other firms seek to improve their patent management in three main areas: education, cooperation, and strategy development. Patentopolis aims to address these three areas.

 

An impression of the game

When playing the game, 20 participants are pooled in five firms which compete in a ‘global economy’. This economy is defined by 20 markets combining five products in four regions. For each market: one firm can acquire a factory and manufacture products, and the same firm or another one can acquire the patent. Depending on whether one or two firms own the factory and the patent, plus the timing effect, the firms will experience all the IP scenarios and business transactions than occur in real life. Some will secure their markets and others will license their technology or decide to create a joint-venture. The game has a strong accent on interactions between the participants: first when they decide on which global IP strategy for their own firms, and second when they negotiate with other firms to implement their strategies and make deals. The firms can also initiate infringement actions. The firm with the highest value (tangibles plus intangibles) at the end of the game is the winner.

 

How does it work?

The effectiveness of Patentopolis has been demonstrated from a series of experiments involving a couple of hundreds students and professionals in various parts of Europe. When playing the game, these participants have gained knowledge by learning faster and with a sustained interest, compared to regular training. They have acquired new perceptions outside their regular jobs or roles by getting evolved in the big picture. Further, the game fosters team-work and engagement: a group dynamic usually develops swiftly, even among populations which are usually not so involved and active. Last but not least, the game also tends to defeat reluctance: the participants who dislike games or patents before playing tend to be those learning the most at the end.

Patentopolis is the object of a PhD study carried out at the Delft University in 2004-07 thanks to the Research Fund of the European Patent Organization. Upon completion of this study, a book entitled ‘The Patenting Paradox’ has been published. More on the book is available here.

 

Patentopolis, a multi-function tool for companies, universities and research organizations

• Available for an unlimited license (no limit in time and users)

• Can be used in different settings for specific audiences and goals in the companies and research organizations

  • Raise IP awareness of the general staff

  • Establish a dialog between functions or peers using a fictitious environment

  • Experience a change of practices in a risk-free laboratory

  • Internal communication e.g. during special events like annual meetings  

• Can also be used in universities and management schools to teach on patents

• Possibility to tailor the game for specific industries and products

 

Training & consultancy services Facilitate a training session on-site (typically 0,5 day) Train in-house facilitators (typically 1 day) Organize game-based session for special events e.g. annual meeting (typically 0,5 day)    Other services on IP management Portfolio mapping and positioning Quality audit Process engineering   Our customers TU Delft Shell Oil Company Dow Corning Limited