“The scarcity of intellectual property skills is a serious obstacle to business development and local government in the interior of the country,” says Joaquim Brigas, president of the Polytechnic of Guarda, quoted in a statement sent to the Lusa news agency.

According to him, “there is a lack of skills in the interior regions to register patents, protect manufacturing methods, or defend municipal logos.”

“This gap has been identified in areas as diverse as municipal logos, or in business areas ranging from information technologies to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or agro-industry, areas with which the IPG works continuously.”

The executive training program, starting in March, is the result of a joint initiative with Inventa, a Portuguese consultancy specialising in trademark and patent registration, and is aimed at researchers, company and business association executives, and municipal technicians.

The objective is for them to be able to value the innovation produced by their organisations and companies and transform it into patented trademarks with economic value, guaranteeing “the rights to trademarks, domains, products, or industrial designs”.

In addition to the municipalities and companies with which the Polytechnic is already working, the startups located in the IPG's Decentralised Incubator – which has centres in Guarda, Mêda, Seia, São João da Pesqueira, Vouzela, and São Pedro Sul – have also expressed training needs for their entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers in this area.

“The training that the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda and the consulting firm Inventa will provide will focus on trademark registration for future products, but also on the protection of manufacturing methods designed for innovative products,” adds Paulo Tolda, administrator of IPG, quoted in the same document.

The executive postgraduate program in Innovation and Intellectual Property “is designed to empower those responsible for brands and products from the moment of their ideation, through project financing, development, product protection, registration of intangible assets, and their accounting translation.”

“It will interconnect science, technology, and the market, preparing professionals from companies, research centres, or municipalities to lead innovation processes in business and institutional contexts,” adds Paulo Tolda.

The administrator of the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda also mentions that “great attention will be given to the innovation process and the valorisation and transfer of knowledge, that is, how to transform research into economic and social impact.”

Industrial design and industrial property, innovation financing strategies, accounting for intangible assets, and public procurement of Research & Development will also be covered.

The training will have a hybrid format, online and in-person, and will be held after work hours.