Partnering for Prosperity: A new deal for the Cambridge- Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc.

Jane Lambert

The National Infrastructure Commission is an executive agency of the Treasury. It consists of a chair, a deputy chair and 9 commissioners. It offers impartial, expert advice and recommendations to the government on economic infrastructure which includes energy, transport, water (drainage sewerage and flood management) and digital communications. Its objectives are to support sustainable economic growth across all regions of the UK and improve competitiveness and the quality of life,

In March 2016 the Commission was asked to consider how to maximize the potential of a corridor running between Cambridge and Oxford via Milton Keynes "as a single, knowledge-intensive cluster that competes on a global stage, protecting the area’s high-quality environment, and securing the homes and jobs that the area needs." It delivered an interim report in November 2016 which identified lack of adequate and affordable housing as a major impediment to growth and recommended investment in new housing, job creation and better transport.

In its final report, Partnering for Prosperity: A new deal for the Cambridge- Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc. which was published on 17 Nov 2017, the Commission urged the government to make the corridor a national priority. It proposed new road and rail links between the towns and cities  in the arc and massive house building and job creation including new town development on a scale last seen in the 1950s and 1960s.

The report highlighted some of the area's strengths:

• Cambridge generates 19 times more patents than the national average;
• productivity in Milton Keynes is 25% more than the national average;
• Northampton has more business startups per 10,000 inhabitants than any other city except London; and
• Oxford is a leading hub for bioscience, medical tech and physical sciences.

Better road and rail links and new housing are essential to maintaining and building on those strengths.

Anyone wishing to discuss the legal implications of these proposals should call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Learn about IP in Brighton or Berkshire

Jane Lambert

Business expos and conferences take place tomorrow in different parts of the region:  The Brighton Business Expo 2017 at Brighton Racecourse between 10:00 and 16:00 and the Reading Expo at Green Park between 09:30 and 15:00. The IPO will exhibit at both and will present a free workshop on protecting your IP at Reading between 12:00 and 12:30.

There is a popular misconception that IP is only for the big boys such as multinational companies, major research universities. Nothing could be further from the truth though it is certainly the case that big businesses and institutions make far more use of the IP system and are more able to use it to their advantage. But it is important for small businesses to protect and mark money from their investments in branding, design, technology and creativity.

If you are running, or just thinking of running, your own business, you need to learn about IP. If you are in Reading you could make a start by attending the IPO's workshop. In either venue, you would do well to visit the IPO's stand.  After that, you could visit the British Library's Business and IP website as well as its UK Entrepreneur Network on Linkedin and its Facebook page. The Centre has a lot of publications on IP in print and online which you can consult at its offices in St Pancras when you are next in London. You could also attend one of the talks held at the Centre some of which are free and none of which are expensive.

You may also find articles, case notes or other materials of interest on this blog and some of the other blogs to which it is connected. You can access the others by clicking "Home" which leads to the home page of NIPC Law. There you will find a lot of articles on detailed points of IP law which would probably be of most interest to solicitors, patent and trade mark agents and other IP professionals. If you click the four-bar device in the top left-hand corner you will find menus for

NIPC Branding
Brexit
NIPC Inventors Club
Dispute Resolution
Database Right
Data Protection
Domain Name Disputes
FinTech
Licensing
Midlands Engine
Northern Powerhouse
Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court
NIPC Gulf
What is Intellectual Property Strategy?

in the first division;

What is Intellectual Property?
IP Glossary
What is a patent?
Trade Marks
Registered Designs
Registered Community Designs
Unregistered Community Designs
Unregistered Design Right
Copyright
Rights in Performances
Database Right
Duty of Confidence
Passing off
Plant Breeders' Rights
Geographical Indications
Technology Law
Entertainment and Media
Competition Law

in the second; and "Regions" in the third:

East
East Midlands
London
North West
Severn-Hafren (Bristol, Cardiff and Newport Conurbation)
West Midlands
Yorkshire

In addition, I give up to 12 hours of my time for pro bono (that is to say free) legal services every month with a one hour limit to each person or business every year which can include a face to face meeting in  London or the North of England.  If you want to take advantage of that service, call me on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.

Venturefest Oxford Registration Open

Jane Lambert

Venturefests are described as

"local innovation eco-systems [coming] together through a number of local events around the country, working closely with Innovate UK, the Knowledge Transfer Network and other national partners to strengthen connectivity between these innovators, investors and entrepreneurs" (see What is Venturefest?)

There are now Venturefests throughout the country but the very first took place in Oxford in 1999.

The next Venturefest Oxford will take place at The King's Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 OES on 21 June 2017 and early bird registration is now open There is an interesting programme of speakers including a presentation by Philip Webber of Dehns on Your IP post-Brexit: What effect will leaving the EU have on your IP? in the Vale Room between 15:00 and 15:45. The theme of this year's Venturefest Oxford will be The Challenges of a Business: From Start-Up to Scale-Up which is included by popular request from last year. Discussions on this topic will run from 09:30 - 11:30 in the Vale Room. All the other usual events such as Innovation Showcase and Pitching for Success will be there plus an exhibition with stands from the city's two universities, the local enterprise partnership, the Intellectual Property Office and several patent and trade mark agencies.

I plan to attend Venturefest Oxford and if anyone would like to meet me there please give me a call on 020 7404 5252 or send me a message through my contact form.