Corporate report

Intellectual Property Office Corporate Plan 2024 to 2025

Published 8 May 2024

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Ministerial foreword

Viscount Camrose Minister, for AI and Intellectual Property

Creativity and innovation fuel investment and growth in the UK economy. The Government aims to strengthen the UK’s place as a global leader in science and technology and is 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 in 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.

As it delivers this corporate plan, 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.

CEO foreword

Adam Williams, Chief Executive and Comptroller-General

I am delighted to introduce this year’s corporate plan, which outlines our key activities in the first year of our strategy for 2024 to 2027.

IP touches almost every part of our lives, and in the dynamic, fast-changing, and digital world we now live in, it has never been more important. We want IP to encourage innovation and creativity so that UK ideas and discoveries can become truly valuable solutions that encourage investment and growth in the UK economy, benefit society and contribute to a sustainable future.

We want to make working with IP easier for everyone. We have already taken significant strides towards the delivery of our One IPO Transformation programme, the biggest change to our services in 170 years. This will be a year of huge progress in this space, building on the planning, technology development and testing already undertaken to launch our new patents service to a wider range of customers by the end of the year. Many aspects of the programme are transformational individually, as a whole they are world-class. This will be a real landmark moment for the IPO, and I am proud of the work and dedication that colleagues are putting in to make this happen.

These changes are far from just an operational upgrade to our systems. They reflect a challenging and ambitious endeavour that will change the way customers interact with their IP as well as the way we work within the IPO. It is a real opportunity for us to become a more innovative and modern organisation.

We are in the middle of a shifting external landscape: we are seeing an introduction of new technologies challenging established patentability criteria; an ongoing discussion of inventorship and authorship especially in regard to the use of AI, and continued debates about the ability of creatives to effectively allocate and distribute receipts in the modern online ecosystem. This represents a challenging and evolving operating environment, and we are committed to providing an IP system that supports creativity and innovation, where IP rights holders are able to effectively protect their rights and maximise the value of IP.

We continue to promote the advantages of the UK IP system, pursue ways to improve it, and shape the system internationally to benefit the UK. Our collaborative efforts with law enforcement and partners also continue to develop and contribute to the fight against IP crime and infringement.

I am very clear that to achieve the goals of our strategy and to deliver our plans, we need an engaged, skilled, and empowered workforce. Our people are the driving force behind our past progress and continued excellent satisfaction with our services. Having a culture where our people feel connected by our shared purpose is critical to delivering our strategy over the coming years. We will support them with the tools, development, and working environment they need to thrive and make the IPO better.

Introduction

Who we are and what we do

The Intellectual Property Office is an executive agency and trading fund, sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. We are responsible for the UK IP framework including the patents, trade marks, designs and copyright systems.

Our mission is to help people grow the UK economy by providing an IP system that encourages investment in creativity and innovation.

Our journey dates back more than 170 years, a rich history that strengthens our enduring commitment to fostering innovation and creativity.

IP is vital to the government’s ambition to make the UK the most innovative economy in the world and cement its position as a science and technology superpower.

Our core responsibilities are the examination, granting and registration of IP rights and the maintenance of the IP registers. These responsibilities are the foundation on which the IPO is built upon and continue to remain important to us.

The data we hold is valuable with more than three million granted rights held across these registers. We make data publicly and freely available for researchers, inventors, and creators. In doing so, we support the UK to maintain and grow its reputation for innovation and help society to benefit from knowledge and ideas.

We shape and implement the national framework governing IP rights and promote the UK’s interests in the development of the international IP rights system. We also raise business and consumer awareness of the risks surrounding IP crime and infringement. While we do not have direct enforcement powers, we work closely with law enforcement and other agencies.

Our strategy

In the spring of 2024, we published our updated strategy, setting our direction for the next three years and what we aim to achieve by the end of 2026/27. This corporate plan sets out what we aim to deliver this year.

Our strategy sets out our strategic pillars, which inform, guide, and support us in our work.

They are:

• our services: High-quality, efficient and accessible;
• our policy: Supporting innovation and the economy;

Delivered by:

• our organisation: High-performing, with skilled people connected by shared purpose.

Our areas of focus for 2024/25

We remain fully committed to delivering the IPO’s core responsibilities through providing high-quality, timely, consistent, equitable rights granting functions. To ensure that we provide excellent customer service in line with our agreed customer service standards, we will closely monitor our performance over the course of the year.

In line with our strategy, our focus in this corporate plan is on the specific actions we need to take to make sure that we can continue to deliver in an environment where speed of change and society’s expectations are ever increasing.

Our areas of focus for 2024/25 are to:

• launch our One IPO patents service for all customers
• unlock the value of our patents data through our new online IP search tool
• start to build our One IPO services for trade marks, designs and tribunal customers
• start our journey towards our future culture as individuals, teams, and an organisation
• create a strategic workforce plan for the organisation

Delivering our strategy

In this section, we outline our planned activities for 2024/25 against our three strategic pillars. Collectively, these activities will contribute to the successful delivery of our strategy.

Our services: High-quality, efficient, and accessible

Our One IPO Transformation Programme is a fundamental part of delivering our strategy so that we can continue to deliver the level of service our customers expect. It will provide the modern infrastructure and a single, integrated system to make working with IP easier for everyone. We have made significant progress in our transformation journey and our patents customers will soon experience the benefits of our new services.

This year we will implement a new service model as our foundation for delivering our transformed services.

• Secure IP – Enable customers to do everything involved in securing IP rights, from application through to grant or registration
• Manage IP – Enable customers to manage all their IP through a customer account
• Research IP – Making data from our register and journal available to search, analyse and gather IP insights
• Challenge IP – Providing an improved hearings and tribunals service

We have been preparing for this for some time and will continue to provide our teams with the training and support they need to transition to our new systems and processes.

At the same time, we expect demand for patent, trade mark and designs applications to continue increasing in 2024/25. This will create some challenges; however, our teams of specialists are striving to meet our customers’ needs and to maintain our high standards of service. Our continued investment in our digital infrastructure is also vital to protecting our data and ensuring our systems and services operate reliably.

In addition to improving how customers interact with us and their IP, we will continue to provide effective tools and support to innovators and creators. Through our dedicated support platforms, business outreach and online guidance we will continue to help the public and businesses to understand, protect and manage their IP to maximise its value.

Launch the One IPO patents service for all customers

Towards the end of 2023/24, we began releasing our One IPO patents pilot service to test it with a select group of customers. The feedback we have received from those customers is vital, as it allows us to improve the service before we make it available to all patents customers later this year.

The public launch will be a significant moment in the evolution of our services allowing all our patent customers to set up and benefit from a new self-service account. This will become the gateway for our new services. Through the account, owners of IP and their representatives will be able to view their portfolio of rights, update details, make applications, transfer IP ownership, and change representation. The account will make it easier to access information, track progress and communicate with us.

We will update our guidance to reflect the changes and to support our customers fully to use our transformed patents service.

Unlock the value of our patents data through our new online IP search tool

Our new research IP service is working towards making our data more accessible than ever before with new ways to search, view and analyse it. Users will be able to take more informed decisions regarding their IP, so that it is easier to innovate in the UK.

Our new online IP search tool will launch during this year, initially providing access to our patents and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPC) data in one place. This will be the first time we make publicly available the full range of SPC data, a form of IP that extends the protection of patented active ingredients in pharmaceutical or plant protection products.

New advanced search functionality will be introduced, including the ability to search patent abstracts and full text, alongside new more powerful tools for visualising and analysing search results. Our data will also be made available for bulk download via our new API Developer Portal.

As we develop the service, we will introduce additional features. Data relating to trade marks and designs will be made available through this service in the next phase of our transformation programme.

Start to build our One IPO services for trade marks, designs and tribunal customers

In 2023/24, we consulted on our proposals for the second phase of our transformation programme. We will undertake the initial exploratory phases relating to our processes for trade marks and designs before we start designing and building them. We expect to pilot these services in late 2025.

This will include our processes for our tribunal services as most of the demand for these services relates to trade marks. This aims to streamline existing time-consuming processes and allow for better interaction between us and our customers.

Our policy: Supporting innovation and the economy

An effective IP system will ensure IP can be protected, respected, and enforced to support innovation and creativity in the UK and by UK researchers and businesses globally. The work we undertake this year will support us to ensure our IP system continues to be effective both now and in the future.

This work includes progressing with our wide-ranging review of how we improve the designs framework to encourage innovation and give the UK a competitive edge. We are also considering policy interventions for standard essential patents (SEPs) to make sure the surrounding ecosystem strikes the right balance for all involved.

We continue to support UK business to trade internationally. Working closely with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), we are contributing to the government’s ambitious programme of negotiating free trade agreements. As part of these negotiations, we aim to make the most of IP opportunities and defend the advantages of the UK’s IP system. Our IP attaché network will continue to offer direct business support and advice on local IP matters and liaise with host governments, regional IPOs, and stakeholders.

Over the course of this year, we aim to secure positive outcomes for the UK through two multi-lateral treaty negotiations, convened by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), relating to genetic resources used in patent applications and design law. Alongside DBT, we continue to represent the UK jointly at the World Trade Organisation’s TRIPS Council (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Council).

We will support the effective enforcement of IP rights through working with a range of partners and helping consumers to understand the risks associated with IP crime and the consequences of buying counterfeits and pirated content. This year we will build on our established processes and partnerships with government and law enforcement agencies to ensure we play an important role in tackling and reducing the infringement of IP rights.

New and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are developing at a rapid pace. The scale and complex nature of these developments presents a range of opportunities and challenges, including managing and protecting IP. We must ensure our IP system keeps pace with these transformative developments so that the UK is well placed to realise the benefits and maintain incentives to create and innovate.

We already offer support to businesses, innovators, and creators through our outreach work. This year, we will strengthen our focus on how we enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to understand the value of IP and make the most of the benefits of our IP system. We will launch our new financial support scheme targeted at innovative, high growth-potential micros, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and will work with partner organisations to identify businesses that need this support.

Our organisation: High-performing, with skilled people connected by shared purpose

A skilled, empowered and engaged workforce is essential if we are to deliver the first two pillars of our strategy. Our people have been at the heart of the organisation for over 170 years and are recognised for our fantastic customer service, clear commitment to collaboration and, inclusive sense of community.

Everyone at the IPO will be part of building the organisation of the future and our plans for this year build on our strengths and successes, to ensure we create an environment that enables opportunities for everyone to thrive.

Reviewing and refreshing our governance framework and our approach to plan for and manage change are early actions this year. The aim is to ensure our arrangements remain effective and enable us to deliver our strategy successfully. We will also review how our new service model aligns with, and is supported by, other parts of the organisation.

We will make sure our approach to inspiring and enabling performance is effective. Each person will have clear goals and be supported by quality conversations and individuals and teams will be clear how they contribute to our shared purpose.

We will make smarter of use our workspaces and provide digital tools and equipment that allow our people to connect, collaborate and realise the benefits of office working and flexibility. During this period, we will consider our longer-term needs from our accommodation and ensuring we continue to reduce our environmental impact, in line with the Greening Government Commitments.

Start our journey towards our future culture as individuals, teams and an organisation

Last year, we worked with our people across the IPO to review our culture and understand our future needs. We have defined our future culture as one where we are adaptable, value ideas and take opportunities to make the IPO better. We are accountable for our experience, professional development and performance and building effective relationships with colleagues. Together we deliver our strategy, share our successes, and are connected to each other and our organisation.

We know this will take time to embed. We are now focussed on engaging teams and putting it into practice through the way we work, deliver services, and demonstrate our values and behaviours. We will work on key areas that we have identified, which include building our leadership and management capabilities at all levels across the IPO.

Leadership and management are key drivers of culture, performance, and everyone’s experience at work. By the end of this year, we will have clearly described our key leadership and management skills and qualities in an accessible framework and will have aligned this with learning resources and development opportunities.

Our leadership and management groups and networks will be redesigned so that they better connect all leaders and managers to our organisation’s purpose and priorities, our people and, importantly, each other. We will also refresh our approach to feedback to support our leaders and managers to explore others’ perceptions and observations of the impact they have.

Create a strategic workforce plan for the organisation

In the last year, we have reviewed our approach to strategic workforce planning, and developed a better understanding of our current workforce, including how this has changed over the last five years. We have created and tested a new framework and set of resources that will now help the organisation determine and respond more effectively to our future demand and workforce needs.

As we continue to build these capabilities and embed best practice through the framework, we will deliver our first five-year strategic workforce plan. This will inform and shape the coordinated workforce development activities we take over the coming years.

Monitoring and reporting

We monitor and report on our progress against our corporate plan and strategy on a regular basis. This includes monitoring the performance of our service delivery in line with our customer service standards, which we publish externally each month. Plans and targets are in place across the organisation to allow for effective internal monitoring and reporting. Our Annual Report and Accounts concludes our performance and progress against this plan at the end of each year.

Financial resources

The IPO operates as a trading fund and obtains its income from fees for our services rather than government funding. Our investments, such as our transformation programme, are funded from our reserves. Fees and charges intend to cover our operating costs and are calculated in accordance with Managing Public Money. Any changes to fees or charges are approved by HM Treasury and Parliament.

	2023/24 Forecast	2024/25 Plan
Patents	84,185,000	86,000,000
Trade Marks	62,018,000	63,960,000
Designs	8,343,000	8,597,000
Other	529,000	520,000
Total Income	155,075,000	159,077,000
Pay	101,477,000	107,754,000
Non-pay	42,561,000	47,041,000
Depreciation	3,663,000	3,597,000
Interest	-4,233,000	-3,739,000
Dividend	4,961,000	4,424,000
Operating Spend	148,429,000	159,077,000
Non-Operating Spend, funded from reserves, includes Transformation Programme, Business Support, Capital Investment	32,623,000	33,994,000