Nokia is a technology leader and an innovation powerhouse. For more than 30 years, we have defined many of the fundamental technologies used in virtually all mobile devices and taken a leadership role in standards setting. As a result, we own one of the broadest and strongest patent portfolios in the mobile communications sector with around 20,000 patent families and one of the leading 5G patent portfolios with over 4,000 patent families declared as essential to 5G. We drive continued innovation, securing monetizable IP assets, and renewing our patent portfolio for the long-term with investment in 5G, 6G, and multimedia R&D and standardization.

We license Nokia’s innovations and contributions to industry standards to other companies so they can build on our innovations without having to make their own investments in R&D. In return they pay royalty fees for the use of our technology, which we re-invest, along with additional investment, in developing the next generation of inventions. It’s a virtuous circle, a wheel that has been turning for many years, powering innovation.

In addition to licensing the use of our patented inventions, we have increased our efforts to share and leverage our innovations in other ways. One of these projects is our partnership with IPHatch^TM. Since 2018 we have empowered technology start-ups in Asia by assigning a selection of Nokia’s industry-leading technology patents as “seed capital” in return for an equity stake.

For start-ups, this can be transformative, as it cuts down the research and development stage, accelerating the path from vision to realization of a business, and makes sure that the idea and vision are protected from the outset. It eliminates the risk of investing in development only to find that a patent cannot be granted down the line. What’s more, it’s a cost saver, as start-ups benefit from Nokia’s industry-leading patenting process, rather than having to invest in the costly and time-consuming process of applying for a patent outright.

And a company is in a much stronger position with a patent covering its product, solution or service. The patent can be leveraged in partnership negotiations and may sometimes be required for supplier contracts with larger companies. A solid patent portfolio is also invaluable when seeking additional investment or funding. Knowledge transfer, and the right to use it, can also benefit the local economy. It speeds up the development and adoption of new technologies.

Keen to learn more? Selected Nokia patents are matched to start-ups by the IPHatch^TM program. The program has now been launched in eight Asian countries/regions (Singapore, HK/Great Bay area, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan/Fukuoka). About 25 start-ups are already using our inventions and we look forward to supporting more and expanding this program to other regions!

You can learn more about the IPHatch^TM at www.iphatchday.com.