Reflections on research, collaboration, and impact
With the grant I received from the Foundation for Economic Education, I spent six months (June–December 2025) as a visiting PhD student at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), part of the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering. I was hosted by the Innovation and Intellectual Property Management (IIPM) Laboratory, led by Prof. Frank Tietze.
This research visit was deeply enriching — academically, professionally, and personally. Being part of the IIPM community sharpened my thinking, challenged my assumptions, and gave me the space to develop my research in meaningful ways. I returned to Finland with new ideas, valuable international connections, and a clearer sense of how academic research can contribute to real-world challenges.
During the visit, I began a comparative research project based on interviews with experts in Finland and the United Kingdom who have experience in standard essential patent (SEP) licensing negotiations. I am now continuing this work from Finland as part of my doctoral dissertation.
Understanding SEP licensing in the Internet of Things
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are increasingly embedded in everyday products, services, and industrial systems. These devices rely on standardized connectivity technologies such as 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi to operate and interoperate. To use these standardized technologies, companies must license standard essential patents (SEPs).
For many small and medium-sized companies, the first licensing request marks the beginning of a steep learning curve. The process is often complex and uncertain, shaped by information asymmetries, limited internal legal and technical resources, and difficulties in assessing risks, costs, and obligations.
This research examines how companies navigate this environment and how intellectual property (IP) lawyers and patent attorneys support them. It focuses on two questions: how well companies are prepared for licensing negotiations, and how legal and technical expertise shapes negotiation outcomes.
Prior research suggests that many IoT companies lack the internal capabilities required to assess SEP portfolios, evaluate infringement risks, or negotiate royalty terms. These challenges are exacerbated by fragmented SEP ownership and the widespread use of confidentiality provisions in licensing agreements, which limit transparency and make it difficult to benchmark offers or anticipate cumulative royalty burdens. As a result, bargaining power often favors large and experienced players, while smaller firms may feel pressured to accept unfavorable terms to avoid costly disputes.
In this environment, IP lawyers act not only as legal experts but also as strategic advisors and negotiators. Their accumulated experience, technical knowledge, and international exposure play a central role in helping firms understand risks, evaluate options, and reach more balanced outcomes.
A comparative perspective: Finland and the United Kingdom
The project is based on interviews with experienced IP lawyers and practitioners in Finland and the United Kingdom.
Finland offers insights from a small, open economy with a strong telecommunications heritage and an innovation ecosystem in which SMEs and start-ups play a central role. The United Kingdom provides a complementary perspective as a global hub for IP services and SEP-related litigation, with extensive experience in cross-border licensing negotiations. Together, these two contexts enable a comparative view of how legal intermediaries support IoT companies under different institutional and market conditions.
By linking firm behavior with legal practice, the research contributes to current debates about transparency, fairness, and predictability in SEP licensing — issues that are increasingly central in both policy and business discussions at national and European levels.
Expected benefits for Finland
This research generates several concrete benefits for the Finnish innovation system, legal ecosystem, and technology-driven economy:
- Supporting Finnish companies in international technology markets: By clarifying how SEP licensing works, the research helps Finnish companies, particularly SMEs and startups, better prepare for licensing negotiations and avoid unnecessary legal and financial risks.
- Reducing barriers to technology adoption: Improved understanding of licensing processes helps lower transaction costs and uncertainty, making it easier for companies to adopt standardized technologies and bring innovations to market.
- Informing policy discussions: The findings provide empirical input for national and European discussions on transparency, fairness, and predictability in SEP licensing and intellectual property policy.
- Strengthening Finland’s legal and advisory ecosystem: The research highlights the importance of specialized legal and technical expertise, supporting the development of Finland’s IP and innovation support services.
- Supporting Finland’s digital and green transitions: Since standardized technologies underpin areas such as smart manufacturing, mobility, and energy efficiency, improving access to them indirectly supports Finland’s broader sustainability and digitalization goals.
This research visit demonstrated the value of international academic collaboration in addressing complex technological and regulatory challenges. I am deeply grateful to the Foundation for Economic Education for making this visit possible and for supporting research that connects innovation, law, and policy in ways that benefit both economy and society.
Gülfem Özmen is a PhD candidate and Junior Researcher at the LUT School of Engineering Sciences. In 2024, she received a €16,000 grant in the Foundation for Economic Education’s thematic special project ”Innovations, Commercialization and Growth.”