The use of biodegradable polymers based on eter linkages in the manufacture of packaging could represent a significant advance in the reduction of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans. That is the field of NATURE-ITN, a European Union-funded project in which the Polykey (a spin-off of the Polymat Institute and the University of Basque Country) and the University of Birmingham collaborate.
This network connects early-stage researchers (ESRs) of new biopolymer-based plastics for packaging with the goal of providing training opportunities. As part of this project, European Patent Attorneys and ABG IP Associattes Iain McGeoch and André Santos has recently participated on a series of seminars in Donostia.
In the second session, our colleagues conducted a theoretical and practical workshop with the help of Susana Egusquiaguirre, the Patent Advisor in the Department of Biotechnology & Life Sciences at our Euskadi office, to help researchers and students understand how to protect the research they are developing.
In their review of the key concepts of the intellectual property system, the patent attorneys placed special emphasis on patents and their prosecution and protection through trade secrets rights. The attendees, on the other hand, were able to participate in the resolution of different practical exercises in which they applied the knowledge acquired.
Thank you NATURE-ITN for having ABG IP on this day. It was a pleasure to participate.
