IP Week @ SG: Why IP strategies often fall short of business goals
03 September 2026
Companies around the world are investing billions in brands, patents, trademarks and technology, yet many still struggle to translate intellectual property ownership into sustained business growth. According to speakers at the Global Forum on Intellectual Property, part of Singapore IP Week, the problem is not a lack of IP assets, but a failure to integrate intellectual property into core business strategy.
The session titled “The Strategy You Think You Have: The Missing Link Between IP and Growth” explored why many organizations continue to treat IP as a legal function rather than a strategic growth driver.
Moderated by Jui Lim, CEO of SGInnovate and board member of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the discussion reflected a broader shift in the global economy. Recent research from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) shows that investment in intangible assets, including IP, software, data and brands, now accounts for a growing share of GDP, while investment in intangible assets has surpassed US$10 trillion globally.
The warning signs of an IP strategy disconnect
A recurring theme throughout the session was that many companies believe they have an IP strategy when, in reality, they merely have IP ownership.
For Wendi Backler, a partner and director at Boston Consulting Group, one of the clearest warning signs is when IP decisions are made reactively.
“IP investments are often made by legal counsel in isolation from the C-suite rather than as proactive drivers of innovation,” she observed. When leadership teams treat IP as a compliance or administrative function rather than a strategic investment, opportunities for growth are frequently missed.
Backler also pointed to budgeting practices as an indicator of strategic maturity. If IP spending remains fixed year after year regardless of a company’s growth priorities, expansion plans or technology investments, it may indicate that intellectual property is not truly integrated into corporate decision-making.
From an operating company perspective, Supachoke Bumrungpun, chief financial officer at Srinanaporn Marketing, said that market performance often reveals whether a strategy is working. “Even with strong market shares and many trademarks, revenue growth may remain stagnant if IP is not leveraged to drive expansion or new manufacturing capacities,” he said. The experience of SNNP, whose products are exported to over 40 countries, illustrates how brands and other forms of IP can serve as catalysts for business transformation rather than merely tools for protection.
Supachoke explained that building and investing in strong brands helped the company evolve from a snack-delivery business into a manufacturing and distribution business with broader regional reach.
When protection fails before enforcement begins
For companies operating in fast-moving consumer and digital markets, enforcement often exposes weaknesses in strategy.
Daniel Dougherty, senior director of IP enforcement at Alibaba, who leads the international global IP enforcement team’s Asia Pacific efforts, described a common problem: “Enforcement teams often attempt to protect products but lack the necessary IP filings to actually support those actions.” Companies frequently discover too late that trademarks, design registrations, domain names or other protections were never secured in key markets.
His advice was clear: companies entering new jurisdictions should secure core IP rights before manufacturing, distribution or commercialization efforts begin.
“Secure local trademarks and domain names before establishing manufacturing or distributors,” Dougherty advised, particularly in first-to-file jurisdictions where delays can create costly disputes over ownership.
Dougherty also warned against delegating regional IP ownership entirely to local distributors. While convenient in the short term, such arrangements can create significant complications when companies later seek direct control of a market.
Beyond formal registrations, he encouraged businesses to think about intellectual property much earlier in product development. “Modern product development should incorporate design elements specifically intended to secure trade dress or copyright protection early on,” he said.
IP as a tool for collaboration and growth
While intellectual property is often associated with exclusivity and protection, the discussion highlighted its role in enabling partnerships and innovation.
(From left) Jui Lim and Sune Stampe Sørensen
Sune Stampe Sørensen, director general of the Danish Patent and Trademark Office, said that clearly defined IP rights often make collaboration easier, not harder.
He pointed to high-profile partnerships such as the collaboration between Pfizer and BioNTech during vaccine development, where established ownership structures and rights frameworks helped facilitate cooperation. Intellectual property, he said, provides the certainty needed for organizations to collaborate confidently while protecting their respective contributions.
Sørensen also shared examples from Denmark where companies successfully monetized dormant patents by licensing them to firms operating outside their primary business sectors.
Such cases demonstrate that IP portfolios can create value far beyond direct product sales. Patents, trademarks and other rights can generate licensing income, support partnerships and expand strategic options.
Looking forward, not backward
Another key message was that the most effective IP portfolios are future-oriented.
“A healthy portfolio should reflect where a company is placing its next bets,” Backler said, whether in adjacent markets, emerging technologies or new business models. She cited an example of a mobile-device company that shifted its strategy toward acquiring and developing future technology rights to manage rising licensing costs associated with next-generation wireless technologies such as 5G and 6G.
The implication, she noted, is that intellectual property should not merely document past research investments. Instead, it should actively shape future competitive advantage.
Effective portfolios can help attract talent, support ecosystem development, strengthen partnerships and influence industry standards, creating multiple pathways for value creation beyond direct commercialization.
Embedding IP across the business
As the discussion concluded, the panellists largely agreed that successful organizations treat IP as a business-wide capability rather than a specialized legal function.
Dougherty advocated embedding legal specialists directly within business units so they can identify potential inventions, trademarks and designs at an early stage. Backler emphasized educating senior executives to understand IP in terms of business outcomes rather than legal protection. Supachoke highlighted the role of brands in driving expansion, while Sørensen stressed that well-defined rights can unlock collaboration, licensing opportunities and new revenue streams.
The panel’s conclusion was straightforward: owning intellectual property is not enough. Sustainable growth comes when companies align IP with strategy, investment, innovation and market expansion.
In an economy increasingly powered by intangible assets, businesses that integrate IP into every major decision may gain a decisive competitive advantage over those that continue to view it as little more than paperwork.
- Darren Barton in Singapore
