Geneva, October 20, 2026 – The World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) IP for Business Division, in collaboration with the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and Startup Portugal, has launched the 2026 IP Management Clinic (IPMC) for SMEs and start-ups in Portugal.
The three-month program brings together 20 SMEs and start-ups to receive tailored guidance from IP experts. The selected companies reflect a broad spectrum of innovation, offering solutions in medical technology, green technology, biotechnology, software as a service, hospitality and insurance consulting. Despite differences in their technologies, business models and stages of development, they share a common ambition: to bring solutions with a positive impact to market and scale them successfully.
How Can Companies Build a Proactive IP Strategy?
Over the next three months, each participating company will work directly with an IP expert to assess its intangible assets, business objectives and specific IP challenges, and to develop an IP strategy aligned with its business goals.
The program includes:
- Personalized mentoring sessions with a dedicated IP expert
- Four training workshops covering an introduction to IP; freedom to operate and IP strategy; IP commercialization; and IP valuation and financial literacy
- Access to practical WIPO tools and resources
- Opportunities to exchange knowledge and experience with peers and experts
Participants will receive support from a multidisciplinary team with expertise in IP, commercialization, technology transfer and IP-backed finance:
- Ms. Inês Monteiro Alves, Partner and Attorney at Law, Inventa
- Mr. Tobias Lipp, Founder and IP, Innovation and Technology Consultant, lipp+tech
- Mr. Luís Humberto Ferreira, Partner and Patent Attorney, PATENTREE
- Ms. Lídia Neves, Partner, Deloitte Legal TELLES
Through this program, WIPO is continuing its collaboration with INPI to help innovative SMEs and start-ups transform IP from a legal safeguard into a strategic business asset. By demonstrating how intangible assets can support the journey from innovation to market, attract investment and enable sustainable growth, the IPMC helps companies establish stronger foundations for scaling. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to translate promising innovations into real-world impact by helping solutions reach the markets and communities where they are needed most.