The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), through its IP for Business Division and in collaboration with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland (UPRP) and the Israel Patent Office (ILPO), has launched the 2026 IP Management Clinic (IPMC) for SMEs and start-ups in the med-tech sector.
The four-month program brings together 12 med-tech companies from Poland and Israel for tailored support from IP and investor-readiness experts.
The selected companies represent the scope of innovation shaping medical technologies, with innovative solutions spanning medical devices, software as a service and pharmaceuticals. Although they differ in their technology, business model and stage of development, they share a common ambition: to bring solutions with a positive environmental impact to market and scale them successfully.
Achieving that ambition raises critical IP and business questions:
- What should be patented, and what should be protected as a trade secret?
- How can an SME collaborate with a larger industrial or research partner while retaining control of their key assets?
- How should ownership be addressed when technologies are developed jointly, and how can a company design a licensing strategy?
- How does a startup with limited resources position its IP to investors and grow internationally?
These are some of the issues participants will address throughout the IPMC.
From reactive IP protection to proactive IP strategy
Over the next four 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 that resonates with their business goals.
The program combines:
- Personalized mentoring sessions with a dedicated IP expert
- An investor-readiness component offering selected interested companies additional one-to-one support to integrate IP into their investor narrative and prepare for IP-related questions in investor discussions
- Six training workshops covering IP fundamentals and protection strategies for med-tech; patent strategy and portfolio management; valuation of IP assets and technologies; IP commercialization, from technology to deal; R&D collaboration and technology transfer; and cross-border IP
- Access to practical WIPO tools and resources
- Opportunities to exchange knowledge and experience with peers and experts
Participants will be supported by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in IP, commercialization, technology transfer and investment:
- Ms. Maria Łozińska, Head, Patent Team, Polservice Patent & Trademark
- Ms. Marta Kawczynska, Chair of the Supervisory Board, Polservice Patent & Trademark
- Mr. Maier Fenster, Head, Medical Devices Department, Ehrlich & Fenster
- Mr. Yoav Alkalay, Partner, Chair of the IL STEM Practice Group
- Mr. Oren Reches, Adv. & Patent Attorney, Reches Patents
- Ms. Elena Canetti, Managing Partner, Inveniam Group
Through the program, WIPO is continuing its collaboration with ILPO and UPRP to help innovative SMEs and start-ups transform IP from a legal safeguard into a strategic business asset. By showing how intangible assets can support the journey from innovation to market, attract investment and enable sustainable growth, the IPMC helps companies build stronger foundations for scale. Ultimately, the initiative aims to turn promising med-tech ideas and innovations into real-world impact by helping solutions reach the markets and communities where they are needed most.