WIPO met innovators, startups and researchers at TEKNOFEST and the International Inventions Fair (ISIF’26) in Türkiye, to discuss how intellectual property (IP) can help turn ideas into business opportunities. WIPO also visited HAVELSAN which offered a company perspective on how an established technology business uses the IP system to assess international markets and protect technologies with export potential.
Practical IP guidance for startups
At both events, WIPO and the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT), gave presentations on their services and WIPO IP for Business tools, ran IP competitions, and delivered a one-day IP workshop for startups offering individualized IP consultations with renewed IP experts to ten selected startups on how to identify their IP assets and use them to support their business plans.
Innovators had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of IP protection, including questions such as what to protect, how to plan for international markets, and how IP can support growth. WIPO experts presented WIPO’s global IP systems including the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), as a way to seek patent protection in many countries through one international application, while keeping options open as they assess markets.
WIPO also served on the jury of the invention contest and presented awards for the best national, academic, and international inventions.
How HAVELSAN uses the PCT to choose its markets
Following the events, WIPO and TÜRKPATENT visited HAVELSAN, a Turkish technology company founded in 1982. It develops software and systems mainly for defense and security, including flight simulators, training systems, command and control systems, and cybersecurity solutions.
The company began to seek patent protection abroad once its technologies had proven themselves in Türkiye and foreign customers started to show interest. Cumulatively, it has filed 197 international applications through the PCT System - about 15 to 20 applications a year, with incentives from TÜBİTAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, covering the filing costs for up to 20 PCT applications per year. They cover areas such as 5G networks and artificial intelligence. One example is an AI system that detects unusual or fraudulent activity in large amounts of data, which won the ISIF’26 Grand Prix.
One key advantage of the PCT for HAVELSAN is time. With an international application, the company keeps its options open in many countries. It then has up to 30 months to decide where to seek protection, before paying the costs of filing in each country. During that time, it also receives an international search report, which gives an early view of whether its invention is likely to be patentable. The company uses these findings, whether positive or negative, to reconsider its plans before investing further. In practice, it pursues three or four of its applications each year in the countries with the strongest commercial potential. It gives priority to command, control, and surveillance systems and training simulators, to protect its ability to export them.
The 30-month window give us valuable time to assess commercial interest in target markets, evaluate potential licensees and partners, and align our internationalization strategy, all before committing to the significant costs of national phase entries in multiple jurisdictions.
Anıl Okan, Leader R&D Engineer, Corporate Excellence, HAVELSAN
Deterring competitors is another benefit HAVELSAN sees in protecting its technologies. Its patents also matter in sales, and the company puts them at the forefront when presenting its products to customers, particularly flight training simulators, a field in which it is among the world’s leading companies. In one case, patents even led to a partnership. After identifying a Turkish company using its technology, HAVELSAN learned about that company’s capabilities, and the two now work together.
HAVELSAN recommends the PCT System because it allows the company to keep its options open in other countries while delaying major costs, giving it time to test the market, attract investors, and plan its growth. Its advice to first-time founders starts with research. Studying existing patents helps research teams learn from other inventions and check that their own products do not infringe anyone else’s rights. The company also advises founders to build an IP strategy that is aligned with their business goals and sets out what to protect, where to file, and when to invest. Protection should cover not only the core invention but also its key features and future improvements. Working with an experienced patent attorney helps ensure applications are properly drafted and filed, and clear policies on inventor rewards help recognize the people behind each invention.
WIPO’s IP for business tools for startups at every stage
For startups at any stage, WIPO offers tools and services that follow the innovator’s journey.
The free WIPO IP Diagnostics self-assessment helps businesses identify their IP assets. Enterprising Ideas, WIPO’s guide for startups, shows which IP questions to address at each phase of growth, and the WIPO Academy offers online courses, many of them free.
Programs such as the one-day IP workshop and the IP Management Clinics are all about individualized guidance for SMEs, startups and entrepreneurs on how to build a sound IP strategy aligned with their business goals.
For startups ready to expand abroad, the PCT System allows applicants to seek patent protection in 159 contracting states through one international application, filed online through ePCT. The Madrid System and the Hague System provide similar routes for trademarks and designs.
Innovators with limited resources may receive free help from a volunteer patent attorney through the Inventor Assistance Program, and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center helps resolve IP and technology disputes.
Related links
PCT – The International Patent System
Why Intellectual Property is Essential for your Business