Cooperating with partners in the development phase can shorten the time needed and lead to more thought-out solutions.

If several people have worked together on an invention, the patent rights are jointly owned. This is provided for in patent law. We recommend defining the legal relationship and intellectual property rights contractually from the start.

Don't know how to utilise your invention yourself? Technology transfer (TT) offices can find partners in business or research for you.
 

Good to know

• Do you want to protect your invention or design? Then file your application for protection before you tell someone else about it and destroy the 'novelty' (a condition for protection). Or, you can sign a confidentiality agreement with your partners. Patent attorneys (or other specialists) can help you.

Support

• Patent attorneys in Switzerland

Further information

• www.switt.ch: To find links to technology transfer offices, you can go to the website of the Association of the Swiss Professionals for Academic Technology Transfer.
• www.innosuisse.ch: State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) supports projects in research and development between higher education institutes and businesses. Further information can be found on the Innosuisse website.