Publications

Germany's Patent law and High-Tech Strategy 2025: Implications of Recent Amendents of §139(1) patent Act for Innovative SMEs, Start-ups and Research Organsiations (7 August 2023); available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4527205. A robust patent protection system is of enormous importance for sustainable innovation. More specifically, companies' financing, commercialisation of their technologies and also their competitiveness depend on it. This paper looks at a sampling of SMEs and research organisations in Germany that help build foundations for further innovation. As illustrated in this paper, German SMEs are very often located in innovation clusters or hubs which are comprised of research organisations, academic sponsors, large and small companies. 

International Standards: Helping SMEs Punch Above Their Weight (19 June 2023); available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4484325. This paper examines the role of SMEs in a primary source of competitive advantage – that is, Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-based standards which enable international communication in and across multiple sectors (such as those relevant to the Internet of Things), as well as global trade. It then reviews the potential impact that proposed policy initiatives related to standard essential patents (SEPs) could have on them - both SMEs that contribute to the development of international technical standards (SEP Innovators), as well as those that are primarily users of those standards (SEP Users).

It is observed that, as a global value chain based on innovation, the standards ecosystem inherently offers SMEs the opportunity to integrate into the global economy, which in turn enables SMEs to punch above their weight. Indeed, empirical research has demonstrated that SMEs are important innovators and contributors to the development of the most important international standards development bodies in the field of telecommunications, especially in ETSI and the 3GPP. Further, 3GPP and other initiatives such as 5G PPP are extremely important channels through which valuable SME presence and influence in global ICT-based value chains can be amplified.

The Proposal for Licensee Negotiation Groups (LNGs) in SEP - An EU Competition Law Assessment, Competition Policy International (1 May 2022); available at https://www.competitionpolicyinternational.com/the-proposal-for-licensee-negotiations-groups-lngs-in-sep-an-eu-competition-law-assessment/

Why Open RAN's closed standards setting body could be bad for wireless innovation, IAM Media, 8 December 2021; available at https://www.iam-media.com/article/why-open-rans-closed-standards-setting-body-could-be-bad-wireless-innovation (subscription required)