Licensing is becoming more complex and increasingly tied to questions of societal impact. Yet many professionals and their organisations still lack practical frameworks for handling equitable access, co-creation, crisis licensing, or non-traditional IP assets in day-to-day practice.
Those challenges were central to discussions at the LESI Annual Conference 2026 in Dublin, where IMPAC3T-IP joined IP and licensing professionals from across sectors to explore how licensing approaches are changing in response to new technological and policy realities. This was the opportunity to connect with the global licensing community, share insights at our stand, and contribute to the conversation on how IP can drive real-world impact.
One thing was clear throughout the programme: licensing is evolving fast – but impact is still not systematically embedded in practice.
Across plenaries, panels and roundtables, a few key themes stood out:
Value creation is being redefined
Discussions on “what truly creates value in licensing” and the future of innovation highlighted a shift from purely financial returns to long-term strategic and societal value.
Data, AI and complexity are reshaping IP practice
From medtech to AI-driven licensing challenges, practitioners are navigating increasingly complex ecosystems where ownership, access and responsibility are blurred.
Global frameworks vs. local impact
Sessions on cross-border IP, emerging markets, and equitable access reinforced a core tension: how to translate global licensing strategies into meaningful, local impact outcomes.
Responsible licensing is no longer theoretical
In our roundtable “Licensing for Social Impact: Real-World Experiences in Equitable Access in Health Care”, we worked to move the discussion forward: we challenged the risky perception of the compromise and balance between responsible licensing and commercial interest, and how to move from this perceived risk to a practical implementation, from trade-offs to aligned incentives, and from principles to actionable models.
With contributions from Lisa Cowey (IMPAC3T-IP), Andrew Goldman (MPP), and Mark Wilson (Strategic Technology Bioconsulting), the discussion showed that tools such as tiered pricing, non-exclusive licensing, and humanitarian clauses are not just viable – they are already working in practice.
Alongside the LESI event, we hosted an IMPAC3T-IP™ Academy session in Dublin. The Academy offers certified and subsidised training to introduce IP and licensing professionals to the IMPAC3T-IP toolbox. The aim is to turn participants into certified toolbox users, equipped to use the tools in their daily work, but also with their colleagues and clients.
The Toolbox provides a better understanding and tailored guidance for three scenarios in licensing that each come with their own challenges:
- Classical Plus, which covers non-traditional assets such as datasets, software, or creative outputs.
- Crisis, where getting technology into the right hands quickly can matter as much as protecting it.
- Co-creation, in which research results are developed or commercialised in complex partnerships.
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