As licensing practices continue to evolve, the role of technology is becoming increasingly central, enabling new workflows and supporting deeper, more inclusive impact. In a previous article, we explored new and developing digital trends, identifying tools that are increasingly impacting how the process of licensing takes place. But to fully understand the impact these technological trends are having, we also need to turn our attention to specific case studies and see what lessons can be learnt, transferred and adapted to support better licensing across diverse contexts.
Why case studies matter
Case studies and good practices shouldn’t stay siloed. IMPAC3T-IP’s report ‘‘Technology Trends: Case Studies and Good Practice transfer paths’’, explores how digital tools are helping professionals navigate complex negotiations, manage diverse intellectual assets, and adapt to fast-changing contexts. The examples that were selected aren’t abstract, but rather, represent actionable insights and concrete ways in which technology is being used to support more efficient, equitable, and responsive licensing strategies.
Licensing today is not confined to conventional patent portfolios or commercially obvious assets. Increasingly, Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), universities, and public research organisations are also working with outputs that fall outside traditional STEM subjects, such as digital tools, behavioural science questionnaires, creative works, and more. Both traditional and new licensing opportunities can benefit from the changes taking place in supporting technology.
Transferable good practices
As part of its overall toolbox, IMPAC3T-IP is showcasing technology-based tools that will benefit different assets and scenarios. They are applicable to both traditional and newly emerging licensing situations. As the examples below demonstrate, emerging technologies can offer both licensing professionals and researchers access to significantly more information to inform a sustainable licensing strategy, they can speed up and simplify the execution of legal processes and enable ownership to be verified and transferred for assets outside the industrial property regime.
Take Juro, a digital contracting platform designed to simplify negotiation and execution. For organisations managing multiple licensing deals (particularly in collaborative environments), Juro allows in-browser editing, approval workflows, and version control. Features such as automated clause suggestions and contract templating are helping to reduce time-to-signature and support better alignment across departments.
In another case, a university TTO used GlobalData to improve market insights around licensing opportunities. By leveraging sector-specific analytics and trend data, the team could better understand unmet needs and tailor licensing offers accordingly. This was particularly useful when working with research results that had no clear commercial path but strong potential for adoption for societal benefit, a situation reflective of the Classical Plus scenario.
Another notable example is the use of Verisart, a blockchain certification platform originally developed for the art world, now being adapted to support licensing transparency in digital content and research outputs. By issuing time-stamped certificates of authenticity and ownership, Verisart helps ensure trust in the provenance and usage rights of IP assets. This is again particularly useful in Classical Plus scenarios where traditional licensing mechanisms struggle to work for ‘low value high volume’ licensing. The integration of a blockchain technology platform into existing licensing workflows offers a valuable new path for institutions looking for verifiable licensing frameworks for modern digital assets.
IMPAC3T-IP toolbox goals
Each of these examples feeds into the broader goal of the IMPAC3T-IP action – that is, to unlock value from intellectual assets that are often underutilised. This is not because they lack merit, but because the tools or structures to license them effectively aren’t yet widely adopted.
The upcoming IMPAC3T-IP toolbox (and accompanying training courses) will help bridge that gap, offering a practical resource for IP professionals, researchers, and policy stakeholders. From case study insights to platform guidance and training, the toolbox is being designed to support decision-making across all three licensing scenarios. Ultimately to help stakeholders act earlier, navigate complexity, and generate greater impact from IP.