Matt Dixon, our Immediate Past President and Chair of the Public Affairs Committee, represented CIPA this year before the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee as part of its inquiry into Financing the Real Economy.
His contribution reinforced key themes from an article he wrote for Science in Parliament magazine, highlighting the need to better support innovative SMEs in patenting and international competitiveness.
Appearing alongside Dr Stephen Wells of vaccine stabilisation innovators EnsiliTech and Martin Brassell of IP valuation experts Inngot, Matt highlighted structural challenges facing UK innovators. Evidence from the session underscored that while companies such as EnsiliTech can successfully raise investment across the UK, deep tech businesses still rely heavily on specialist investors capable of assessing complex technologies.
Matt drew attention to the UK’s declining position in the WIPO Global Innovation Index, noting that the country has fallen out of the top five for the first time in over a decade. He emphasised that this is largely due to weaknesses in business infrastructure and support systems, rather than a lack of innovation itself.
A central issue raised was the failure of many UK businesses to internationalise their patent protection strategies. Echoing arguments from his Science in Parliament article, Matt called for improved government-led education, clearer guidance, and better coordination across institutions. He also highlighted the need for the UK Intellectual Property Office to provide stronger support and more effective signposting towards international frameworks such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty, aligning more closely with the approach taken by the European Patent Office.
The session also explored the role of intellectual property in unlocking finance, particularly through IP-backed lending, an area where further development could support business growth.
Overall, Matt’s evidence reinforced CIPA’s ongoing advocacy for a more coordinated, internationally focused IP ecosystem to better support UK innovation and economic growth.