Assisted patent searches

Together with a patent expert from the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), you can find out free of charge whether your innovation can be patented and gain valuable insights into your innovation.

This offering is aimed at:

  • SMEs, start-ups, administrative bodies, non-profit organisations, and other private and public institutions
  • Academic researchers

Requirements:

  • Your application for a funding instrument from Innosuisse has already been approved.
  • In the case of an innovation project or a BRIDGE Proof of Concept project, your application must be in preparation or approved.
  • Requirements in detail

Patent searches: two IPI offers

Patent research

Innosuisse, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, offers you two free services: the Assisted Patent Search and the Assisted Patent Landscape Analysis.

Applicants for a funding offer from Innosuisse are entitled to a one-off Assisted Patent Search. If required, this Assisted Patent Search can be supplemented by an Assisted Patent Landscape Analysis.

The Assisted Patent Search

You can take advantage of the knowledge of a patent expert in your specialist field over the course of four hours. The expert will provide information on the patent system and will research various databases together with you. The Assisted Patent Search provides you with an initial overview of the state of the art in a field of technology, with the aim of better assessing the novelty of your idea and thus the possibility of patenting it. The result is the ideal basis for further steps, such as a patent application or meetings with investors. If you wish, you can also benefit from information on brands and designs.
>More about the IPI’s Assisted Patent Search

The Assisted Patent Landscape Analysis

Over the course of a day, you will gain valuable insights into your technology sector and your competitors. Together with an expert from the IPI, you will first compile relevant patents in your technology sector. Using suitable tools and analytical techniques, you will then analyse the data together and identify correlations.
>More about the IPI’s Assisted Patent Landscape Analysis


Is the Assisted Patent Search sufficient as an FTO Search?

During the Assisted Patent Search, funding clients regularly raise the issue of Freedom To Operate (FTO). The Assisted Patent Search is not an FTO search and is not sufficient as a basis for an FTO analysis. If required, the IPI will explain what FTO is about and why it is different to novelty searches and landscape analyses as part of the Assisted Patent Search.


Detailed requirements

The following overview shows you the requirements for the IPI offers for guided patent searches and patent environment analyses for each of Innosuisse’s support offers:

Innosuisse support offer Stage

Conditions for IPI offer

National Innovation Project   Application in progress
International Innovation Project   Approved applicaation
Start-up Innovation Project   Application in progress
Swiss Accelerator Innovation Project   Full application in progress
Flagship   Approved application
Innovation Cheque  

Approved application

BRIDGE Proof of Concept
Discovery
Application in progress
Innovation Mentoring Basic support
Partner support
Application support
Revision support

Approved application

Innovation Booster   Funding for idea approved by an innovation Booster
Start-up Coaching Initial Coaching
Core Coaching
Scale-up
Coaching

Approved application


Request your patent search

Soumettre demande

As an applicant for a support offer from Innosuisse, you can apply for a one-off Assisted Patent Search and, if required, an additional Assisted Patent Landscape Analysis. You submit the application by means of a self-declaration directly on the website of the IPI.

> Submit application online


Further intellectual property services

Assisted Patent Searches, as offered by the IPI as part of Innosuisse’s various funding opportunities, give you an initial overview of all aspects of intellectual property. For further issues such as Freedom To Operate, licensing, strategy regarding intellectual property or enforcement, there are a number of services offered by specialists on the market.

Last modification 24.03.2023

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