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SIGNO protects intellectual property

Ideas, knowledge, research results and innovations are often of great value. The concern of SIGNO is the protection of these against illegal exploitation and to assist in their implementation and exploitation. Since April 2008 this funding programme has been supporting universities, companies and inventors with the legal protection and commercial exploitation of their innovative ideas. It promotes technology transfer through the efficient use of intellectual property.

On one hand, SIGNO continues the Federal Government's already outstandingly successful commercialisation campaign. 23 patent and commercialisation agencies supported by SIGNO, often located near university campuses, help universities identify inventions suitable for patenting, secure legal protection for these and exploit them commercially. On the other hand, SIGNO embraces the earlier INSTI (Innovation Stimulation) initiative. Around 6800 companies and new entrepreneurs have already received support through the "SIGNO-KMU-Patentaktion" contained within that initiative. 75% of the inventions registered by the companies under the scheme have been patented. The effect on employment has been considerable: some 1400 jobs have been created by the entrepreneurs supported in this way. (www.signo-deutschland.de)