Patent law and technology transfer​

Patents are a crucial aspect of intellectual property that help to protect researchers’ inventions and in doing so, ensure there are incentives for companies to keep discovering new medicines. Patent lawyers determine which inventions qualify for patents, manage the patent application process, and deal with patent infringement.​

To work in patent law you will need to have at least a BSc degree. Postgraduate training in a STEM subject is desirable in this competitive field. Patent law uses many of the analytical skills you will have developed in your pharmacology or biosciences degree. Once employed, you will study patent law alongside your work towards professional accreditation.​

To help you in a patent law career you can consider taking a placement in a law firm, specialising in intellectual property rights.

Organisations offering patent law roles:​

  • Large industrial companies ​

  • Private partnerships, many of which specialise in patenting products in a particular sector​

  • Government bodies​

Many academic institutions now have Technology Transfer functions and require highly skilled scientists to help support the management and commercialisation of university intellectual property.​



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