World Patent Information 28 (2006) 136–139

www.elsevier.com/locate/worpatin

THINK kit�: Educating tomorrow�s innovators

David Morgan *

UK Patent Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road, Newport, South Wales, NP10 8QQ, UK

Abstract

Disseminating information about patents and other intellectual property rights to the public is an important role for patent offi-ces around the world, and a number have targeted the education sector. In renewed efforts to ensure that tomorrow�s innovators arebetter aware of the potential influence of many aspects of IP, a new initiative by the UK Patent Office, the THINK kit�, is describedin this article. This is primarily aimed at 14–16 year olds, especially those taking courses linking design, technology and business.The kit provides the materials and guidance needed by both school students and their teachers, using case studies of well-knownproducts and brands. In practical use the information contained within the pack has also proved to be of benefit to a much wideraudience as the materials have been scaled up and down dependent on the recipients. Business start ups and would be entrepreneurs,in particular, have found the contents very useful as the case study approach provides practical guidance on the commercial realityof IPR.� 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Intellectual property dissemination; School curricula; Education; Case studies; Well known products; Resource pack; Entrepreneurs

1. Targeting innovators of the future

As part of their important role of disseminating infor-mation about patents and other intellectual propertyrights to the public, a number of patent offices aroundthe world have targeted the education sector—for exam-ple, the patent offices of Sweden [1], Australia [2], USA[3] and UK [4].

Recent UK government initiatives to stimulate inno-vation have included the Quinqennial review of the UKPatent Office in 2000 and then two major reviews bythe Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), thedepartment responsible for the UK Patent Office—theInnovation Report entitled �Competing in the GlobalEconomy� [5] in December 2003 and the major strategydocument entitled �Our Route to Prosperity� [6] in April2003. They have all been instrumental in re-shaping theactivities of our organisation in recent years. We have

0172-2190/$ - see front matter � 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.doi:10.1016/j.wpi.2005.08.003

* Tel.: +44 0 1633 814 703.E-mail address: dave.morgan@patent.gov.uk

been working to create the best environment for com-mercial success in the UK by helping business becomingmore productive by promoting enterprise innovationand creativity, and by identifying the natural fit of IPwithin commercial success.

The Innovation Report has been quite specific in thearea of raising awareness both amongst the businesscommunity and the academic community and has setus the task of ‘‘targeting innovators of the future’’.

2. How could we achieve this?

We needed a strategy and to create a vision. Initialresearch amongst educators revealed that some teachershad a limited knowledge of Intellectual Property Rights.But, as this was not addressed specifically within theNational Curriculum as a topic, they were reluctant totake on board any new material specifically associatedwith this subject. The general feeling was that they weretoo busy with delivering national curriculum topics and

D. Morgan / World Patent Information 28 (2006) 136–139 137

did not have the resources to take on board any topicsoutside this field. We were not experts in the field of edu-cation and quickly realised that if we were to be success-ful we needed input from those already successful in thisarea. We therefore engaged with a well-known educa-tional specialist organisation with a proven track recordof producing excellent products which were of direct rel-evance to the target audience. We had a vital message toconvey and we needed to develop a vehicle which wouldassist us in the task of delivering effectively to our targetaudience and which would prove to be of real benefit tothe recipients.

3. Strategy

We needed to develop a teaching resource that wouldbe of benefit to students in the 14–16 year bracket, whichwould be applicable to a wide subject base and wouldapply specifically to those studying Design and Technol-ogy and Business Studies. The resource would be casestudy based using real life examples of products whichillustrated the value of Intellectual Property (IP). Thesubjects chosen as the basis of case studies were to bewell known to the target audience and of sufficient‘‘street cred’’ to actively engage with the students andso reduce any learning curve, as students would havean intuitive knowledge of the subjects chosen. The mate-rials would be fully developed and by including sugges-tions for lesson plans would be ready for use in theclassroom without additional preparation by busyteachers. The pack would include:

• Large bright posters for use on class room walls andso actively attract attention and to support thecurriculum.

• Activity sessions that would illuminate elements ofDesign and Technology and Business Studies.

• To encourage use and to ensure further publicity theresource pack would include a competition.

The resource pack would be supplied free of chargebut only following a request. This would ensure we onlyserviced valid requests for the resource pack andavoided resources being placed ‘‘cold’’ in establishmentswhich could have resulted in most packs being destroyed

Table 1THINK kit� version I: companies, products and IP messages

Company or product IP m

Pop Idol�—a tv music talent competition CopAdidas�—specifically a new trainer TradVirgin�—the entire international brand TradAudi�—specifically the TT sports car TradI C Can—new technology self cooling drinks Pate

or being left unused on the shelves. The resource wouldbe supplied in hard copy free of copyright so that mate-rials could be copied in schools free of charge.

4. Development

During 2002 we short listed brands and productswhich we felt had the best appeal to our target audienceand had the most appropriate IP portfolios and thosecompanies were approached to ask if they would careto participate. Care had to be taken over the sensitiveissue of ‘‘product promotion’’ within schools; this wasnot to be an advertising exercise to children by brandowners but was to be a vehicle which would deliver avital message to today�s students.

The companies who were approached and agreed toparticipate are shown in Table 1.

Of the material supplied teachers are able to use theentire pack or select from the entire case study andextension materials. The case studies have all beencarefully selected to have maximum appeal to ourtarget audience and also to illustrate maximum returnsfrom effective use of the IP system in creating robust IPportfolios The case studies and the competition providestudents with an opportunity to develop key skills aswell as extensive opportunities to demonstrate workingwith others, problem solving communication andcreativity.

5. Product launch

We launched the product at the Design and Technol-ogy Show in November 2002 where we invited teachersto register their interest and receive a free copy of thepack the following spring. We then mounted a mail shotto every secondary school in the UK and officiallyreleased the product at the Education Show in March2003. Within six weeks of our official launch we hadreceived requests from over 51% (2800 establishments)of all secondary schools in the UK. In the summer of2003 we followed our own advice and applied to registerour brand as a trade mark and in October 2003 THINKkit� became our registered brand in a number of differ-ent classes.

essage

yright and branding/trade markse marks, registered designs and patents (shoe technology)e marks and brand extensione marks, registered designs and patents (car technology)nts for innovative products also basis of competition

138 D. Morgan / World Patent Information 28 (2006) 136–139

6. �Get chilled� competition

As part of the original resource we had a competitionbased on the I C Can in which we invited participants todevelop an innovative marketing strategy for a productwhich could be sold inside the I C Can. We receivedastonishingly over 300 entries, all of which were of extre-mely high quality and demonstrated how innovative ourtarget audience could be. The awards to the finalistswere presented by Lord Sainsbury, the Minister forScience and Technology.

7. Success

Within a year the THINK kit� product had reachedover 70% of UK secondary schools and it is estimatedthat in excess of 113,000 students had made use of mate-rial contained in the pack. The vigorous publicity cam-paign used in conjunction with the THINK kit�,namely the competition and a combination of pressreleases aimed at the national local and trade sectorpress earned the Patent Office and our press agents aGold Award From the Institute of Public Relations inFebruary 2004.

8. Continuation in 2004

In March 2004 we released a new case study based onan innovative smoke detector and fire alarm, FireAngel�. This case study not only demonstrated an excel-lent all round IP portfolio but also the growth of a spinout company from a University. This case study alsobecame the basis of a new competition for Design andTechnology and Business Studies students to designand brand a complete ‘‘Home Safety Fire Kit’’. Existingschools on our database were once again contacted bymail shot to encourage them to request the update packand there was a slight increase on the original 70%placement. The competition again attracted a high levelof quality entries and the award ceremony was con-

Table 2THINK kit� version II: categories, products, brands, and IP messages

MUSIC Jamelia—a new up and coming singer andJames Macmillan—singer and song writer

SPORT Craig Johnson—ex professional football playerwho acted on his creative ability and developeda new type of football boot

FOOD YO!�SUSHI and Salty Dog�—two veryinnovative companies who have successfullycreated new themes

DESIGN SWATCH�

TECHNOLOGY PICSEL� involved with mobilephone technology

ducted by Dr. Adam Hart Davies a TV celebrity whoappears on TV programmes in the UK concerned withinnovation and the history of inventions.

9. Plans in 2005

The year 2005 presented us with a new and excitingchallenge of how to maintain the momentum and impe-tus we have started with THINK kit� version 1. Wehave decided to produce an entirely new version ofour educational resource, this time looking at genericheadings and featuring high profile partners within thegeneric headings and illustrating how effective use ofthe IP system enables companies to effectively travelalong the �Road To Innovation�.

We have concentrated on:

MUSICSPORTFOODTECHNOLOGYDESIGN

We have signed up a number or partners who areprepared to assist us with our endeavours, as shown inTable 2.

This year also sees a move in direction so as to secure ahigher placement, and to ensure continuing usage we havedecided to concentrate very firmly on the Enterpriseagenda [7] and to demonstrate how successful enterpriseshave their roots very firmly based in their IP portfolios.This provides us with an opportunity to link up with acentral government initiative which is introducing enter-prise as a curriculum linked topic, with every studentwithin the UK receiving five days of enterprise tuitionin the course of an academic year. As the new version ofour resource sits very firmly within the Enterprise agenda,it now provides us with an opportunity to ensure teacherswill be demanding our product as a vital resource to illus-trate the sets of skills needed by successful entrepreneurs.We have also developed two core themes which identify

Copyright and brand issues illustrates how importantit is for artists to use copyright to protect their innovationsPatents—sport technology Branding issuesalso Registered Designs

Branding and brand extension viaregistered trade marks

An innovative design company involved with watches.Patent, design and trade marksSuccessful start up who followed the patent route to secureprotection on their innovative software also trade mark

D. Morgan / World Patent Information 28 (2006) 136–139 139

the natural fit of IP within successful enterprise and thatIP is a core competence for successful enterprise.

To assist us with the delivery and implementationprogramme we have formed relations with a greatnumber of external private sector partners who createdrobust regional networks amongst many educationalestablishments. We are now working with these groupsto ensure IP is included within the programmes that theyhave established to reinforce messages involved withDesign and Technology and Business Studies.

We have once more sent mail shots to our targetaudience and, by June 2005, had requests from 45% ofour school base. We are once again running with thecompetition theme and this year we have been lookingat brand and design issues with launch and promotionof a new band of musicians and design of packagingfor new materials.

We have set lofty ambitions this year and are seekinga placement into schools of 80%.

In practical use the information contained within thepack has also proved to be of benefit to a much wideraudience as the materials have been scaled up and downdependent on the recipients. Business start ups andwould be entrepreneurs, in particular, have found thecontents very useful as the case study approach providespractical guidance on the commercial reality of IPR.

10. Concluding remark

To date our educational programme has been anunprecedented success and its development over severalyears is indicative that we, as an organisation, do notview this as a ‘‘hit and run exercise’’. Thus we realisethe long term investments and returns to be gained from

our programme as a means of educating today�sstudents—tomorrow�s generation of business people—to appreciate the benefits to be gained in having anunderstanding of the vital role Intellectual PropertyRights play in a global economy.

References

[1] Averdal JL. The Swedish patent office�s external educationprogram. World Patent Inform 1984;6(3):101–3.

[2] Sullivan P, Chester D. Patent information education in Australia.World Patent Inform 1985;7(3):185–9.

[3] Michalkewicz F. Where are tomorrow�s innovators? KeepingAmerica competitive through education. World Patent Inform1990;12(2):81–2.

[4] Hamlyn G. An exciting new patent training package. World PatentInform 1992;14(4):235–6.

[5] DTI. Competing in the global economy, December 2003.www.dti.gov.uk/innovation report.

[6] DTI. Our route to prosperity, April 2003. www.dti.gov.uk/about/dti-business plan 2003–2006.

[7] Davies H. A review of enterprise and the economy in education,February 2002. www.dfes.gov.uk/ebnet/download.

David Morgan joined the UK Patent Office in1990 after spending a number of years in otherGovernment departments. Since joiningMarketing in 1997 his role has includedresponsibility for the Central Enquiry Unitand setting up the Patent Office�s first web sitein 1997.

As Education and Enterprise SupportManager, he has taken on duties concentrat-ing primarily on awareness raising issueswithin academic circles and amongst those in

full time education. More recently he has been working with Educa-

tional Communications to create the educational resource, the THINKkit�, described in this article.