Latest UK Space Agency funding focuses on international collaboration

The UK Space Agency's recently launched £20 million fund underlines the importance of collaboration in developing global space capabilities, and specifically international collaboration.

The Agency is particularly looking to fund projects involving the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan; and in areas like Earth observation, space debris and space traffic control.

It is heartening to see the UK government add further support to the space industry in the UK, and recognise that it has a place amongst other big players across the globe.  However, collaboration, whether internationally or at home, can cause some tricky Intellectual Property situations if due consideration is not given.

Some of our quick tips for keeping the IP situation as clear as the skies are:

1. identify (and register) any IP that you own before entering a collaboration,

2. ensure that  the ownership position of any IP generated during the collaboration is clearly set out in a collaboration agreement,

3. revisit the collaboration agreement to ensure that it remains applicable and appropriate if the scope of the project grows,

4. identify (and register in the agreed name) any IP that is generated during the collaboration before moving on to new projects.

If you are looking for IP advice before, during or after working in a collaboration, we have experts across the globe that can assist, so please get in touch.