More than an angel's share of innovation helps Scotch whisky's drive towards sustainability

This evening, members of the Scotch Whisky industry will congregate in Glasgow for the annual Scottish Whisky Awards. In addition to awards for Distillery of the Year, Single Malt Scotch, & Blended Scotch, the ceremony also awards Excellence in Branding, New Product Launch & Newcomer of the Year, amongst others.  

As Intellectual Property Specialists, and from my own perspective as a Scottish-based patent attorney with expertise in the energy & environment sector as well as the food & drink sector, I was naturally interested to see the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) highlight the importance of innovation in support of the industry's drive towards sustainability.

One key area of focus identified by SWA is in relation to packaging, due to its significant impact on carbon footprint. However, the industry is also innovating in a myriad of other ways and across a number of technical areas, including new uses of co-products, organic ink coatings on bottles, bottle design, CO2 capture, and hydrogen power systems. 

As with any other industry area, innovation provides a significant opportunity for the Scotch Whisky industry not only to improve sustainability but also, where it can be protected via suitable IP rights, to secure investment and maintain competitive advantage. A clear understanding of the IP landscape can also highlight potential collaboration partners as well as identify potential threats from 3rd party IP rights. 

To support businesses in navigating these challenges and capitalising on innovation, our latest e-book, Brand security in a modern world: A practical guide to developing an effective anti-counterfeiting strategy is out now.