From farm to fork: product innovation, patents and R&D tax credits in the food production and service sector

  • Location: Online
  • Subject: From farm to fork: product innovation, patents and R&D tax credits in the food production and service sector
  • Date: 21 February 2024
  • Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
From farm to fork: product innovation, patents and R&D tax credits in the food production and service sector

This session benefitted businesses in the food production, distribution or service sectors, including the rural and farming sector, livestock veterinary, hospitality, retail, distilleries and food and drink service industries.

Are you researching and developing products or processes in your industry? Do you know the technicalities behind bringing new inventions to market? Are you aware of considerations towards product security and patents? Do you know how research and development tax credits can save your business money?

For this webinar, we teamed up with intellectual property experts Lawrie IP and Minerva Innovation Group, an award-winning research and development funding specialist, and gave insights into intellectual property, patents and the ways to qualify for research & development tax credits. We also touched on Patent Box, the tax relief regime from HMRC.

The topics included:

  • The advantages surrounding intellectual property rights, trademarks and patents
  • The timeline and process for obtaining rights to your innovations, and how to get started
  • Research and development tax relief – the qualifying criteria, benefits and statistics
  • A technical and financial comparison of Patent Box vs research and development tax relief

If you have any questions about the event please contact events@andersonstrathern.co.uk.

Meet the speakers

Douglas McLachlan, Partner at Anderson Strathern

Douglas leads the Data & Technology Team at Anderson Strathern. He advises a wide range of clients in relation to the protection and exploitation of Intellectual Property as well as on UK GDPR, freedom of information and privacy issues.

He regularly advises on IT contracts and also been certified by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Cyber Security and accredited as a specialist in Public Procurement.

Sharing the benefits of his extensive knowledge and experience, Douglas has acted as an online tutor for the Edinburgh University LL.M in Innovation, Technology and the Law.

Adam Pearce, R&D Tax Consultant and Director at Minerva Innovation Group

Adam specialises in working with companies operating in the food and animal science sector, covering anything from crop agriculture to livestock veterinary medicine.
Adam completed his MSc in Advanced Biomedical Science with distinctions and entered the R&D funding landscape as a consultant.

Thereafter, he pursued an MSc in Finance, prior to becoming a Director at Minerva Innovation Group. He’s now one of only few R&D funding agents with a dual background ,covering both tech and finance, which ensures maximised returns on investment for clients.

As a testament to this, many businesses who have previously claimed R&D cash credits with another provider have been able to realise significantly greater returns after claiming through Minerva Innovation Group. Helping companies expand through R&D cash credits is what motivates the team at Minerva Innovation Group.

Craig Hutchison, Director at Lawrie IP

Craig oversees the electrical, mechanical and software teams at Lawrie IP, guiding businesses from physics, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering industries.

With over 20 years’ experience, Craig’s specialisms include drafting and prosecution of global patent families, due diligence reviews, freedom to operate opinions, infringement opinions and contentious proceedings before the Oppositions Divisions and Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office.

Craig has expertise in oil and gas technologies, sonar imaging, retinal imaging, robotics, prosthetics, automotive engineering, cycling and fishing componentry, advanced coated films, and construction technologies.

Nicole Whitcombe, Head of Chemistry at Lawrie IP

Nicole is very well placed to guide businesses through their IP challenges and has worked in private practice for two well-known UK firms of patent and trademark attorneys, as well as in-house as a senior patent attorney for a FTSE 100 company.

A post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge before joining the patent profession, Nicole has gained significant experience in the fields of pharmaceuticals, chemistry, catalysis and chiral technologies.

Her practice areas include drafting and prosecution of global patent families, freedom to operate opinions, invalidity opinions, providing advice on IP related aspects of agreements, and contentious proceedings before the Opposition Divisions and Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office.

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