Alan Adcock, a partner with Tilleke & Gibbins and deputy director of the firm’s intellectual property group, has been featured in “Southeast Asia – the innovation outsider,” an article in the January/February issue of IAM  magazaine.

The article focuses on the influx of technology and commercialization opportunities in Southeast Asia, and advises that, with the region’s IP infrastructure still in its developmental stages, potential investors should proceed with a well-crafted strategy.

“Businesses are really starting to look to Southeast Asia in terms of innovative technology creation,” Alan said. “Governments here are looking to China’s IP and technology growth as an example. They are thinking, ‘If China can do it, why can’t we?’ In Southeast Asia, there is now this political and social drive to transition from low-value manufacturing to the knowledge economy. Manufacturing is becoming more and more automated, and it takes fewer hands to assemble a widget nowadays, so technological innovation is becoming more important.”

In the article, Alan goes on to talk about how innovative companies—particularly those in emerging sectors like biofuels and clean tech—can maximize the protection of their intellectual assets, how they can extend their relationships with business partners through licensing and technology transfer agreements, and how they are likely to be assessed by investors and financial backers. He also broadly discusses investment in innovation, research collaboration through public-private partnerships, and the improving efficiency of Patent Offices across Southeast Asia as local innovators have become more prominent.

IAM  is a magazine focused on helping companies maximize the value of their intellectual property and other intangibles. To read the article, please visit the IAM website (subscription required).