Services · Patent & IP
Patent & IP Services
Our IP specialists combine legal training with active research expertise. Prior-art searches that reflect the current state of the science, not just the prior state of the database.
About the service
Veyra's IP Services team operates as a bridge between scientific research and intellectual property law. The team includes three qualified patent attorneys, five technical specialists with PhDs in chemistry, materials science, photonics, and computing, and a licensing executive with 14 years of technology transfer experience.
Our core advantage is direct access to the Institute's research community. When a client's technology sits in quantum sensing or advanced catalysis, we can call on the relevant research group for a technical briefing before we begin a search. That scientific grounding makes our prior-art analyses more thorough than a database-only approach — we understand what variants of a claimed invention a skilled person would recognise as equivalent.
We work under confidentiality from initial instruction through to delivery. All engagements begin with a signed non-disclosure agreement and a defined scope document before any work commences.
Service areas
Prior-art & novelty searches
We search patent databases (including EP, US, PCT, JPO, CNIPA, and WIPO PATENTSCOPE), scientific literature, conference proceedings, and grey literature to establish the state of the art at a defined priority date. Results are delivered as a structured search report with annotated claim charts, relevance scores, and a plain-English executive summary.
Standard turnaround: 10–15 working days. Rush searches (5 days) available at surcharge.
Freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis
We identify granted patents and pending applications whose claims could read on a proposed product, process, or use. The analysis covers jurisdiction-specific claim scope, prosecution history estoppel, and expiry timeline. Where blocking patents are identified, we provide a risk-ranked summary and (on request) an opinion on design-around strategies or invalidity arguments.
Scope and cost depend on technical complexity and number of jurisdictions. Initial fixed-cost scoping call at no charge.
Patent drafting support
We work with clients and, where appropriate, with the Institute's researchers to draft provisional and full patent applications. Our technical specialists contribute claim sets grounded in the science; our patent attorneys structure the specification and claims for robust prosecution. We do not file applications directly — we prepare the documentation for filing by the client's appointed firm or agent.
Particularly suited to clients in materials science, computational chemistry, photonics, and bioanalysis, where our in-house domain knowledge adds direct value.
Technology licensing
We assist with valuation, term-sheet preparation, and negotiation support for outbound and inbound licensing of patents, know-how, and research data. The Institute itself licenses certain technologies generated by its own research groups; our licensing executive has handled transactions in materials, software, and biological methods. We can connect clients to Veyra-owned IP where a licensing opportunity exists.
Licensing engagements are billed on a time-and-materials basis with an optional success-fee element for completed transactions.
IP strategy & portfolio review
We undertake structured reviews of an existing patent portfolio against a defined technology roadmap, identifying gaps, redundancies, and maintenance decisions. Strategy sessions are typically structured as one-day workshops with follow-up documentation, or as ongoing advisory retainers on a quarterly basis. We can also provide technical due diligence on an IP portfolio as part of an M&A or investment process.
Portfolio reviews require access to granted patents, pending applications, and prosecution history — subject to an NDA.
How an engagement works
A structured process that starts with a confidentiality agreement and ends with a clear, actionable deliverable.
- 1
Initial enquiry
Contact ip@veyra.example or the services desk (+0 (200) 555-0188). Describe your technology area and the type of analysis you need. We respond within one business day to confirm whether the work falls within our scope and to arrange a scoping call.
- 2
NDA and scope agreement
We issue a mutual NDA and a one-page scope document before any confidential material is shared. The scope defines: the technology in question, the search date, jurisdictions (for FTO), deliverable format, and timeline. Scope sign-off typically takes two to three business days.
- 3
Technical intake
For complex technology areas, we schedule a 60-minute technical briefing with your engineering or scientific team. This briefing allows our technical specialists to ask clarifying questions about how the invention or product works, which materially improves the quality of the search and any claim-reading exercise.
- 4
Analysis and draft delivery
We complete the search, analysis, or drafting work within the agreed timeline. A draft report is issued for client review, with a 48-hour window for factual corrections before the final version is issued. All deliverables are provided as PDF documents with an editable annex where applicable.
- 5
Debrief and follow-on
All engagements include a 30-minute debrief call after delivery at no additional charge. Follow-on work — design-around analysis, additional jurisdiction searches, or ongoing portfolio reviews — can be commissioned under the same NDA.
Technology areas we cover
Our team's expertise is grounded in the Institute's five research divisions. We are most effective in the following fields.
Advanced materials
Structural materials, functional coatings, nanomaterials, polymers, catalysts, and green chemistry processes. In-house support from the MME division.
Photonics & quantum devices
Integrated photonic circuits, waveguides, quantum sensing hardware, and nonlinear optical devices. Supported by the QPS division.
Computational methods & software
Machine learning models, simulation software, data analysis algorithms, and scientific computing methods. Supported by the CDS division.
Bioanalytical methods
Assay design, diagnostic methods, biosensor platforms, and bioinformatics workflows for life-science and medtech applications.
Environmental technology
Environmental monitoring, remediation processes, atmospheric sensing, and climate-related measurement technologies. Supported by the ECS division.
Neural interfaces & neurotechnology
Brain-computer interfaces, neural recording methods, wearable biosensing, and signal processing for neuroscience applications. Supported by the CNS division.