Clean Energy’s Growth Boom is Creating New IP Risks

As consolidation accelerates across the renewable energy sector, it is important to remember how intellectual property can influence both transaction risk and company valuation. Companies that build a strong IP strategy early are often better positioned for future financing, strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, and acquisitions. Different IP rights protect innovation in different ways: patents, which are the focus of this article, protect disclosed technologies for a limited period, while trade secrets protect confidential know-how for as long as it remains secret.

For technology-focused companies, selecting and implementing the appropriate IP strategy requires attention well before an acquisition.