EUeic Podcast Episode 5: Intellectual Property know-how for Agritech startups
Brussels, March 1st 2023
Summary
›Episode 5 of the EIC podcast focuses on intellectual property challenges and best practices for agritech and novel food ventures.
›Ivan Štefanić, EIC programme manager for food chain technologies, outlines why IP matters for food tech, precision fermentation and sustainable agriculture.
›The episode stresses practical steps such as early IP strategy, freedom to operate checks and licensing as an exit route.
›The podcast is positioned as knowledge sharing and not legal or official European Commission guidance.
Intellectual property know-how for agritech startups
Agritech and novel food projects are increasingly technical and commercially valuable yet IP practice in this field often lags behind other technology sectors. The European Innovation Council published Episode 5 of its podcast series 'The game changers: from radical idea to innovative business' to address that gap. The episode brings an EIC programme manager's perspective on how researchers and early stage companies can recognise, protect and leverage intellectual property while navigating specific regulatory and scientific constraints that apply to food and agriculture.
About the episode
Item
Details
Notes
Episode
EUeic Podcast Series - Episode 5
Part of 'The game changers' series
Publication date
2023-03-01
Guest / Speaker
Ivan Štefanić
EIC Programme Manager for food chain technologies, novel and sustainable food
Focus
Intellectual property know-how for agritech startups
Practical IP advice and sector context
Intended audience
University-based tech projects, deep-tech start-ups and entrepreneurs in food and agriculture
Disclaimer
Information provided for knowledge sharing and not the official view of the European Commission
Not a substitute for legal advice
Why IP matters in agritech and novel foods
Commercial value and sector barriers:Agritech and novel food technologies cover a wide range of innovations from hardware and robotics to microbial fermentation, plant breeding and data driven farm management. Protecting inventions matters because it helps startups attract investment, negotiate partnerships and prevent competitors from copying solutions. At the same time the sector faces unique barriers. Regulatory approvals, safety testing and public acceptance can lengthen time to market and complicate the returns on IP investment.
Why IP is often neglected in agritech:Many entrepreneurs in agri and food come from biology or farming backgrounds where commercialisation and formal IP practices are less familiar than in software or medical sectors. This leads to delayed filings, weak ownership agreements and missed licensing opportunities. The episode argues for earlier and more deliberate IP planning tailored to sector realities.
IP concepts and how they apply to food and agriculture
Patentability in agriculture:Patents can protect processes, engineered organisms, hardware and specific biotechnological methods. Patentability depends on novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. In the EU, there are added restrictions when inventions concern biological material, plants and animals. Some breeding methods may be excluded from patentability. Startups must weigh the costs of filing and prosecution against expected commercial upside.
Plant variety rights and breeder's exemptions:Plant variety protection schemes are separate from patents and aim to reward the development of new plant varieties. They often include breeder's exemptions that allow other breeders to use protected varieties for further breeding. For companies working with crops these rights are a key tool but they require a different strategy than patenting.
Trade secrets and data protection:Some agritech assets are better kept as trade secrets rather than patented. Examples include proprietary algorithms, process parameters for fermentation and farm management datasets. Trade secret protection has no registration cost but depends on internal confidentiality practices and contractual safeguards.
Regulatory constraints and ethical issues:Biotech, genetically modified organisms and ingredients produced by novel processes encounter specific regulatory pathways in the EU. These pathways affect commercial timelines and influence the choice of IP strategy. Ethical and public acceptance issues also shape how companies communicate and protect their innovations.
Practical steps recommended for startups
Develop an IP strategy early:Founders should assess their IP landscape as soon as core technologies become reproducible. Early decisions about what to patent, what to keep as a trade secret and how to allocate ownership among founders and institutions are critical. Delaying these decisions can damage later fundraising or exit negotiations.
Conduct freedom to operate checks:A freedom to operate analysis helps determine whether commercialising a product would infringe third party rights. This reduces legal risk and informs whether to pursue licences, redesigns or alternative markets. FTO checks are especially important in crowded biotech subfields.
Use licensing as an exit and commercialisation route:Licensing can be an effective path for research teams and university spinouts that prefer to monetise technology without building a full scale business. The EIC has promoted webinars on licensing as a deliberate exit strategy. Successful licensing requires clear ownership, enforceable rights and marketable claims.
Engage technology transfer offices and IP helpdesks:Universities and regional innovation organisations often provide technology transfer expertise. In the EU, resources such as the EU IP Helpdesk offer guidance. The episode emphasises using those services early and combining them with commercial validation work.
Leverage IP in fundraising:Investors look for defensible positions. Well drafted patents, exclusive licences and strong data governance can improve investor confidence. However investors also care about market traction, regulatory pathways and team execution, so IP alone will not guarantee funding.
How the European Innovation Council supports agrifood innovators
The EIC provides grant and equity funding streams and a suite of coaching and acceleration supports. Its programmes include Pathfinder for early breakthrough research, Transition for market preparation and Accelerator for scaling companies. In addition the EIC offers business acceleration services, coaching, networking and access to a trust investor network. These instruments aim to combine financial support with commercial advisory to help science led ventures scale.
Topics and sector tags:The episode sits at the intersection of Food and Beverages, Engineering and technology, Consumer products and services and Business development. It connects to EIC challenges on sustainable food, precision nutrition and resilient agriculture.
About Ivan Štefanić:Ivan Štefanić is the EIC Programme Manager for food chain technologies and novel and sustainable food. He has more than 30 years of international experience in research and business development. He is an EU IP Helpdesk Ambassador, founding director of TERA TEHNOPOLIS which supports technology entrepreneurs, and a professor in agrobiotechnology economics and entrepreneurship. He regularly leads outreach events, challenge briefings and webinars related to EIC calls in agrifood and sustainable food systems.
30 plus years in research and business development
Sector knowledge and tech transfer experience
Other roles
EU IP Helpdesk Ambassador and founding director of TERA TEHNOPOLIS
Focus on IP awareness and entrepreneur support
Academic posts
Full Professor at Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek
Research and teaching in agribusiness entrepreneurship
Caveats and next steps
The episode is framed as knowledge sharing and is explicitly not the official position of the European Commission. It is not legal or regulatory advice. Listeners should treat the podcast as sector guidance and seek qualified patent attorneys, regulatory consultants and technology transfer offices for binding actions. Practical implementation of IP strategies requires case by case assessment, especially in areas governed by complex biotech and food safety rules.
For startups and university teams interested in the subject the pragmatic next steps are to 1) perform an early IP landscape and freedom to operate assessment, 2) agree clear ownership and licensing terms with research partners, 3) choose between patents and trade secrets based on cost, enforceability and time to market, and 4) use EU supports such as the EIC programmes and national IP helpdesks.
Access and further information
The episode is part of the EIC podcast series 'The game changers: from radical idea to innovative business' and was published by the EIC Community. It is available to listen from the EIC channels. The original article includes a disclaimer reiterating that the material is for knowledge sharing and not the official European Commission view.
