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Patent Matters
Patents fuel major business and legal decisions, but navigating them requires special skills and focus. The Patent Matters podcast discusses best practices in the searching, prosecution, and management of this form of IP.
Patent Matters
Episode 4 - An Inside Look at Patents in The Corporate World
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What does patent strategy really look like inside a large, innovation-driven corporation?
In this episode of Patent Matters, hosts Mie Rasmussen and Dave Hunt go inside the corporate IP function with Lars Balzer Nielsen, a veteran patent leader with 25 years of experience shaping patent strategy in the diabetes and obesity care industry.
Drawing on his background as a former patent examiner, European patent attorney, and PhD in chemical engineering, Lars shares a rare, candid perspective on how large companies make real-world IP decisions — far beyond theory and checklists.
Together, they explore:
- How patent strategy should support business strategy — not exist on its own
- When to patent vs. keep innovations as trade secrets
- How companies decide where to file patents under budget and uncertainty
- Managing long product life cycles, evolving portfolios, and freedom-to-operate risks
- Building strong, cross-functional IP teams across science, legal, and business
- Preparing for litigation, competition, and the unexpected
- What startups and universities should consider when building early patent portfolios
Lars also shares five hard-earned principles for managing corporate IP teams — from relationship-building and long-term thinking to clear communication and courageous decision-making.
Whether you work inside a corporation, advise innovative companies, or are simply curious about how major players protect and defend innovation, this episode offers an inside look you won’t want to miss.