The IP Federation has today submitted its formal response to the call for evidence from the IPReg Education Review closing 30 April 2026.

The IP Federation’s response argues that IP education and qualification routes must evolve to reflect the realities of modern in‑house practice. It highlights a growing need for commercial awareness as a core day‑one capability for patent and trade mark attorneys, alongside legal knowledge. In‑house teams increasingly value skills in invention capture, commercial exploitation of IP, contract advice (including SEPs), and strategic risk management, while reliance on memorising large areas of law is diminishing. The response also stresses that AI literacy is now essential, with trainees needing to understand AI tools, risks, ethics, and limitations, supported by ongoing CPD to remain current as technologies rapidly evolve. Additional baseline knowledge in cybersecurity, data protection, and sanctions is also recommended.

The Federation strongly supports flexible, proportionate, and sustainable training routes, including university‑based courses, modular and online learning, and greater exposure through secondments and shared training programmes. It fully endorses CIPA’s proposed apprenticeship pathway, seeing it as a way to widen access, improve diversity and social mobility, and address future skills gaps, particularly in AI and digital technologies, while cautioning against making UK qualification overly burdensome. Overall, the submission calls for education and regulation that are commercially relevant, inclusive, and adaptable, ensuring the UK IP professions remain attractive and aligned with industry needs.

For full details, click HERE.

To see all our policy papers, click HERE.