Qualcomm and the Fraunhofer IAO Announce L2Pro mLearning Platform in Germany and the United Kingdom to Support Small and Medium Enterprises Bring Innovations to Market
MUNICH, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its Wireless Reach™ initiative, Fraunhofer IAO, in partnership with ip4inno, the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office and the United Kingdom Trade & Investment department, today announced the launch of Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize your Innovations (L2Pro), a mobile learning platform in Germany and the United Kingdom designed to enable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to bring their innovations to market. L2Pro has been developed to promote innovation, training and the exchange of best practices for participating SMEs. The project's intention is to help SMEs understand the value of their inventions and ideas and integrate these advancements into their business plans, which is important within an increasingly competitive global environment.
"The ip4inno project has always been about knowledge transfer from IP experts to business advisors and SMEs who need to understand how various IP rights support innovation," explains Dr. Jeremy Philpott, project leader for ip4inno at the European Patent Office. "The training materials developed over the last five years were planned for easy translation and adaption. L2Pro shows just how these successful IP strategy teaching materials can be transformed to run on a different platform in order to reach a new audience of SMEs seeking to protect and exploit their creativity. The future of IP learning is in new communication channels - online and mobile - which complement classroom training that many SMEs cannot spare the time to attend."
The mLearning platform, based on content provided by the ip4inno project, will provide 30 SME participants, 15 in Germany and 15 in the United Kingdom, with an education tool, learning sessions and direct interactions with trainers and other participants around IP-related topics that are a core part of a SMEs' operations and business. The structure of the program, combined with social networking, will allow participants to undertake training using Qualcomm's advanced wireless technology. Wireless broadband connectivity provides an efficient way to deliver targeted training to SMEs anytime and anywhere.
"It is important that SMEs are given the tools needed to compete and succeed in a global economy, and 24/7 access to the L2Pro platform is a huge step forward," said Derek Aberle, executive vice president and group president of Qualcomm. "Without a robust patent system and strong protection of IP, many SMEs will be unable to attract capital and successfully commercialize their innovations. This project is an example of the ways in which mobile technology can support SMEs by giving them access to a learning platform outside of a conventional classroom."
"We are very pleased to collaborate on this project with our partners and Qualcomm to promote the benefits of IP rights and this business model across the German economy," said Prof. Joachim Warschat of Fraunhofer IAO. "Our expertise in developing technology and innovation management methods and organizational solutions allows Fraunhofer to play a significant role in helping companies and innovators ensure that their IP is an integral part of a healthy competitive economy."
About Fraunhofer IAO
The Fraunhofer IAO is part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft which is Europe's largest application-oriented research organization. The basis for all work undertaken at the Fraunhofer IAO is a deep conviction that business success in a globalised arena is contingent on an ability to profitably leverage new high-tech potentials. Therefore Fraunhofer IAO helps companies to identify the technologies of relevance to them, and draws up a technology strategy aligned to the competitive environment and the market. It plans the deployment of technology for the entire enterprise, in the business sectors and in individual projects.
http://www.iao.fraunhofer.de/lang-en/index.php
Corporate Blog: http://blog.iao.fraunhofer.de/
Facebook: http://de-de.facebook.com/FraunhoferIAO?sk=wall&filter=12
About the ip4inno Project
The ip4inno Project has used a pioneering "train the trainers" concept to develop over 60 hours of IP strategy training material for use by business advisors and technology transfer officers who can then teach SMEs and start-ups about how to commercialize their innovations. Experts in IP wrote the numerous 3-hour modules on such topics as IP licensing, business planning around IP, IP valuation and financing, open innovation and IP enforcement, as well as using patent information for commercial intelligence, technical research and business decision-making. The materials comprise PowerPoint slides, full teaching notes, problem exercises and case studies, supplemented with recordings from web-based tutorials and dedicated e-learning materials.
http://www.epo.org/learning-events/materials/ip4inno.html
About Qualcomm and its Wireless Reach Initiative
Qualcomm believes access to 3G and next-generation mobile technologies can improve people's lives. Qualcomm's Wireless Reach initiative is a strategic program that brings wireless technology to underserved communities globally. By working with partners, Wireless Reach invests in projects that foster entrepreneurship, aid in public safety, enhance the delivery of health care, enrich teaching and learning and improve environmental sustainability. For more information please visit www.qualcomm.com/wirelessreach.
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is the world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Wireless Reach is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Qualcomm Contacts:
Richard Tinkler, PR Europe
Phone: 44-7720-060-619
Email: [email protected]
Tina Asmar, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: [email protected]
Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: [email protected]
Fraunhofer IAO Contact:
Yvonne Siwczyk, L2Pro Project Team
Phone: +49 (0) 711 / 970-2098
Email: [email protected]
EPO Contact:
Jeremy Philpott, leader ip4inno project
Phone: +49 (0) 89 2399 1805
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated; Fraunhofer IAO; ip4inno
Share this article