World Intellectual Property Day 2022

Every year on April 26, UWTSD celebrates World Intellectual Property Day, and as this year’s theme is IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future it is even more pertinent for us, as we recognise the ingenuity and creativity of our students and alumni who consistently develop creative ideas to drive positive change.

Adam Higgins, a final year MSc Industrial Design student is a notable example. His innovative project is PreMedPrep, a collection of medical preparation toys that aim to reduce anxiety and fears that children experience in the lead up to common medical procedures. One of his products is Elio the Elephant, which provides realistic procedure demonstrations and uses visual-based learning to provide children with emotional and cognitive support. It has recently been trialled in Ty Hafan, Children’s Hospice where success was clear, as children wanted their very own Elio to take home.

Adam said: “I was pleased to see the positive results of the testing study; it has given further confirmation that the product benefits children’s blood test procedures. The support from Ty Hafan’s Children’s Hospice has been amazing throughout the evaluation phase of the product.

The product has already had the accolade of being featured on the ‘100 ideas to change the world list’, in the 2020 Global Grad Show, where it was selected from 1,600 submissions from 270 universities across the globe. This kind of publicity is wonderful, but it can also lead to issues if a student is unprepared for the world of Intellectual Property.

Kath Penaluna, UWTSD’s Enterprise Manager and a member of the UK Intellectual Property’s education advisory group IPUC, explained that Patent Attorney Tom Baker regularly supports our students with guidance and support for protecting their innovations. She said: “Tom’s support has been essential and helps us to ensure that our students reap the rewards of developing their intellectual property. Design Rights for Elio and clear ownership of the copyright in any publications are central to taking this innovation to market. UWTSD has an excellent track record of helping our students manage their IP, so that they can move forward with the confidence they need to succeed.”

Adam added: “Over the past year, I have been focused on the continued development of PreMedPrep and working towards commercialising the product. During this period, I have been collaborating with Ty Hafan’s Children’s Hospice and other external third parties to further the product's development and validate the product for market release.

“World Intellectual Property Day is a wonderful day to acknowledge the product's intellectual properties and the importance of protecting the designs. With the advice and support from both Kath and Tom, I have successfully applied to register the design of Eilo the Elephant. This is a key part of the future roadmap of the product and will give me confidence when publicly displaying the product at New Designers in July.”

A spokesperson for Ty Hafan said: "It has been a pleasure in exploring the PreMedPrep product and the children were very engaged with Eilo. Having products like this available, in a child friendly manner, supports children who are regularly in and out of hospitals and are a much-needed tool!"

Tom Baker of Murgitroyd said: "It’s great to see the support and opportunity that UWTSD is giving Adam to commercialise his product including helping him understand and obtain the appropriate IP rights."

Further Information

Rebecca Davies

Swyddog Gweithredol Cysylltiadau â’r Wasg a’r Cyfryngau

Executive Press and Media Relations Officer

Cyfathrebu Corfforaethol a Chysylltiadau Cyhoeddus

Corporate Communications and PR

Mobile: 07384 467071

Email: Rebecca.Davies@uwtsd.ac.uk