Safeguarding Sustainable Innovation: The importance of IP in ethical design

The move to a circular economy will be underpinned by sustainable innovation. The message at this year’s World Design Congress is to “design for planet” – a call to all designers to place ecological factors at the heart of their work. Environmental ethics are often superseded by economic pressures when far-flung manufacturing hubs can replicate new products at a fraction of the cost. Against this background, in a special event presented as part of London Design Festival 2025 we ask the following questions: How can ethical designers and innovators remain competitive? What role can intellectual property play in maintaining and protecting the environmental advantages that sustainable design can provide? Our intellectual property experts will highlight the importance of protecting your sustainable innovation and the steps that designers can take to protect their work whilst retaining their environmental ethics. Agenda 12:00 Arrival and lunch 12:30 - 1:30 Seminar talk 1:30 - 2:00 Networking Designers are increasingly addressing environmental and social issues through their work, with 64% of designers reporting an increase in client demand for environmentally focussed design over the past three years, as stated in the Environmental and Social Value of Design 2025 report by the Design Economy; this demand is expected to continue unabated. *Source: Design Economy: The Environmental and Social Value of Design, 2025, Design Council