Forming a Portfolio of Intellectual Property of an Enterprise

Abstract

In the conditions of post-industrial economy, the issues of effective management of intellectual property of enterprises are becoming more and more vital. An important part of this process is managing the formation of a portfolio of the objects of intellectual property. Systematization of literature and approaches to managing intellectual property of an enterprise have shown that despite a rather thorough research of the process of forming and using a portfolio of objects of intellectual property of the enterprise, there is a need for the development of management methods that will ensure the efficient use of intellectual resources in the activities of an enterprise. The purpose of this article is to improve the process of making managerial decisions in the course of forming a portfolio of objects of intellectual property of an enterprise. The research is based on the use of general scientific and special methods, such as analysis and synthesis, comparison and generalization, analysis of hierarchies and graphical visualization. Based on the analysis of existing research, the components of the process of forming an effective portfolio of objects of intellectual property are identified: audit of developments of an enterprise, identification of the directions by which the company should continue research and creation of intellectual products; determination of the need for attracting external objects of intellectual property. The way to improve the process of forming a portfolio of intellectual property objects by introducing a methodical approach to making managerial decisions based on the method of analysis of hierarchies is suggested. In the process of forming a portfolio of intellectual property objects, based on the purposes of its formation, we determined alternatives such as creation of a development and its legal protection through issuing a patent; creating a development and its legal protection by means of restrictions; attraction of external objects of intellectual property; refusal to continue research and activities in this direction. On the basis of the analysis of the works of leading researchers and practitioners, as well as the authors’ own research on the functioning of industrial enterprises, factors determining the feasibility of implementing each of the alternatives are identified. On the basis of the selected factors a system of criteria for decision making has been formed. The proposed methodological approach will provide an opportunity to increase the degree of economic feasibility of solutions in the process of forming a portfolio of objects of intellectual property by taking into account the criteria for choosing alternatives and their importance.