Wetsus’ research led to 100 patent applications

Wetsus’ research led to 100 patent applications

Unique inventions with impact

One hundred water tech patent applications have proven Wetsus research to be novel and inventive. To safeguard the interest of the participating companies, Wetsus, already since its foundation, has been actively seeking protection for the inventions made by the researchers working within the Wetsus cooperation. Now, twenty years later, Wetsus has reached a milestone of one hundred patent applications. “Wetsus’ patents are unique in their position. The drive to make it application-focused and companies’ involvement is not something you often see at research institutes. It is an achievement,” says Dr. Gerwald Verdijck, patent attorney at Arnold & Siedsma, involved in most of Wetsus’ patent applications.

The one hundred patent applications show the diversity and multidisciplinary nature of the Wetsus programme: from waste-consuming aquatic worms to plasma discharge in a vortex. Patents are especially important for start-up or SME companies to gain a strong position in the market. RED-stack, with many blue energy inventions, is of course a great example. “I am proud to see so many inventions taken up and scaled up by our company partners,” says Wetsus patent coordinator Dr. Roel Meulepas. “Also, the dedication of the researchers to work on a patent application is great to see. There is a certain beauty in witnessing the realization that they are not ‘just’ researchers, but inventors too.”

The nature of the patent applications has evolved over the years. “At the start, Wetsus patents were more oriented at the institute proving itself – its research outcomes. Now that Wetsus has grown, you can see how the ideas are more set in stone. They are more application-oriented to the point that companies supporting the research are involved in finetuning a patent application to ensure that the patent will fit their needs,” Verdijck says. “It is great to see such a development.”

The expertise and dedication of the patent attorneys at Arnold & Siedsma Leeuwarden have been crucial for obtaining and valorizing IP rights. “Let’s keep the cooperation going and hit the next milestone” says Meulepas, “100 Wetsus inventions that have been taken up by our company partners for further commercialization.”