Innovators, creators and entrepreneurs from across North Wales are invited to attend the official launch of the North Wales Patent Library at M-SParc.
The new service will join the UK's PatLib network; a network of Patent Libraries staffed by trained Intellectual Property (IP) advisors who provide practical support and guidance on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including patents, trademarks, copyright and design protection.
M-SParc will become the UK's 25th PatLib and the first in North Wales, offering bilingual support and guidance to businesses, start-ups, SMEs, researchers and innovators across North Wales and beyond.
The launch comes at a time of growing focus on innovation-led economic growth across North Wales, with increasing opportunities emerging in IP-rich sectors such as technology, energy, research and advanced industries. The new PatLib service aims to better protect, develop and commercialise ideas locally, helping innovators understand how to protect and unlock the full value of their IP within their organisation.
The launch event on Wednesday, June 4 will bring together businesses, professionals, researchers and stakeholders from across Wales to celebrate the opening of the service. Representatives from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), which supports the PatLib network across the UK, will also attend.
The programme will explore how PatLib services can support research, development and commercial growth, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. The event will also feature a panel discussion focusing on support available to innovators, creators and start-ups.
Pryderi ap Rhisiart, Managing Director of M-SParc, said:
“North Wales is entering an exciting period of growth and opportunity across sectors including energy, technology and research, and it's important that businesses and innovators in the region have access to the right support to protect and maximise the value of their ideas.
“Over recent years, we've worked to strengthen conversations around intellectual property through initiatives such as World Intellectual Property Day and Wales Enterprise Day, helping businesses better understand the importance of protecting and commercialising innovation.
“Becoming the first PatLib in North Wales is a significant milestone for M-SParc and for the wider region, and we're proud to be able to provide accessible, bilingual intellectual property support here in North Wales.”
The IPO's Director of Enforcement, Business, and International Natasha Chick said:
“This is a genuinely exciting milestone for innovation support across Wales. The Intellectual Property Office is delighted to welcome M-SParc to the UK's PatLib network as the 25th Patent Library – and the very first in North Wales.
“Established businesses, start-ups, and researchers in North Wales will now have access to expert, locally-based IP guidance to help them protect and grow their ideas. That kind of hands-on support can make a real difference, particularly for SMEs where access to the right IP advice at the right time can be crucial.
“The PatLib network plays a vital role in helping businesses and individuals looking to grow and unlock the full value of their innovation, and we are thrilled that North Wales now has its own home in that network. We look forward to seeing the difference it makes across the region and beyond.”
Intellectual property barrister, mediator and arbitrator Jane Lambert (NIPC Law) added:
“The announcement of the launch of the North Wales Patent Library gives me considerable personal satisfaction because I have been canvassing for M-SParc to provide the resources offered by the PatLib libraries for as long as I have known the science park.
“The PatLib libraries elsewhere in the UK have been catalysts of business formation and innovation. They hold classes, exhibitions, lectures and meetings on everything from simple bookkeeping to patent licensing. From 4 June 2026, M-SParc will be part of that network. The opportunities for its tenants and indeed businesses of all descriptions throughout North West Wales will be boundless.”
The launch event is free to attend, but registration is required. Register via Eventbrite – patlib.eventbrite.co.uk
