At PONS IP, Nuria Marcos is leading a quiet revolution: turning the protection of trademarks, patents and ideas into the driving force that will position Spain at the forefront of the digital economy and artificial intelligence.

As General Manager of PONS IP, Nuria Marcos is leading the transformation of this global consulting firm specialising in intellectual property. Under her leadership, the company has consolidated its leadership in trademark and patent protection in the EU, incorporating pioneering technological solutions in the sector, such as Safe Evidence and ALERTA, among others.

A recognised expert in innovation, technology transfer and intellectual property, Nuria analyses key issues in Muy Interesante to boost R&D&I activity in our country and how to leverage the advent of the digital economy and artificial intelligence to improve the competitiveness of our business sector.

What do you consider to be the main obstacles for Spanish SMEs and start-ups when it comes to turning their developments into profitable products or services?

Spanish SMEs and start-ups face a lack of funding, a weak culture of protecting intangible assets, and difficulty scaling up. Given that these three obstacles are interconnected, the challenge is not only to innovate, but also to ensure that innovation serves a clear business strategy and to provide suitable protection for results through intellectual property, which facilitates market entry and improves the competitiveness of the company that has developed it.

In your opinion, what specific policies or measures would help to correct this imbalance and promote effective technology transfer?

Spain generates knowledge, but does not capitalise on it because it does not protect it sufficiently. There is an urgent need to promote policies that encourage the protection of innovation, such as specific aid for patents, IP training from an early stage, and programmes that link research with effective technology transfer.

“We are committed to an Intellectual Property that positions Spain as a key player in global technological geopolitics”

What successful initiatives or models have you observed that could serve as inspiration?

The promotion of public-private partnership models is essential in Spain, since a large part of the knowledge is generated in universities, public innovation centres and hospitals, from where this knowledge is unable to reach the market without the support of large companies and the impetus of start-ups that can validate technologies and business models, and with an institutional push for leveraging funds. The key is to bring together scientific talent, entrepreneurial vision and institutional support to generate a real impact on reindustrialisation and competitiveness.

How do you see Spain’s progression towards greater technological sovereignty and what role should intellectual property play in this process?

Spain is moving towards greater technological sovereignty in sectors such as biotechnology, AI and mobility. Intellectual property is a strategic catalyst in this process, as highlighted in the report by the COTEC Foundation, which we collaborated on, emphasising its role in our country’s technological autonomy and industrial development. At PONS IP, we promote public-private partnership spaces and advocate policies that encourage the generation of proprietary technology, the protection of critical assets and the retention of rights in European hands. We are committed to an IP that not only protects but also positions Spain as a key player in global technological geopolitics.

How does PONS IP structure this strategic approach so that patents become tools of real value for clients?

At PONS IP, we work with our clients from the outset to align the protection of their assets with their business objectives. A patent gains value when it is part of a strategy that considers its exploitation, defence and monetisation. That is why we combine legal advice on intellectual property with technology and innovation consulting.

What lessons can you share about this transformation and its impact on profitability and internal culture?

Digital transformation has been key to our growth. We automate processes, launch legaltech tools, and evolve towards global consulting. This has improved operational efficiency and strengthened our internal culture, which is focused on innovation, collaboration and added value for the client.

How are clients responding to these solutions? What role do they play in accessing strategic intellectual property services?

Clients particularly value solutions such as STM, Safe Evidence and Alerta for their accessibility, agility and ability to protect strategic assets. These tools democratise access to intellectual property services and enable companies of all sizes to manage their rights with a strategic vision.

How do you train your team and educate your clients to focus on this?

We train our team to identify what is strategic as opposed to what is merely administrative, and we try to identify and make clients aware of the enormous value of their intangible assets and how intellectual property can be a competitive advantage and a source of income for their business. The key, in our case, is precisely that: supporting companies with business vision.

How is PONS IP preparing its strategy in the face of the new legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence, especially with regard to the protection of intellectual property rights?

AI poses unprecedented challenges for intellectual property, from the use of protected works in model training to the authorship and exclusivity of the exploitation of generated content. Although less well known, this revolution is also impacting intellectual property such as patents, designs, literary and artistic works, etc. In 2023 alone, AI-based patents skyrocketed to more than 120,000 worldwide, representing an increase of more than 3000% since 2013, according to WIPO. The widespread use of AI-related technologies will also transform established concepts in IP. This is something that is already happening, but it is a consequence of the digital economy, not just AI. At PONS IP, we address this complexity from a legal and strategic perspective through our Technology Consulting Department, where we combine legal knowledge with strategies for the development and technology transfer of these innovations through intellectual property. Anthropic’s recent agreement to compensate authors for the use of their works sets an important precedent. We are committed to solutions that balance innovation and protection, anticipating regulatory scenarios and offering specialised advice to our clients.

How do you assess the real impact of these initiatives on the Spanish business and education sectors?

Training initiatives in health and other sectors have had a real impact on raising awareness of intellectual property. Promoting this culture through education and business is key to ensuring that innovative talent translates into protected and valued assets. Thus, for the first time, a company in the sector has managed to launch Scale Lab, a project we launched in 2024 together with Fundación PONS with the support of the Community of Madrid, where we seek precisely that real approach to the most innovative companies and SMEs and those that intellectual property can help to grow, scale up and, ultimately, be more competitive.

Article published in Muy Interesante magazine, November 2025 edition. You can access the original content here