According to the WIPO, technologies related to software and AI accounted for more than 500,000 patent applications worldwide in 2024.
The new unit will be headed by Pablo Estebaranz Ruiz, an electronics engineer and European Patent Attorney (EPA)with over 18 years of experience.
This unit, together with the Technology Consulting Department launched in 2024, consolidates PONS IP’s leadership in the design of comprehensive innovation strategies to protect deep tech, AI and software technologies, with a team of 40 professionals.
PONS IP, a global consulting firm specialising in intellectual property, new technologies and innovation, has announced the launch of a new unit within its Patent Department dedicated specifically to the protection of innovations based on software, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. This new unit thus strengthens its capacity to support companies and organisations operating in sectors focusing on innovation and disruptive technologies at a global level.
This pioneering initiative in the sector, in collaboration with the Technological Innovation Consulting Unit established in 2024, enables PONS IP to strengthen its leadership in the sector with a multidisciplinary team of 40 professionals: patent technicians, experts in IPR management and protection strategy, valuation of intangible assets and trade secrets, lawyers specialising in offering legal advice on innovation, as well as in monitoring and competitive intelligence. Its aim is to provide a comprehensive service to companies, technology centres and organisations that develop solutions based on advanced software, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
At the helm of this new unit, which forms part of the Patents, Technological Development and Innovation Department headed by Ana Herrera, the intellectual property consulting firm appointed Pablo Estebaranz Ruiz, a European Patent Attorney (EPA) who hasover 18 years of experience in industrial property and a solid track record in protecting complex technological innovations involving software, artificial intelligence, electronics, quantum computing and computer-implemented inventions. Throughout his career, Estebaranz has advised national and international clients on the drafting, filing and defence of patents before the European Patent Office, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) and other international patent offices.
Technical and legal approach from the Patent Department at PONS IP
This new unit at PONS IP has been established with a primarily technical and legal approach. As part of the Patent Department at PONS IP, it will collaborate with the Technological Innovation Consulting Unit to design comprehensive, cross-cutting strategies for the protection of software and emerging technologies, responding to growing demand within the sector for effective, global protection solutions for these types of complex innovations.
Consequently, its main activities will focus on analysing the patentability of computer-implemented inventions (CII), artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced algorithms; designing combined protection strategies using patents and trade secrets; defending rights before the main national and international offices; and the strategic management of industrial property portfolios aligned with new technology-based business models.
As Nuria Marcos, General Manager of PONS IP, explains, “the rapid growth of software, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies means that the protection of these developments must be elevated to a strategic level.” “It’s not just a matter of registering rights, but of designing a protection framework that is aligned with innovation, business and existing regulations”.
For her part, Ana Herrera, Director of Patents, Technological Development and Innovation, notes: “competitive pressure and the sharp rise in applications in fields such as AI and quantum computing make it essential to have highly specialised teams. Robust, well-designed protection is now a critical factor in turning technology into a competitive advantage and business value”.
Pablo Estebaranz, head of the new Unit, states that “the Patent Department at PONS IP has a highly specialised team with a proven track record in protecting complex technologies, which places us at the forefront in the fields of software, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. This new unit has been set up specifically to strengthen this technical and legal expertise and to work in close collaboration with the Technological Innovation Consulting Unit, combining advanced protection with a strategic vision to support clients throughout the entire life cycle of their innovation.”
The rise of software, AI and quantum technologies reshapes the protection strategy
The PONS IP initiative responds to the sustained growth of this type of development worldwide, in addition to the increasing legal and strategic complexity involved in ensuring their proper protection, as demanded by innovative companies. According to the latest official figures available, software and artificial intelligence now play a decisive role in the patent system. In 2024, software-related technologies accounted for over 13% of patent applications worldwide according to the WIPO, with nearly 500,000 applications, while software dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI) now accounts for half of that significant volume of patent applications worldwide.
At the same time, quantum technologies are advancing at an unprecedented pace, particularly in computing, with around 10,000 patent families projected by 2024 according to the EPO, and growth that has increased fivefold over the last decade.
