Case Studies

Intelligent Textiles

Intelligent Textiles was formed by Brunel University Research Fellow, Asha Peta Thompson and Brunel lecturer, Stan Swallow. Asha and Stan started working together, researching and designing products for people with disabilities, in the University’s ”Design for Life” Centre.

Asha, a weaver and knitter by trade, combined her design and fabric knowhow with Stan’s knowledge of electronics to produce a sensory fabric which allowed people with cerebral palsy to access a computer, which knows where, how and when it’s being touched.

The University filed a patent for the product, which it subsequently owned. However the University was also looking at the viability of the Centre, and redundancies loomed.  In any event, after several years of working within the University, Asha and Stan felt they had taken their research and development as far as they could within a University, and looked into becoming an independent company. 

The Strategy

The team realised in order to further develop their product they would have to buy the intellectual property from the University. This was a lengthy process, but Asha and Stan successfully managed the negotiations which saw them take ownership of the patent, allowing them to set up on their own. Their negotiation tactics included flagging up to the University that without Asha and Stan’s know-how, ongoing development on the core technology, as described in the patent, would be very difficult!

Asha and Stan undertook a number of name and trade mark clearance searches and checks to ensure their chosen company name and trade mark were available. They subsequently registered “Intelligent Textiles,” as a company name and protected their ownership of it by registering it as a trademark. The pair have since been approached by a number of other organisations looking to buy the name, which has highlighted the importance of their foresight!

Stan involved himself heavily in a search for a patent agent for the new company, as they were keen to find the right one who had empathy with textile products.

Patent protection was high up Asha and Stan’s agenda. Asha said, “No potential partners or licensees were interested unless we could show them that we had patent protection. Patents add an additional layer of security and protection and are a good way of clarifying and ring-fencing for people exactly what they are buying into.”

Asha and Stan appreciate that, both individually and collectively, their knowledge is one of the company’s most valuable assets, and it is essential for them to protect this knowhow and retain all manufacturing knowledge. They have managed to do this in a number of ways, such as only working with one selected manufacturer and under a confidentiality agreement, to ensure that as few people as possible are aware of the manufacturing and design processes involved in producing Intelligent Textiles’ products.

They also only carry out manufacturing projects after contracts have been signed by both Intelligent Textiles and their clients, to ensure all the company’s specialist knowhow is kept safe.

Asha and Stan also insist that no manufacturing is carried out unless one of them is present, thus always ensuring that they know exactly who has witnessed their manufacturing processes, and also ensuring that their products are manufactured to a quality that meets their satisfaction.

Asha said, “Stan and I both appreciate that by amalgamating two very different industries, we have produced a unique partnership and we need to protect our combined knowledge. Between us, Stan and I have a lot of very valuable knowledge, and protecting this was as much of a priority for us as protecting our company’s more formally recognised intellectual property.”

Asha and Stan are now at the stage where they are looking to grow Intelligent Textiles, and are keen to continue the company’s organic growth to date. Their brand is now gaining an enviable reputation for innovation and this attracts client comments as well as their loyalty. Intelligent Textiles regularly use and learn from any feedback they receive from users of their products and from manufacturers, and this knowledge will be fundamental to the continued growth of the company.

The Success

By combining two very different areas of specialist knowledge, Asha Peta Thompson and Stan Swallow have formed a unique partnership from which Intelligent Textiles has grown. Asha and Stan have protected the company’s market position by managing its intellectual assets such as protecting the company and brand names, and safeguarding its knowledge and manufacturing processes.

http://intelligenttextiles.com