This policy brief was created by OpenForum Europe as part of a series for the ALLPROS.EU project. It examines the evolving role of Intellectual Property (IP) management in the semiconductor industry, highlighting the transition from a purely protective function to a strategic and collaborative lever. It underscores how hybrid models, such as open architectures (e.g. RISC-V), cross-licensing agreements, and patent pools, can foster innovation, lower entry barriers, and enhance industrial resilience.
Traditionally regarded as a mechanism to protect innovation, IP has increasingly assumed a broader strategic role, functioning as both a competitive asset and a geopolitical instrument in a globally interconnected and fast-evolving market.
In light of rapid technological cycles and complex interdependencies across the semiconductor value chain, the brief argues that traditional IP protection models are no longer sufficient to secure sustainable competitive advantages. Instead, new hybrid approaches are emerging that combine elements of protection and openness. These include open architectures such as RISC-V, cross-licensing frameworks, and patent pools, all of which contribute to fostering collaboration, accelerating innovation, and reducing barriers to market entry.
Importantly, the brief highlights that such models do not imply relinquishing control over proprietary assets. On the contrary, they enable firms to leverage IP more strategically by integrating it into broader innovation ecosystems. Empirical examples (including the adoption of RISC-V by major industry players and national initiatives) demonstrate how openness can coexist with proprietary strategies, ultimately enhancing technological development and industrial competitiveness.
From a European perspective, the analysis acknowledges the existence of a robust and multi-layered IP protection system, combining national and EU-level instruments. However, it also identifies key challenges, particularly for start-ups and SMEs, which often face difficulties in effectively valorising and enforcing their IP assets. This limits their capacity to fully participate in and benefit from innovation ecosystems.
To address these issues, the policy brief outlines several policy recommendations:
- Harmonising legal frameworks to ensure greater clarity and consistency, particularly regarding open hardware licensing;
strengthening IP-related skills and expertise across the entire semiconductor value chain;
- Supporting a more proactive European role in global standard-setting processes and in the development of open architectures;
- Promoting collaborative models that balance protection with knowledge sharing.
Overall, the brief advocates for the development of a more cooperative and resilient European ecosystem, in which IP is not only used to safeguard innovation but also to enable its diffusion and multiplication. Such an approach is presented as essential to reinforcing Europe’s industrial capacity and technological sovereignty in the semiconductor domain.
Lead authors: Matilde Serrau & Sivan Pätsch
Disclaimer
ALLPROS.eu has received funding from the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme (DEP), under Grant Agreement No. 101083947. The content of this document does not represent the opinion of the European Union, and the European Union is not responsible for any use that might be made of such content.
The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
