"Lakeside Saturday" Session II: Seizing the IP First Move to Secure the Winning Position in Global Expansion

On July 25, the second session of the "Lakeside Saturday" Intellectual Property Lecture Series was successfully held. The event was hosted by the Suzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation (Intellectual Property Office), organized by the China Intellectual Property Training Center (Yangtze River Delta) Practice Base, and co-organized by Suzhou Industrial Park Library. More than 60 participants attended the training, including core decision-makers from enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region, representatives from relevant municipal departments, and officials from the Municipal Administration.

Strategy Before Action: IP Must Be "Loaded" Before Going Global

Amid the surging tide of globalization, "going global" is far more than buying a ticket abroad. From technology controls in developed markets to compliance barriers in emerging economies, from patent "minefields" to trademark squatting — every step an enterprise takes overseas may land on an IP chessboard already laid out by others. Many companies have seen success in their overseas operations but find themselves constrained at the IP checkpoint, facing consequences ranging from financial losses to complete market exit. More critically, international competition in cutting-edge fields such as AI chips and integrated circuits has escalated from market competition to rule-making competition. A half-step delay in overseas patent layout renders even the most advanced products difficult to penetrate the market. Intellectual property is not a decorative accessory for going global; it is a defensive fortification for claiming territory — early movers build moats, while latecomers find themselves constrained at every turn.

A New Paradigm for Going Global: Strategic Global Layout in the Digital Era

As the first company to reach a trillion-yuan market capitalization since the launch of the STAR Market, Hu Shuai, Vice President and Head of Intellectual Property at Cambricon Technologies Corporation, delivered a presentation titled "Overseas IP Protection and Portfolio Strategy in the Digital Era." He systematically analyzed the current landscape and challenges of the AI chip and integrated circuit industries, offering a sharp assessment: amid intensifying global technological competition, enterprises must abandon the passive model of "go global first, plan IP later" and instead adopt a "priority-driven" strategic approach, precisely identifying technological challenges and competitive risks in target markets.

How to put this into practice? Drawing on Cambricon's hands-on experience and relevant case studies, Hu Shuai laid out a multi-dimensional framework — from building a patent portfolio capable of both offense and defense, to developing region-specific strategies, to establishing a dynamic risk early-warning mechanism. The result was a practical "battle map for going global" that unfolded before the audience. The statement — "IP strategy must be deeply integrated with business strategy" — resonated strongly with the entrepreneurs in attendance.

Strategic Thinking for the Long Term: From Compliance Safeguard to Strategic Engine

In the second half of the session, Liu Yongping, Dean of the 426 Talent Development Institute and Vice President of IPR Daily, served as the panel moderator, engaging in an in-depth discussion with Hu Shuai on the theme of "Strategic Synergy and Global Breakthrough." The conversation centered on how intellectual property can be genuinely integrated into corporate globalization strategies and how compliance barriers can be overcome. The exchange between the two speakers was filled with sharp insights. Hu Shuai emphasized that global patent portfolio development serves as the strategic cornerstone of international competition, and that enterprises expanding overseas must establish FTO (Freedom to Operate) analysis, making risk avoidance a non-negotiable "bottom line." In response to the transformations brought by the AI era, he made a pointed observation — intellectual property must evolve from a compliance function of the legal department into a true "CEO-level priority." Liu Yongping, approaching the issue from a foundational perspective, highlighted a key point: the essence of intellectual property is to serve the development of commercial civilization. Only by making IP a core component of strategic decision-making can enterprises navigate global competition with stability and long-term success.

Source: Yuanzhihui