1. Context

The missions entrusted to companies' Research and Development (R&D) departments are often unclear, even though they are of paramount importance to industry, as they lead to innovation. The notions of R&D and innovation are often confused, even though R&D precedes innovation and enables the latter to take place. This confusion is often the source of problems when it comes to legal protection, as most players only think of protecting the final purpose of their invention, rather than what lies upstream.

R&D clusters enable companies to continuously progress and innovate, to grow and ensure their profitability. These clusters encompass a range of activities, which increase knowledge in dedicated fields, and use it to develop new applications. As its name suggests, R&D is divided into two types of activity:

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