New research: the real barriers stopping e-textiles scaling to production
Peer-reviewed research led by WearNex founder Michael John Lynch reveals the real barriers to scaling e-textile production and the fixes that actually help.
Invention & IP
Technical invention development and coordination with appropriate IP professionals.
What it is
Identifying what's genuinely patentable in a wearable or e-textile development, preparing invention disclosures, and working with patent attorneys to protect it properly. This is backed by the technical know-how to spot what's actually novel, not just what looks new on paper — a distinction that matters especially in a field where combining off-the-shelf components can still infringe existing patents.
Problems this solves
- Assuming that combining existing components isn't patentable, when it can be
- Prior art buried in a team's own published research going unnoticed until it blocks commercialisation
- Generalist IP advice that doesn't have the technical depth to assess a wearable or e-textile invention properly
- Invention disclosures written without input from someone who understands the underlying engineering
How we work
- Review the technology for what's genuinely novel, from a working technical understanding of the field
- Prepare invention disclosures with the technical detail a patent attorney needs
- Coordinate directly with patent attorneys through the filing process
- Flag freedom-to-operate risks against known prior art in the wearable and e-textile space
Who it's for
- Startups and academic spinouts commercialising research
- Companies developing genuinely novel wearable or e-textile technology
- Teams who need a technical read before engaging patent counsel
- Businesses assessing freedom-to-operate before launch
Related Work & Insights
Building something that combines electronics and textiles?
Tell us where you are in the process, from a sketch through to a product ready for manufacture. No obligation, and no question too early.