Building the Future of LESI Together!

This article was originally published as a LESI Member letter at April 17, 2025.

Dear LESI Members, Dear Friends

As we approach the end of my presidency, it is time to reflect on our collective achievements and set our sights on the future we are building—together. This year has been nothing short of transformational—for LESI as an organization, and for me personally.

With the adoption of our new Vision and Mission and the establishment of clear priorities, we have empowered the entire LESI community to move forward with shared purpose: to raise our visibility, engage members and stakeholders, and strengthen our financial foundation through a diversified funding model.

I truly believe we have elevated LESI to a new level—both in how we are seen externally and in how we communicate who we are, what we do, and how we collaborate. We’ve established LESI as a global focal point in the conversation around commercialization and IP. Our communications are now more structured, consistent, and professional, with national societies actively leveraging both our new website and their own channels. Many of our members are recognized as thought leaders in their fields. LES Nouvelles continues to serve as a respected platform for expert insight, and our LES-branded training programs have gained significant momentum.

This boost in visibility is the result of shared effort and dedication from across the organization—and it’s something we must continue to build on.

Increased Engagement

Over the past year, we’ve also worked hard to engage and activate our members and stakeholders, with a clear emphasis on bringing in industry voices. I have received an outpouring of positive feedback from our industry partners who value the networking, insights, and thought leadership LESI provides. Today, LESI is where it should be: at the heart of industry-relevant dialogue. We’ve earned this role by listening to the needs of our industry stakeholders and providing a balanced, impartial platform for vital discussions.

Our industry meetings in Madrid, Beijing, Santiago, and São Paulo, as well as successful industry delegation visits to China and Brazil, have validated our working model and attracted new in-house experts and companies to LESI. These connections are not one-off encounters—they represent growing expectations and a call for us to continue delivering high-value engagements.

Increased Collaboration

Beyond industry, we’ve also deepened collaboration with key global stakeholders. As an international top-tier professional organization, LESI has strengthened its partnerships with WIPO and the EPO. The High-Growth Technology Business (HTB) program with the EPO continues to support SMEs across Europe. And in partnership with WIPO, along with the Chilean and Brazilian Patent Offices (INAPI and INPI), we launched the LATAM IP Summit—a two-week initiative that brought together diverse players in the region’s innovation ecosystem. A Memorandum of Understanding with the Brazilian PTO is now laying the foundation for a long-term action plan.

In March, we proudly released the Special Edition of LES Nouvelles on Standard Essential Patents (SEPs). This edition brought together leading voices from business, law, and policy to provide a balanced and insightful perspective on a critical topic in the IP landscape. This edition was widely recognized and valued. Going forward, our newly formed SEP Committee will coordinate international SEP-related initiatives and keep LESI at the forefront of this important conversation.

Increased Sponsorship

Our growing visibility and stronger engagement have not gone unnoticed. We’ve attracted new sponsors at both the global and national levels and laid the groundwork for long-term partnerships through initiatives like our Thought Leadership Program and LES Nouvelles. These efforts are beginning to generate sustainable funding for LESI—funding that will enable us to fulfill our mission for years to come.

As we look to the future, I want to emphasize the importance of continuity. The momentum we have built this year is not an endpoint—it is a strong foundation for what comes next. I deeply appreciate President-Elect Jean-Christophe Troussel’s and the next in-coming President Elect Ningling Wang’s commitment to continuity and their strategic approach of planning LESI’s activities on a rolling three-year basis. This ensures that our efforts don’t exist in isolation, but as part of a larger, thoughtful journey toward long-term impact. I am confident that under their leadership, LESI will continue to grow and thrive.

Finally, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. Your encouragement, your participation, your trust—it has meant the world to me. Without your support, I would not have succeeded in this role. Together, we’ve built something meaningful. Serving as your President has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life, and I look forward to continuing to serve LESI in the years to come.

With gratitude and optimism,

Sonja London

President

LES International 2024-2025