The in-house effect, without the full-time price tag
In a series of blog posts, Marco Coolen offers a glimpse into his work as a Dutch and European patent attorney at AOMB.
Published on January 11, 2026
Marco, a patent attorney at AOMB since 2013, shares his expertise on IO+ about patents—how they work, why they matter, and when they lose their value.
If your company produces a steady stream of innovations, you may find yourself dreaming of it: a patent attorney on the payroll. Always available, technically savvy, and closely involved with your R&D. Large companies can afford that luxury. They build patent portfolios as if it’s business as usual.
But what if your company isn’t at that scale (yet)? What if you have a strong innovation pipeline but lack the budget for a full-time specialist? No worries. You can still achieve the in-house effect - without adding a permanent salary, and at a fraction of the cost.
What do we mean by the in-house effect?
When a patent attorney regularly operates close to your R&D team, something interesting happens. Ideas are spotted earlier. Inventions are formulated more sharply. The timing of patent filings aligns better with product development and market launches. And your team gradually starts thinking more strategically about IP.
This dynamic rarely leads to more patents but almost always to better ones. More focused. More strategic. More valuable.
Have the scale? Then in-house can make sense
If your company files multiple patent applications every year and operates across several technical domains, it may make sense to bring someone on board permanently, or even build a small internal IP team. In that case, patent strategy becomes an integral part of your innovation strategy.
But that requires volume, continuity, and structure.
Not there yet? Smart alternatives exist
A surprisingly effective middle ground is to appoint one of your R&D engineers as an IP lead. Choose someone who is curious, can write well, and understands your technology. That person becomes the link between the idea and the application. The investment is modest, communication lines are short, and you stay in control.
Another strong option: have a patent attorney join your team on-site one day a week. Not as a distant advisor, but as someone working alongside your developers. Even that single day can make a big difference — earlier identification of protectable ideas, sharper strategic choices, and immediate feedback on what is (and isn’t) worth patenting.
We see this model working exceptionally well in practice. Patent quality improves, speed increases, and teams become more IP-aware — without the cost of a full-time position.
Align your approach with your innovation pipeline
Whichever route you choose - in-house, hybrid, or external - ensure it aligns with your innovation rhythm. How many ideas do you generate? How often do true inventions emerge? In which technical fields? What do you want to protect, and why?
A patent strategy only works if it moves in step with your ambitions. Not more patents for the sake of it, but the right patents at the right time.
That’s how you build strong, focused protection for your innovation power — step by step, and without blowing your budget.