Some of my most interesting patent conversations in 2026 took place thousands of miles from the places we traditionally associate with innovation.

Other conversations challenged how I think about artificial intelligence and the changing landscape of international patent protection.

As we move through the final quarter of 2026, three observations stand out. Each has its own implications for inventors, businesses, investors, and anyone responsible for protecting valuable technology.

Great Innovation Doesn’t Need a Famous Zip Code

When people think about groundbreaking inventions, their minds often turn to Apple, Google, Pfizer, or the next Silicon Valley success story.

Innovation doesn’t have a geographic monopoly.

During my visit to Kuwait in February, I met inventors and entrepreneurs developing technologies supported by thoughtful, realistic business plans. I was impressed not only by their scientific ideas, but by their attention to turning those ideas into commercial opportunities.

It reinforced something I have witnessed throughout my career: some of the most promising inventions come from individuals and early-stage companies operating well outside the traditional innovation centers.

That raises an interesting business question:

How many potentially valuable technologies are being overlooked because we are looking for innovation in the same familiar places?

For inventors, the challenge is not simply developing something new. It is recognizing its commercial potential, protecting it appropriately, and finding the right partners to bring it to market.

For investors and established companies, perhaps it is time to broaden the search.

The AI Question Has Changed

A year ago, many of my AI conversations started with a familiar question:

“Are you using AI?”

Today, that conversation sounds different.

“How are you using AI?”

“Which AI tools are actually improving your business?”

Those are very different questions. There’s a shift from experimentation toward implementation.

As AI becomes more integrated into business operations and technology development, another conversation needs to happen:

What are we doing to protect the intellectual property and commercial value associated with AI-assisted work?

Consider the questions businesses increasingly need to address: Who controls confidential information used with AI systems? What rights exist in the resulting technology? How will AI affect research collaborations, licensing agreements, and future patent filings?

AI may help companies move faster, but speed without an accompanying IP strategy can introduce risks that are not immediately obvious.

The question is no longer just whether AI can help your business.  It is whether your business understands what it may be creating, sharing, and potentially exposing in the process.

The EPO’s Unified Patent Court Is Changing the Conversation

When the Unified Patent Court (UPC) began operating in June 2023, many patent professionals were understandably cautious. Would it work as intended? Would companies embrace it? Would the advantages outweigh the potential risks?

Based on my conversations throughout 2026, that initial wait-and-see attitude appears to be changing. More practitioners and companies are treating the UPC as a serious strategic option for European patent enforcement and validity challenges.

The ability to pursue certain patent disputes through a centralized system across participating countries creates opportunities that did not previously exist in the same form. Those opportunities come with important decisions.

A centralized forum may make enforcement more efficient but also creates the possibility of broader consequences if a patent is successfully challenged.

For companies doing business internationally, this isn’t simply a procedural development. It can influence where they seek protection, how they assess enforcement risk, and how they structure international patent portfolios.

The question is no longer whether the UPC matters. It is how the UPC should influence your European patent strategy.

What These Three Observations Have in Common

At first glance, emerging inventors in Kuwait, AI adoption, and European patent litigation may appear to be unrelated subjects.

I see a common thread.

Innovation is emerging from more places. Technology is changing how companies develop and commercialize ideas. The systems used to protect those ideas are evolving.

Businesses cannot afford to treat intellectual property as something to address only after an invention is completed. It needs to be part of the conversation immediately.

As we approach 2027, I am particularly interested in how these developments will influence commercialization, licensing, and international patent strategy.

What changes are you seeing in your industry, and is your IP strategy keeping pace?

I welcome conversations with companies, inventors, and advisors considering how these developments may affect their business decisions.

–  Joshua B. Goldberg, Co-Managing Partner