United Kingdom: Trade Secrets

As artificial intelligence transforms ingredient discovery across pharmaceuticals, food, and biotechnology, companies face a critical challenge: when multiple organizations contribute data, AI models, and expertise to create new molecules and insights, who controls the resulting intellectual property? The answer requires rethinking traditional IP frameworks to account for datasets, model improvements, and experimental knowledge that may prove more valuable than the initial products themselves.

When key employees with access to proprietary technology and trade secrets depart for competitors, employers face significant risks of confidential information misappropriation. The recent case of Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd v Ngoma demonstrates how imaging orders can preserve critical evidence from devices and cloud accounts, while also revealing the careful balance courts strike between protecting legitimate business interests and respecting employee rights during the disclosure process.

Intellectual property (IP) is one of the most valuable assets for aerospace and defence SMEs, yet it's often an area that gets easily overlooked.