Design protection is a cornerstone of a product’s value, whether tangible or intangible. A registered design helps a company stand out in the market, licence or sell its design as an asset, and stop copycats — while giving investors the assurance that what they back is unique and protected. For many businesses, design protection is a strategically important tool for growth and competitiveness.

Yet across Europe this potential remains unevenly used: registrations are dominated by larger companies, while SMEs, independent designers and design studios — who have just as much to gain — often leave their work unprotected. With the modernised EU design framework in force since 1 July 2026, including new possibilities for digital and dynamic designs, and with the growing role of AI in the creative process, there has never been a more important moment to make the value of design protection tangible and accessible to the whole design community.