Announced today: the 2026 IP Awareness Summit® will be held on April 23rd in partnership with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), one of the nation’s leading science and technology learning centers.
It is the first time the the Center for IP Understanding (CIPU) event will be held in a public science and industry center with leading presenters from tech, business and law and will feature more than 25 leaders in invention, content creation and distribution, entrepreneurship, finance, law and education. They will gather at COSI in Columbus to present, discuss and share new developments in IP rights, AI use, digital literacy, investment and more.
CIPU is speaking to leading IP owners and experts, including the Ohio State University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, one of the largest programs of its kind, and U.S. Starlab Space, a low earth orbit commercial
space station currently under development through a joint venture between the U.S. company Voyager Technologies and European company Airbus. Starlab is partially funded by Mitsubishi Corporation and NASA, with strategic partners including Palantir Technologies, Ohio State University and Hilton.
Nine-Time Emmy Award Winner
“COSI is excited to be working with CIPU to present the 2026 IP Awareness Summit,” said Dr. Frederic Bertley, COSI CEO and a nine-time Emmy Award-winning immunologist for his work conveying importance of science and technology. Dr. B, as he is known, has a deep understanding of the importance of intellectual property awareness.
“IPAS provides professionals, creators, educators, lawyers, policymakers and students an understanding of the critical IP business stories beyond the legal ones, including those that drive AI, IT and life sciences.”
IPAS 2026 will expand on that tradition with leading speakers, timely topics in a unique and conducive setting for panel and breakout discussions. The ability to exchange ideas and share information freely is at the foundation of IPAS success and COSI’s mission. 2026 will be the 9th IP Awareness Summit.
Networking and breakout sessions will give speakers and attendees an opportunity to participate in facilitator-led discussion and break bread together. Among the museum’s traveling exhibits at that time will be an IP-relevant one, “The Science Behind Pixar.” Pixar is owned by Walt Disney Studios.
“IPAS provides professionals, creators, educators, lawyers, policymakers and students an understanding of the critical IP business stories beyond the legal ones, including those that drive AI, IT and life sciences.”
In addition to two keynotes, five panels and 25 speakers, breakout sessions, there will be a tour of COSI’s 320,000-foot facility, networking opportunities, a lite lunch and a wine and beer reception. Add IPAS to you calendar and watch the IPAS event website for announcements about agenda, speakers, partners and registration. Go here for direct Eventbrite registration access.
Past IP Summits have been held in conjunction with Dolby Labs in San Francisco, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business (twice), Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (twice), the Segal Design Institute, Columbia University, Northeastern University and the Chicago-Kent College of Law with Illinois Institute of Technology.
About COSI
The Center of Science and Industry is a nationally recognized science center established in the 1960s that inspires interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). COSI delivers “hands-on” learning and engages more than one million people annually through onsite, offsite, and online experiences.
At its 320,000 square foot facility located in Columbus, OH, COSI brings science to life through 300+ interactive experiences, nine galleries featuring world class traveling and permanent exhibitions, and a Planetarium. COSI’s award-winning educational outreach programs, which include IP awareness activities, touch over 300,000 students annually. COSI was named the #1 Science Museum in the nation multiple times by USA Today. https://cosi.org/
About CIPU
The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding is an independent nonprofit established in 2016 that raises awareness about the impact of IP rights on creators, businesses, and society. CIPU provides outreach a range of audiences to improve familiarity and promote sharing.
It holds events, such as the annual IP Awareness Summit®, curates IPBasics.org and IdeasMatter.com, both information portals, and produces ‘Understanding IP Matters,’ a top-rated IP podcast series in its fifth season. UIPM provides leading creators, entrepreneurs and industry experts a platform to share their IP story. understandingip.org.
Image source: COSI
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