Supporting SMEs' IP capabilities: Impact study of INPI pre-diagnosis through the use of the AIDA approach

This article aims to evaluate the impact of a regional SME IP support programme in France led by the INPI (National Institute of IP) and the Lorraine regional government. The panel includes 150 regional SMEs. The data were collected through the use of the AIDA approach and a data analysis was carried out, including principal components analysis (PCA) and a hierarchical ascending classification (HAC). The data analysis shows that the INPI pre-diagnosis allowed enterprises to progress in their IP-management. The knowledge of IP and its issues increase very significantly and appear to influence the IP-related management of the companies studied.