For HEINEKEN, innovation is about much more than beer alone. The company continuously develops new products and processes, ranging from alcohol-free beer and draught systems to digital applications for breweries. V.O. helps HEINEKEN protect these innovations effectively by providing the right expertise at the right time.

"Beer has been around for thousands of years, but there is still plenty of room for innovation," says Sander Arendsen, patent attorney at HEINEKEN. "The focus has shifted over the years. Whereas innovation used to center on draught systems and engineering, today there is a much stronger emphasis on product innovation and digitalisation."

At its global R&D center in Zoeterwoude, HEINEKEN develops innovations that span the entire brewing process and multiple business disciplines—from raw materials to the finished product. These include the development of new yeast strains, improved filtration techniques and AI-driven solutions that optimise brewing processes across breweries worldwide.

Two recent examples are the Blade draught systemm—a compact draught beer system designed for bars, restaurants and sports clubs—and the development of alcohol-free draught beer. Arendsen explains: "It may sound straightforward, but serving alcohol-free beer on draught requires sophisticated solutions in both product development and dispensing technology. Innovations like these demonstrate just how much expertise and research lie behind an end product that consumers may take for granted."

Sander Arendsen, Patent Attorney at HEINEKEN

HEINEKEN regards intellectual property protection as a strategic tool. Patents not only protect its products and technologies but also create the freedom to innovate. For every innovation, the company assesses whether patent protection is appropriate, taking into account the market, the competitive landscape and the nature of the technology.

"We only seek protection for innovations that support our business strategy," says Arendsen. "Otherwise, a patent creates no value."

The patent attorney becomes involved at an early stage of the innovation process. Arendsen makes a point of working closely with researchers and developers—quite literally sitting among them. By listening to their discussions, he is able to identify potential inventions at an early stage.

"Close contact with researchers is incredibly valuable," he says. "They possess an enormous amount of knowledge and expertise and are so deeply immersed in the technology that they often find it difficult to imagine their work could be considered inventive. However, novelty and inventive step are legal tests. An innovation may well satisfy those requirements and therefore be patentable, even if the inventors themselves see it as an obvious development."

HEINEKEN has worked with V.O. for many years. The relationship goes far beyond the execution of patent work.

"V.O. is a trusted partner that thinks along with us and challenges me to make better decisions," says Arendsen. "They bring in specialist expertise whenever an innovation calls for it. As the only patent attorney at HEINEKEN, I simply can't do it all myself."

HEINEKEN's intellectual property team operates as a hybrid model. It consists of Arendsen as the company's in-house patent attorney, working alongside his colleagues in R&D and supported by specialists from V.O. Through this collaboration, V.O. provides expertise in areas such as (bio)chemistry, mechanical engineering and digital technologies, complementing HEINEKEN's in-house patent capabilities.

V.O. provides a full range of patent services, from identifying and protecting innovations at an early stage through to opposition proceedings and patent enforcement. Henri van Kalkeren, patent attorney at V.O., explains: "Because HEINEKEN's innovations are multidisciplinary in nature, we work together as one integrated team of patent attorneys."

Arendsen appreciates this way of working. "It's invaluable to have access to specialists who can join the team whenever their expertise is needed. Together with V.O., I'm right at the heart of the innovation process."

By combining in-house knowledge with external expertise and capacity, HEINEKEN is able not only to innovate, but also to protect its innovations strategically against competitors.