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The future of law, innovation and technology

Exploring the relationship between law, innovation and technology, and their impact on society's future

The FLITe research centre involves researchers and practitioners from the fields of intellectual property and emerging technologies law, innovation, sustainability, economics, artificial intelligence, data science and robotics.

Our core mission is knowledge transfer. We help the people and organisations that we work with, as well as broader society, to better understand the relationship between law, innovation and technology, and to discover how best to use this understanding for commercial benefit and societal impact. 

FLITe brings together a diverse and interconnected body of researchers from different faculties across the University of Portsmouth, as well as from other research intensive universities both in the UK and Europe. Our members also include industry facing personnel from technology transfer offices, and patent attorneys and patent examiners from leading law firms and NGOs including the European Patent Office. 

Our research includes:

  • Intellectual property law and the innovation life cycle 
  • Regulatory and legal governance of emerging technologies 
  • Global business sustainability and strategy 
  • The protection of personal data in cyberspace and high tech industries including fintech
  • The digital economy
  • The implications for intellectual property law of artificial intelligence 

Research highlights

We aim to develop outputs in:

  • Research — bringing together our expertise in law, innovation and technology to address the full spectrum of issues at the forefront of these disciplines
  • Education — by producing executive and professional development programmes that combine a comprehensive grounding in our core disciplines, along with a practical application to industry
  • Knowledge transfer — by partnering with organisations across industry, government and academia to support them in solving complex challenges using approaches and knowledge developed within FLITe

Active research projects

Embedding AI in wearable sensing device

Ju, Z., Liu, H., Zhou, D.

01/03/2024 → 30/10/2026

Publication highlights

2024

Sanctions in Arbitration and Lex Mercatoria Development

Zharikov, A.

5 Dec 2024, In: Transnational Dispute Management. 4, 15p.

Session context data integration to address the cold start problem in e-commerce recommender systems

Abdullahi, H., Bader-El-Den, M., Can, A. S., Esmeli, R.

1 Dec 2024, In: Decision Support Systems. 187, 11p., 114339

Christian perspectives on the regulation of posthumous medical data donation (PMDD): an empirical study

Pearce, H.

1 Nov 2024, In: Computer Law & Security Review . 55, 14p., 106052

Unsupervised method for detecting surface defects in steel based on joint optimisation of pseudo-labeling and clustering

Bai, D., Hao, Z., Jiang, D., Jiang, G., Ju, Z., Zhou, D.

1 Oct 2024, In: Measurement Science and Technology. 35, 10, 12p., 106131

Innovation for sustainable development goals: a comparative study of the obstacles and tactics in public organizations

Cinar, E., Demircioglu, M. A., Simms, C., Suchitwarasan, C.

27 Jun 2024, In: The Journal of Technology Transfer

The Equality Act 2010 - changes in 2024 including Brexit-related codification

Hand, J.

12 Jun 2024, In: International Journal of Discrimination and the Law. 24, 1-2, p. 19-32, 14p.

Balancing the autonomy and protection of children: competency challenges in data protection law

Buck, C., Pearce, H.

1 Jun 2024, In: Information & Communications Technology Law. 33, 2, p. 177-197

The social and environmental responsibility of informal artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana: an Akan philosophical perspective

Arthur-Holmes, F., Vazquez-Brust, D. A., Yakovleva, N.

1 Jun 2024, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 360, 29p., 121131

How cognitive bias prevents serendipity in new product development (and what to do about it)

Baxter, D., Ellwood, P., Trott, P.

30 May 2024, In: IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. 71, 13p.

Our members

Piratpal Singh Sekhon Portrait

Mr Joe Sekhon

Associate Head (Research and Innovation)

Joe.Sekhon@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Law School

Faculty of Business and Law

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Jeremy Richard Lockwood Howells Portrait

Professor Jeremy Howells

Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation & External Engagement)

jeremy.howells@port.ac.uk

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Henry Pearce Portrait

Media ready expert

Mr Henry Pearce

Senior Lecturer

Henry.Pearce@port.ac.uk

Portsmouth Law School

Faculty of Business and Law

PhD Supervisor

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Further members

  • Claire Dunning — University of Portsmouth Executive Director, Corporate Governance
  • Peter Aldred — University of Portsmouth Solicitor 
  • Pam Jones — Regional Development Manager, Research and Innovation Services University of Portsmouth
  • Chris Worrall — Innovation Director University of Portsmouth
  • Pat Smith — SME Business Unit Manager, Faculty of Business and Law, University of Portsmouth
  • Courtney Elkins — Business Support Coordinator, Faculty of Business and Law, University of Portsmouth

External members

  • Laurent Manderieux — Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Bocconi University 
  • Fredrik Edman — Patent Advisor and Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law, Lund University 
  • Georgia Tseliou — Patent Examiner Wireless Telecommunications, European Patent Office 
  • Benedikt Neuburger  — Partner: German and European Patent Attorney 
  • Vishv Pryia Kohli — Associate Professor of Intellectual Property Law 
  • Pratheeba Vimalnath — Lecturer in Innovation, Intellectual Property and Sustainability, Exeter University 
  • Peter Gottschalk — Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law, Lund University
  • Ulrika Wennersten — Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law, Lund University 
  • Charlotte Henderson — Co-Founder & CEO of RevoNA Ltd
  • Freya Piper — Trainee Solicitor, Capital Law Ltd
  • Julian Kothe - Senior Legal Counsel IP&IT, Siemens Energy

Contact us

To find out more about our work, contact our Research Centre Director Joe Sekhon on joe.sekhon@port.ac.uk.