Course on Patents and Intellectual Property in Armour
Online 300-hour course on patents and intellectual property in armour. 6 modules covering Patent Law 24/2015, Trade Secrets Law 1/2019 and PATENTSCOPE. Dedicated tutor and open enrolment.
Course on Patents and Intellectual Property in Armour — studying from Ireland
Ireland maintains a small defence force, the Defence Forces, which operates its own engineering corps and equipment maintenance capabilities. Defence procurement and development are handled through the Department of Defence, while much of the wider defence-related industrial activity involves dual-use technologies, electronics and communications systems supplied by domestic and international firms. Engineers in this area typically work on land vehicle maintenance, military communications, protective equipment and systems integration. Policy and procurement are governed by national and European frameworks, including EU defence initiatives.
Fees for Ireland: €546 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Ireland
Typical roles
Questions from Ireland
Which Irish bodies oversee defence engineering and does a private qualification count?
Defence in Ireland is overseen by the Department of Defence, and the Defence Forces run their own training and technical structures. Engineers Ireland sets general professional engineering standards. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not state-awarded, and they are not accredited by any national body, so recognition for any defence-related role is decided by the relevant authority or employer.
Do Irish defence and land-systems employers hire people with private online qualifications?
Irish defence-related hiring is limited and often subject to security vetting and specific qualification requirements, so employers set their own criteria. A private online qualification may be taken into account alongside experience, but we cannot say how any employer will view it or guarantee any result. Check requirements for particular roles directly.
Can I study this from Ireland while working, and what is the workload?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Plan your weekly hours realistically around your job.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Explain the protection mechanisms for innovation in materials.
Draft and file a patent application.
Assess trade secrets as an alternative to patents.
Analyse the restrictions the defence sector places on publicising inventions.
Plan the exploitation of inventions through licences and agreements.
Design a monitoring and dispute management system.
Develop a protection strategy for an innovation in armour.
Who it's for
- Industrial property manager wishing to specialise in Patents and Intellectual Property in armour.
- Materials patent engineer wishing to specialise in Patents and Intellectual Property in armour.
- Know-how protection manager wishing to specialise in Patents and Intellectual Property in armour.
- Technology watch analyst wishing to specialise in Patents and Intellectual Property in armour.
- Technology transfer officer wishing to specialise in Patents and Intellectual Property in armour.
- Materials innovation consultant wishing to specialise in Patents and Intellectual Property in armour.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the advanced materials industry.
What you'll work with
- Patent Law 24/2015
- Trade Secrets Law 1/2019
- Directive (EU) 2016/943 (protection of trade secrets)
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
- Official Secrets Law 9/1968
- NATO Agreement for the mutual safeguarding of secrecy of inventions relating to defence (1960)
- European Patent Convention (EPC)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What can be protected in a material or structure1.2Patent, utility model and trade secret1.3Industrial design and its role1.4Copyright in technical documentation1.5Ownership: employee, research centre and company1.6Inventions in contracts with public administration1.7Field vocabulary and acronyms1.8Time limits and territoriality of protection1.9Common myths about materials patents1.10Exercise: choosing the route of protection
2.1Prior art search2.2Patent classification and its use2.3Structure of an application2.4Product and process claims2.5Use claims and their limits2.6Sufficiency of disclosure and worked examples2.7Experimental data in the application2.8National, European and international routes2.9Examination, objections and response2.10Practice: drafting claims for a material
3.1Legal requirements for trade secrets3.2Reasonable protection measures3.3Confidentiality agreements and their scope3.4Access control to process information3.5Risk of reverse engineering3.6Staff mobility and knowledge3.7Secrecy versus patent: decision criteria3.8Combining both strategies3.9Legal defence of trade secrets3.10Practice: trade secret policy for a process
4.1Secrecy regimes in defence4.2Restrictions on publication of applications4.3Prior authorisation to file abroad4.4Export control of protected technology4.5State-owned patents4.6Compulsory licences and use by the state4.7Confidentiality in consortia4.8Balancing academic publication and protection4.9Managing publications by the technical team4.10Practice: case analysis with restrictions
5.1Valuation of a patent portfolio5.2Licences and royalties5.3Ownership of results in collaborative projects5.4Patent-based technology watch5.5Freedom-to-operate analysis5.6Infringement detection and evidence5.7Out-of-court options and litigation5.8Nullity and opposition as defence5.9Defensive publication strategy5.10Practice: freedom-to-operate report
6.1Choosing an innovation in materials6.2Prior art search6.3Justified protection strategy6.4Draft claims6.5Complementary trade secret policy6.6Analysis of sector restrictions6.7Exploitation and licensing plan6.8Technology watch plan6.9Strategy report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
Fully 100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which allows them to combine it with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is PATENTSCOPE, PatSnap, Orbit Intelligence, Advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are based on real patent search procedures for materials, the choice between patent and trade secret, and intangible asset audits. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain the protection mechanisms for innovation in materials.
Draft and file a patent application.
Assess trade secrets as an alternative to patents.
Analyse the restrictions the defence sector places on publicising inventions.
Plan exploitation through licences and agreements.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to read technical regulations.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with PATENTSCOPE, PatSnap, Orbit Intelligence, Advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An SEIUM in-house diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification issued by the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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