AI and IP Strategy – The On-Going Transformation of Innovation and Value Creation

November 2025

Abstract

This article is based on the panel discussion “IP Strategy and AI – Industry Perspective,” which Sonja London moderated at the Helsinki IP Summit 2025. The discussion brought together IP leaders from Finnish industry: Pirke Fustinoni (Metso), Heidi Adler (Orion), and Mika Timmerbacka (UPM). Together, we explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the strategic role of IP in companies. This is not as a distant prospect, but as an active transformation already underway.

Authors

Sonja London

Founder, Advisor, Fearless IP, Finland

Sonja London is founder and Advisor in Fearless IP, a boutique consultancy on IP monetization and licensing. She is a former General Counsel and Licensing Executive in TactoTek, world-leading innovator in the field of smart surfaces and structural electronics. Before joining TactoTek, she worked with Nokia Patent Business for 14 years in various roles, in her latest position leading Nokia’s Consumer Electronics licensing globally. Sonja has been deeply involved in licensing of various technologies for automotive, consumer electronics, mobile devices and infrastructure products. Her experience covers also patent pools, joint licensing, patent transactions as well as digitalizing and managing licensing business. Sonja holds a Master of Laws from University of Helsinki and Executive MBA from Aalto University. She served as the President of Licensing Executives Society International during 2024-2025 and serves as board member in Kesla Oyj, Helsinki Innovation Services Oy and SolidComp Oy, and as advisor and investor in several technology companies. She is ranked in IAM Strategy 300 as one of the world top IP Strategists.

Pirke Fustinoni

Vice President IP & Tech Legal, Metso Corporation, Finland

Pirke Fustinoni is a global executive and thought leader in IP & Tech and innovation. As Vice President and Head of IP & Tech Legal at Metso Corporation, she drives the company’s worldwide legal framework for technology development, commercialization, and strategic partnerships. Pirke has a global role and she advises on complex IP and digital transformation initiatives that enable Metso to maintain its position as an innovation-driven industry leader. Beyond her corporate role, Pirke contributes to shaping Europe’s innovation ecosystem as a Member of the Executive Board of EIT RawMaterials, one of the largest innovation communities within the EU’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Through this role, she influences strategic decisions on sustainable technologies, circular economy solutions, and innovation funding at a European level. Her leadership extends to fostering collaboration between industry, research, and policy to accelerate the green transition globally.

Mika Timmerbacka

Director of Intellectual Property, UPM-Kymmene, Finland

Mika Timmerbacka is the Director of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) at UPM-Kymmene — a leading global bioforestry company headquartered in Finland. He joined UPM after leaving a previous IPR-manager role at Kemira, and over nearly two decades has transformed UPM’s IPR function from a small team into a robust 14-person department supporting all global business units. Under his leadership, UPM has developed a comprehensive strategy covering patents, trademarks and plant-breeding rights, helping secure a portfolio of thousands of rights worldwide. Timmerbacka champions early-stage collaboration: he emphasizes that clear agreements on IP ownership and usage must be made before research even begins, ensuring that innovations — ranging from sustainable biomaterials to advanced forest-industry technologies — yield maximum value and avoid disputes. With his legal training from University of Helsinki, he combines deep understanding of intellectual property law with the strategic needs of a globally operating forest-industry company.

Heidi Adler

Director, Intellectual Property Rights, ORION Corporation, Finland

Heidi Adler is an accomplished intellectual property professional with over 20 years of experience in the field. She has held Head of Intellectual Property roles across diverse industries, including oil refining, polymers, and pharmaceuticals, demonstrating a broad and international perspective. Heidi’s expertise spans patents, licensing, trademarks, litigation, designs, and trade secret topics. She has been actively involved in professional and volunteer activities, serving as a board member in Finnish AIPPI and other Finnish IP associations, and contributing to patent law reform for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. Heidi is currently a member of the AIPPI in-house committee and Pharma Standing Committee and Pharma AI Subcommittee, and she values the business approach to legal IP questions, aiming to shape harmonization resolutions that are relevant to IP owners.

Companies

Fearless IP

Fearless IP is a boutique IP consultancy offering tailored, world-recognised advisor service and unique, pragmatic solutions, combining deep industry expertise and networks with agility to deliver fast results. Fearless IP is a leading global expert in technology licensing, Standard Essential Patent (SEP) licensing, FRAND negotiations, and IP monetization strategy. www.fearless-ip.com

Metso Corporation

Metso is a world-leading provider of sustainable technologies, integrated solutions, and services for the aggregates, minerals processing, and metals refining industries. With innovation and digitalization at its core, Metso develops advanced technologies that enhance resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact, supporting industries in their transition toward a more sustainable future. Committed to circularity and responsible business practices, Metso empowers customers worldwide to achieve productivity and sustainability goals.

UPM-Kymmene

UPM-Kymmene Oyj (commonly “UPM”) is a Finnish-headquartered global material solutions company rooted in over 150 years of forest-industry heritage. Founded in 1996 through the merger of several long-standing forest and paper firms, UPM has evolved far beyond traditional paper production. Today, UPM transforms renewable wood and biomass into a wide variety of products — from pulp, paper, plywood and sawn timber to advanced biofuels, biochemicals, specialty fibres and self-adhesive label materials. Operating in dozens of countries and employing thousands worldwide, UPM emphasises sustainability: responsibly-managed forests, certified wood sourcing, circular economy principles, and products that reduce reliance on fossil-based materials. Through innovation, global reach and commitment to the bio-economy, UPM aims to shape a more sustainable future — offering renewable, recyclable alternatives for industries ranging from packaging to energy to materials science.

ORION Corporation

Orion Corporation (Orion Pharma) is a leading Finnish pharmaceutical company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion is recognized for its innovation in healthcare and commitment to improving patient outcomes globally.