Laurence Favier

Patent engineer

My career path

As a student in CPE Lyon, with an Organic Chemistry specialization, I spent my last two years studying in England: one year in an internship where I did research in a pharmaceutical company and an exchange year in the ERASMUS exchange programme. I then started my professional career in England as a Research Engineer in Novartis. After more than two years in this pharmaceutical company, I came back to France where I wanted to acquire other competences and move away from research but at the same time remaining in an international context and in the world of pharmacy. I therefore entered the domain of Intellectual Property (PI), a world I knew nothing about. I worked as a Technical-Commercial Engineer, at the INPI*, for the diffusion of a database of pharmaceutical patents. On a European level, I taught chemists in the use of a research software. I also worked in the Client Service Department and software development. At the end of four and a half years, I decided to no longer work in the PI domain and instead took a job as Patent Engineer.

My job

I now work in AREVA NP, in the PI unit for the Nuclear Fuel "Business Unit" (5200 people in principally three countries: France, Germany and the USA). I contribute to the identification of inventions and technical follow-up of patent demands, and realize research into work that could have been done in the area of the patent in the context of a study of patentability and freedom of exploitation. I also participate in technology-watch and realize the assessment of patents. It is a multidisciplinary job where there are daily exchanges, in English, with inventors and patent advice departments.

In conclusion

At the moment when I completed my studies, I would never have imagined that ten years later I would be a Patent Engineer. In fact, with my diploma and my experience, I can do a job that interests me and which is very enriching. In addition, I broaden my technical and legal knowledge every day.
In a short while, I will certainly pass the CEIPI** diploma to complete my formation and thus have more responsibility.

* INPI = National Institute of Intellectual Property
** CEIPI = Centre for the Study of International Intellectual Property