Introducing The Patent Bay – How Sharing Innovation Can Help Build Sustainable Futures

In 1989, an employee at CERN made a decision that would change the world. Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist working at the intergovernmental organization, had developed a system that would allow scientists to quickly share information via hypertext that linked documents across a network. This system was the blueprint for what would become the World Wide Web – the global information system that makes up the modern internet.

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Berners-Lee understood the value of the system he’d developed and so he made it available to everyone, free of patents or royalties. This is not the only time a world-changing invention has been made freely available to the public. For instance, the three-point seatbelt, invented by Nils Bohlin in 1959, has saved millions of lives across the world since its designs were shared patent-free.

Can you imagine what the world would look like had these inventors not made this pivotal decision?

Patents have their value, to be sure. They can provide owners and inventors with exclusive rights to their work, but they can also restrict competition, force prices up, and, more importantly, limit innovation. With the challenges posed by climate change, there is now a greater need for the free flow of ideas and collaboration to help build a sustainable future. Does this mean we need to rethink our relationship to patent culture?

Collaboration and accessibility to combat global crises

Although the history of intellectual property protection rights is complex, spanning as far back as the 15th-century Venetian Republic, there has been one consistent idea at its heart: these protections encourage innovation and reward creativity. But while the ideal may be worthy, the reality can be more challenging. The contexts that traditional laws were built for – local, slow, and competitive – have changed and so can cause friction with the demands of the international and deeply interconnected world we live in today. In fact, there is evidence that an overreliance on intellectual property rights has exacerbated the reliance on traditional high-carbon energy sources, restricting the transition to sustainable, cleaner alternatives.

The ethical challenge here can be understood as a balance between the private rights granted to patent holders on the one hand, and the collective global need for new, adaptable green technologies on the other.

This is why SKF, a Swedish-founded engineering company, is launching The Patent Bay, a new platform where companies can freely share selected patents that can accelerate technologies that advance sustainability.  

“Climate change and sustainability challenges are systemic, and we believe they cannot be solved in isolation,” Annika Ölme, SKF’s Chief Technology Officer, told IFLScience.

“Sharing selected innovations accelerates adoption, reduces duplication of effort, and enables industries to scale solutions faster.”

The timing couldn’t be better. Today, global patent filing is at its highest point in history. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, 3.55 million patent applications were submitted across the world in 2023 – that’s more than triple the number filed in 1995. Although the innovation climate is strong, this incredible number highlights the growing need for more collaboration and greater accessibility.

“By unlocking technologies that reduce emissions or improve efficiency, we create ripple effects that benefit society and the planet. Exclusivity has its place, but when it comes to sustainability, openness must guide action. The Patent Bay is designed to be a signal to the industry: progress happens when we move forward together,” Ölme added.

The first patent being released on the platform is a high-performance bearing alloy that can handle higher loads while being more compact. Arctic15, as it is known, helps facilitate next-generation aircraft engines designed to cut emissions by up to 25 percent. By sharing its design in The Patent Bay, SKF hopes it will inspire further innovation for sustainable technologies.

SKF – fighting friction is more than mechanical efficiency  

SKF is no stranger to sustainability. As a leading global engineering company, they have been “fighting friction” – both literally and figuratively – for over a century. Friction, as they see it, is not only a mechanical issue; it’s also one that impacts our world. Just over 20 percent of global energy is aimed at overcoming friction, which means any effort to limit it with new technologies will also benefit the planet more broadly. 

SKF’s solutions and products are found everywhere in society, wherever there is technology that requires bearings and supporting solutions for rotating equipment. They also have more than 40,000 employees in around 130 countries. This means they are a vital player in the everyday lives of people and companies worldwide and are an ideal employer for STEM researchers, professionals, and recent graduates who want to contribute to a sustainable future. 

“We are an engineering company at heart, and our people are the driving force behind every breakthrough,” Ölme explained. “STEM talent is essential to our mission of reducing friction, improving efficiency, and enabling industries to move toward a sustainable future. We foster a culture built on curiosity, trust, and purpose, where psychological safety empowers individuals to innovate boldly and learn from failure.”

“Our teams tackle some of the most complex engineering challenges, from electrification to advanced materials, always aligned with global megatrends like climate transition and customer needs for smarter, more efficient solutions. Through cross-functional collaboration and a global network, we turn ideas into real-world impact. For STEM professionals, SKF offers an opportunity to shape the future of engineering and sustainability, helping industries and societies move forward together and create real-world impact.”

You can learn more about The Patent Bay and Arctic15 here.