For Bettina de Jong, being a patent information professional has always meant going above and beyond the call of duty. During her long and successful career, Bettina has risen to positions of responsibility in patent searching and management within leading corporations. Throughout, she has sought other ways to serve the profession in addition to her regular job. As a result, and with her unique blend of zeal and determination, Bettina de Jong has a long list of accomplishments to her name and continues to forge an innovative path forward to shape the profession. It is these accomplishments that have led Bettina de Jong to be named as the illustrious IPI-Award recipient for 2019.

The IPI-Award announcement and presentation took place at the Annual Meeting of the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) held in Copenhagen on May 23, 2019, attended by over 40 patent information leaders from the world’s most innovative companies. The announcement was made by representatives from the IPI-Award International Selection Board, Dr. Monika Hanelt (Patent Information Manager at Agfa Graphics) and PDG President, Mr. Gerard van der Ligt, (Head of IP Analysis at Philips Intellectual Property & Standards).

Bettina de Jong gained her Masters in Chemistry from the University of Amsterdam. From her early years in R&D at Shell in 1995, she moved to the library to become an information scientist and then took the position of an Account Manager at Cobidoc, the Dutch representative of STN, for 2 years. Bettina came back to Shell in 1997 to join the IP department as a patent searcher and trainer.

In 2002 she decided to take on the challenge of managing one of Shell’s biggest libraries for the next 3 years. However, patent information stayed close to her heart and she returned to the IP department as Manager of Shell’s Global Patent Analysis team. In 2016, she decided to leave Shell and work as a consultant in patent information searching and training, as well as taking on the responsibility of Secretary-General of the PDG.

It is Bettina’s long and dedicated work for information professional organizations in particular that has had an important impact on patent information professionals worldwide, including:

• In 1998 Bettina joined the PDG and became an active member of the working group IMPACT, chaired by Dr. Peter Kallas.

• She served for 16 years as Chairperson of the Dutch patent information user group, WON. She collaborated closely with Aalt van de Kuilen and others from 2003 onwards in facilitating the implementation and development of WON patent information training classes at both beginner and advanced levels.

• From 2003 onwards she served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the European Patent Office on Patent Documentation and Information (SACEPO/PDI) which provides vital feedback to the EPO on its patent information products and services.

• From 2006-2012, she served as Chairperson of the PDG working group on Patent Database Vendors.

• She was elected to the PDG Board in 2012 and became Vice President until her departure from Shell in 2016.

• She continues to be an active participant of the Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups (CEPIUG) since its establishment in 2008. In particular, she is Chairperson of the working group on certification for patent information professionals.

Perhaps Bettina’s most significant contribution has been her determined work on the certification project beginning in 2009, which has involved many years of collaboration between CEPIUG, the PDG and the Patent Information Users Group (PIUG). Especially challenging has been the global and ambitious scope of the project. It finally came to fruition in August 2018 with the historic establishment of ISBQPIP, the International Standards Board for Qualified Patent Information Professionals (ISBQPIP), with Bettina as its Chairperson.

Bettina has also been a regular presenter at conferences like IPI-ConfEx and the EPO Patent Information Conference, not only to give updates on the certification project, but also to present on other patent searching related topics.

The IPI-Award International Selection Board recognizes Bettina de Jong’s exemplary and enduring work throughout her career and praised her accomplishments, stating that: “Her contributions truly exemplify what it means to work within the patent information community to create an improved environment for all.”

The presentation conveyed the message on behalf of the International Selection Board; its Chair, Lucy Antunes; and Ford Khorsandian, President of IPI-Award sponsor, Technology & Patent Research (TPR) International, relating that: “Bettina’s highly engaged, collaborative, and visionary leadership style has, over a period of 20+ years, led to the networking, training and education of hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of patent information professionals in Europe, and also has led to the implementation of the international certification effort which will help guarantee search quality going forward.

The IPI Award was established in 2000 to recognize key individuals whose dedication has had a significant and lasting impact on patent information. Award sponsor, TPR International, is a world-leading search firm with over 20 years of expertise in successfully completing thousands of patent searching projects in all areas of technology for validity, infringement, patentability and other purposes, as well as providing tailored searching and analysis solutions — www.TPRInternational.com.

For further information, visit www.IPI-Award.com (if needed, refresh or use an alternative browser to see the latest updated pages).
or contact Trudi Jones, Trudi at TPRInternational.com, +1 (858) 592 9084.