Agrochemicals

In a world facing rising demands for food security, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience, agrochemical innovation plays a critical role in supporting global agriculture.

Like the pharmaceutical industry, the agrochemicals sector is built on rigorous scientific development and operates within a highly regulated and competitive environment. Intellectual Property rights are vital not only to protect innovation, but also to secure commercial advantage, navigate regulatory pathways, and support long-term investment.

At HGF, we work alongside clients across the agrochemical value chain to secure and enforce their intellectual property. Our team advises on all aspects of IP strategy, from drafting and prosecuting patent applications to oppositions, freedom-to-operate analyses, and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). We represent our clients directly at the EPO and many national patent offices, and provide strategic litigation support before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and national courts across Europe.

Our deep sector knowledge spans chemical and biological crop protection products, formulation technologies, and application systems, including emerging digital agriculture tools such as sensor-driven platforms and drone-based delivery systems. We help clients generate and present compelling technical evidence, ensuring robust protection for innovations with complex biological data or synergistic effects.

Whether you’re developing a new active ingredient, entering new markets, or overcoming competitive barriers, we ensure your IP rights support your innovation and align with your commercial objectives.

Latest updates

EPO v UPC: How the EPO’s and UPC’s approaches to validity give us food for thought when drafting and prosecuting patent applications destined for Europe (Part 1)

The Unified Patents Court (UPC) opened its doors on 1 June 2023 and is already having a significant impact on EPO practice. Less than a year after opening, the UPC …

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UPC CoA confirms jurisdiction over pending European patent application

Now patent holders may be locked into the UPC system even prior to grant.   The UPC has jurisdiction over European patents that have not been opted out. But what about …

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Patenting Performance: Protecting the Science Behind a Personal Best

The world of food supplements moves quickly. A product can trend on social media as soon as a top athlete is seen using it in training. However, it can still …

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HGF

UPC CoA confirms “gold standard” for added matter in Sibio v Abbott

Sibio Technology Limited v Abbott Diabetes Care Inc. [UPC-CoA-884/2025] – Court of Appeal of the UPC, Luxembourg (Kalden, Rombach, Simonsson, van der Burg, Rydman) – 13 August 2026 The Court …

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Sustainable Fertilisers: Innovations, Patentability, and Start-Up Support in Europe

Fertiliser is essential for global food production.  However, geopolitical conflicts driving up fertiliser prices, together with the agronomic challenges caused by climate change, are threatening agricultural productivity and food security.  …

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Microplastics in blue water

Cleaning up the laundry: Innovations in mitigating microplastic contamination from man-made fabrics

Microplastic contamination is widespread across our environment, and there are growing concerns about its effects on human health and ecosystems. In this article, we explore the issue of microplastic pollution …

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HGF

Patent restoration

Inadvertent or accidental loss of patent rights can be distressing for patent holders and indeed for IP practitioners. The most common reason for restoration is when a patent has lapsed …

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SPCs for Combination Products – Will CJEU need to look again?

Key takeaways National courts have diverged on the interpretation of the EU Court of Justice’s latest decisions on SPCs for combination products – in particular on whether data in the …

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Let's talk

If you would like to discuss how HGF could help you, contact one of our agrochemicals specialists.