Davies Collison Cave (DCC) are pleased to announce a partnership with the University of Newcastle which will assist in driving the Hunter region's innovation ecosystem.

DCC and the Port of Newcastle are the inaugural Gold Strategic Partners in the University's Integrated Innovation Network (I2N), an initiative that supports the region's innovators and entrepreneurs through enterprise skill development, entrepreneurship, venture creation and scale-up support.

The I2N Strategic Partnership with DCC offers program participants legal support in the specialised area of intellectual property, including patents, trade marks, designs, copyright and confidential information. DCC's Strategic Partnership includes a prize of an IP legal advice package to a pre-accelerator or pitching program participant each year.

"As leaders in IP protection, enforcement and commercialisation, we are thrilled to be able to share our expertise with the Hunter's entrepreneurs and innovators through one-on-one consults, interactive workshops and presentations," DCC Principal and patent attorney, Will Hird, said.

"IP is a major foundation piece for the success of any new business, startup, scale-up or enterprise. It creates a competitive advantage and should be a key part of overall business strategy. We look forward to working with Hunter businesses to help them explore their full potential."

I2N Senior Manager, Siobhan Curran, said the Strategic Partners initiative recognised that a strong connection between entrepreneurs and industry was vital for a thriving innovation ecosystem.

"We are delighted that Port of Newcastle and DCC are joining I2N as our inaugural Strategic Partners. Port of Newcastle is among the most innovative organisations in the region, and DCC has a long history of working with innovators to create, protect and commercialise their intellectual property, including in Newcastle and the Hunter."

"Since opening our doors in 2016, I2N has worked with more than 100 teams on exciting new ventures or innovations within an existing enterprise, in addition to thousands of individuals seeking to develop enterprise skills that are highly valued by employers," she said.

"We know that an innovation ecosystem does not grow without connection and collaboration, and so our focus is on connecting innovators and entrepreneurs to community, customers, coaching and capital. Our Strategic Partnership program is pivotal to this focus.

Port of Newcastle's Chief Commercial Officer, Simon Byrnes, also commented there was a strong alignment between the Port's strategic plans and I2N's programs.