Tony Clayton

Tony Clayton

Chief Economist
UK Intellectual Property Office

Tony is Chief Economist of the UK Intellectual Property Office. He leads the Economics, Research and Evidence team, which since 2010 has commissioned and completed a wide range of research on IPRs in the Economy, Firm level Incentives and IPRs, Business models in Digital Markets, the Design legal framework, IP litigation, University – Industry knowledge transfer, Copyright exceptions, Orphan works, Patent Thickets, Patent Pendency and Backlogs, IP enabled Investment Funding and other issues.  IPO’s research program and results are at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-ipresearch.htm. The team supported Ian Hargreaves’ review of the UK IP framework in 2011, and has led the development of standards for evidence in IP policy.

Tony has also worked as

- Director, Economic Analysis, at Office for National Statistics, focusing on the economic impact of technology and innovation, productivity, and on measuring software and other intangibles in the ‘knowledge economy’. He represented UK on OECD’s Working Group on ICT measurement, chairing it from 2005, and served on NSF’s ‘Science of Science’ panel in 2009 / 10

 - Director at strategy consultancy PIMS, where he developed consulting approaches on innovation and marketing strategy for major international firms. His clients included leaders in ICT, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, energy industries, financial services, consumer durable and non-durable marketing, and primary industries including minerals and steel

Tony has degrees in Physics and Economics, and has published on economics, strategy and management, service innovation, globalization, and the role of ‘intangibles’ in business growth. 

Outside work he is a director of a theatre, keen cyclist and a community organizer.