Intellectual Property Intern – Summer 2027 (San Diego)

About the role

Join Philips’ Intellectual Property & Standards team in San Diego for a three‑month, paid internship during Summer 2027. You will work alongside a global community of IP professionals, gaining hands‑on experience in evaluating and shaping patent portfolios for health‑technology products.

Key responsibilities

• Define the characteristics of a healthy patent portfolio and assess the optimal distribution of patents supporting current products, technologies in development, and future opportunities.
• Evaluate how patent portfolio strategies vary across consumer and regulated healthcare markets, including differences in product development and launch timelines.
• Explore how exclusive and defensive IP value and business models influence patent portfolio structure, including strategic patents not intended for use in company products.
• Review relevant literature, summarize findings, and develop guidelines for a cost‑efficient patent portfolio in relation to sales, EBITA, portfolio size, and short‑ and long‑term priorities.
• Identify proof points to validate the guidelines, such as competitor patent‑marking data, and present the findings in a concise report with mentoring from IP Counsel and oversight from the Head of IP.

Required profile

• You are an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in technology.
• You have basic knowledge of intellectual property.
• You demonstrate confidence, critical thinking, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• You bring a strong professional drive and possess excellent analytical and intellectual capabilities.
• You have excellent relationship‑building, teamwork, and collaboration skills.
• You communicate effectively at all levels, both internally and externally.