Intellectual property: the cornerstone of innovation at TotalEnergies

Intellectual property is an integral part of TotalEnergies development strategy. Galal El Mardeny, Head of the Patents Team at the CSTJF in Pau, explains his role and tasks to secure innovation, optimize performance and support the energy transition through an innovative patents strategy. Portrait.
 

Can you give a brief description of your career path?

Galal El-Mardeny: After graduating with a master’s in biotechnology from the University of Toulouse, I went on to specialize in patent law at the Center for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI). As luck would have it, I did my very first final-year internship here at the CSTJF in Pau, before joining Urgo, a company based in Dijon, as a patent engineer. In 2014 I was employed by Biomérieux, a specialist in medical diagnosis systems, in the Rhône region of France. I capitalized on this experience to take the qualification to be a European Patent Attorney with the European Patent Office (EPO) and master the rules and subtleties of patents. It’s a must-have qualification if you want to defend or challenge the validity of a European patent before the EPO. In 2021, I finally joined TotalEnergies in Lyon as a patent engineer, in charge of the special fluids and industrial lubricants portfolio and, last year, I began working at the CSTJF in Pau to manage the team of patent engineers.
 

What is the purpose of intellectual property in practice? What are the challenges involved?

G.EM: Intellectual property is a set of laws to protect designs and innovations. The most well-known is copyright, which covers artistic work such as paintings, films and songs. Then there is industrial property which includes brands, layout designs and patents. Patents - our sector - protects technical innovations by preventing competitors from using an invention without authorization. In short, industrial property secures our innovations and helps maintain our competitive edge on the market. It also helps reduce the legal risks related to possible counterfeits. Our department works hand in hand with the Company R&D (Research and Development) department to protect innovation and support the operational teams in securing their activities.
 

What exactly do your different tasks involve?

G.EM: We have a dual function, both legal and scientific. This dual expertise means we can deal with both legal advisors and engineers. We have a role as facilitators and bridge the gap between technical and business challenges, as well as legal requirements. Our work focuses on two main sectors: R&D and operational activities. In R&D, our role is to protect technological advances by registering patents, applying operating permits to generate income, or having recourse to industrial secrecy to prevent any risk of leaking sensitive information.
On the operational side, we make sure that our activities are not hindered by rival patents. We have a duty to advise, and we must always remain vigilant as regards third-party rights.
We also support the legal service to secure industrial property in partnership contracts. The aim is to guarantee that the Company retains full ownership of its innovations and that it can use them without any constraints.
 

How many patents do you register per year?

G.EM: In 2024, Companywide, we registered 320 patents. In our patents department in Pau, we registered around 50. The inventions come from different R&D sites in France, the CSTJF, the PERL, and in the United States, from the Houston Research Center for example.  Remember that the information related to registering a patent remains confidential for 18 months before being published.
 

How do you identify the technological innovations to be patented in-house?

G.EM: Everything begins with an invention declaration submitted by a researcher. To begin with, we assess the patentability of the solution and analyze the strategic interest for TotalEnergies. If we decide that the innovation is patentable and pertinent, it then undergoes a validation process involving several experts. Certain key technologies are worth protecting to preserve our competitive edge. Among the most protected innovations are technologies related to energy efficiency, reducing our carbon footprint or optimizing our operating costs across the entire value chain: production, supply, development. Our team will also protect all the innovations that cover CO₂ storage and use, which is essential to achieving our ambition of net zero by 2050.
 

How do you adapt to developments in intellectual property legislation?

G.EM: Intellectual property is a legal issue that is constantly developing, owing to the effects of legal precedence that varies country by country. Our patent engineers monitor such developments closely, in particular when it comes to counterfeit. We also work with specialist agencies who provide us with regular analyses of new legal decisions. Finally training sessions help us keep abreast of legal developments and best practice in registering and defending patents!
 

Can you tell us in a few words what you like about your job?

G.EM: It’s a very well-rounded job that marries legal and technical expertise. What I like about my job is the unique combination between valorizing research and protecting the Company’s interests. I really appreciate being able to work with passionate inventors, transform their results into protected assets and thereby contribute within my remit, to TotalEnergies’ energy transition ambitions. The diversity of technologies and sectors covered means that every day comes with its own simulating challenges, and the location of the CSTJF site in Pau is a wonderful place to work, with the Pyrenees mountains in the background. It’s a real picture postcard.... I can’t patent the view of course, but I enjoy it every day of the year! I’m an avid runner, and I often run along the Chemin Henri IV, an old Roman road between Lourdes and Pau, and I’m very lucky to be able to work in such a beautiful setting!