Interim Director of Business & International Policy Lorna Dukes

Biography

Lorna was appointed Interim Director of Business and International Policy in November 2024.

Previously, as Deputy Director of UK Ecosystems, Lorna was responsible for policies to support business and regional growth and develop IP knowledge and skills to support innovation, research and enterprise.

Lorna started at the IPO in late 2018 as Head of Innovation Policy and went on to take up roles in IP education and business support policy.  Lorna joined the Civil Service following a career in the education and legal sectors and has worked in policy and operational roles in the Ministry of Defence, Education and Skills Funding Agency and Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. 

Lorna has a degree in History from the University of Warwick and postgraduate qualifications in Information Management and Education.

Interim Director of Business and International Policy

In this role, Lorna is responsible for the IPO’s international activities, supporting the UK’s trade ambitions, developing IP skills in business, research institutions, education and wider government, and ensuring effective interaction between the IP system and other regulatory frameworks.

This includes responsibility for the IPO’s relationships with multilateral institutions such as WIPO, and the office’s bilateral relationships and cooperation with key global markets.  The UK’s IP attaché network is a key part of this work, providing support and raising awareness for UK businesses who are exporting or are looking to export.