An IP4OS workshop at City, St George’s University of London, demonstrated how dialogical and game-based learning can enhance understanding of Intellectual Property (IP) and Open Science (OS). Through three games - The Publishing Trap, Copyright the Card Game, and The Integrity Now! Game - participants explored real challenges in publishing, copyright, and IP-OS dilemmas. The games provided an engaging, low-barrier way to discuss complex issues and practise multi-perspective problem-solving.

Key lessons emerged. Even experienced participants reported significant learning, confirming the value of play in deepening understanding. The workshop highlighted the importance of dialogue, the ease of achieving “flow” in playful learning, and the clarity that games bring to layered IP–OS challenges. Beyond knowledge, participants developed interdisciplinary skills such as perspective-shifting, collaborative reasoning, and recognising the value of exchange across professional boundaries.

The outcomes will feed directly into the IP4OS curriculum and training centre, which aim to build awareness, skills, and advocacy for knowledge valorisation across Europe. Next steps include integrating the games into learning modules, piloting train-the-trainer sessions, and releasing the resources as open educational materials on Zenodo and the European Knowledge Valorisation Platform.

By combining play and reflection, the workshop showed how dialogical methods can make abstract and sector-crossing concepts accessible, helping professionals become ambassadors for a stronger, synergetic IP-OS approach.

Find the full report on Zenodo.