ChIPs opens new Iberian Peninsula chapter
ChIPs Network, the global community advancing women in technology, law and public policy, has opened a new chapter covering the Iberian Peninsula. The regional chapter, focused on Spain and Portugal, is the eighth ChIPs chapter in Europe, joining existing chapters in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in connecting women working in intellectual property.
The Iberian Peninsula initiative is driven by three co-chairs: Sara Nazaré of NLP – Law Firm, Cintia Bernhardt of Bird & Bird Spain, and Rais Amils of Gómez-Acebo & Pombo. According to Nazaré, ChIPs aims to bring together women working in legal, intellectual property, technology, risk and compliance roles, noting that although Spain and Portugal have many professionals in these fields, there was previously no single space connecting them as one Iberian community. She said the new chapter is designed to make it easier for members to meet, learn from each other, collaborate and build relationships that extend beyond individual events.
Bernhardt said the timing of the launch coincides with a broader shift in Europe’s industrial and technological strategy, spanning AI regulation, semiconductor manufacturing and the resilience of critical industries, with the Iberian Peninsula emerging as a gateway for innovation, technology and life sciences. Amils added that international companies increasingly view Iberia as a single ecosystem rather than two separate markets, creating opportunities for professionals across law, intellectual property, technology, risk and compliance, and said the chapter’s ambition is to help connect the region further.
Joan Toth, ChIPs Executive Director, said establishing a presence in Spain and Portugal reflects a broader need for community serving women in this space, describing the emergence of grassroots leaders building such a community as significant to witness.
Lisbon to host the European Summit
ChIPs Iberian Peninsula will welcome intellectual property leaders from around the world this autumn when it hosts the sixth annual ChIPs European Summit in Lisbon. The summit is intended to provide a space for leaders to network and build skills specific to European IP law. This year’s edition, scheduled for November 19, carries the theme “At the Edge: Leadership for an Intelligent Age,” referencing Lisbon’s geographic position at the western edge of Europe alongside the historic Age of Discovery and the current shift toward an increasingly “intelligent” era.
ChIPs is a nonprofit organization representing more than 10,000 members across over 30 regional chapters in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, working to advance and connect women in technology, law and policy.
