As Global Trade Tensions Rise, Businesses Must Compete Smarter — New Book Reveals the Hidden Mechanics of Success

With global tariffs on the rise and the innovation economy accelerating, businesses can no longer afford to ignore their most powerful assets—their intellectual property (IP). In Hidden Mechanics: Demystifying Intellectual Property, New Zealand-based IP strategist Kate Wilson pulls back the curtain on how to find, protect, and profit from the invisible engines driving business success.

Drawing on decades of international IP expertise, Wilson delivers a book unlike any other in the field: visually rich, packed with anecdotes, and peppered with pop culture, quirky quotes, and practical tools.

“Over 90% of a business’s value now lies in intangible assets,” says Wilson. “Yet most business leaders can’t even list them—let alone protect or leverage them strategically.”

With contributions from global marketing guru Kevin Roberts (former CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide), Hidden Mechanics is built around three interlocking cogs: Competitive Edge, Competitive Intelligence, and Collaboration. Wilson’s unique framework brings clarity to the complex world of IP, providing actionable guidance for everyone from startups to corporates, designers to directors.

Whether you’re commercialising an invention, scaling a brand, or just trying to futureproof your business, this book delivers not only insight but real traction.

“This isn’t just a book for lawyers,” says Roberts in the foreword. “It’s invaluable for creatives, marketers, founders, and even CFOs. It’s funky, fun, and—most importantly—effective.”

Kate Wilson is a globally recognised IP strategist, physicist, and serial entrepreneur, inducted into the NZ Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs in 2023. She was the first New Zealander named in IAM’s Top 300 Global IP Strategists.

Hidden Mechanics is available from major retailers and via www.ktpi.co.nz.