Lorna Dukes (Interim)
Biography
Lorna was appointed Interim Director of Business and International Policy in November 2024. She became Interim Director of Enforcement, Business and International in February 2025 when the enforcement team became part of the Directorate.
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.聽 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 Library and Information Studies and Education.
Director of Enforcement, Business and International Directorate
This role is responsible for the IPO鈥檚 international activities, supporting the UK鈥檚 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聽IPO鈥檚 relationships with multilateral institutions such as聽WIPO, and the office鈥檚 bilateral relationships and cooperation with key global markets.聽 The UK鈥檚 IP attach茅 network is a key part of this work, providing support and raising awareness for UK businesses who are exporting or are looking to export.
The Directorate also leads on IP enforcement issues. This includes establishing a national centre of excellence for IP intelligence, working in partnership with law enforcement agencies and taking a central coordination role to tackle IP crime in the UK and internationally.