Director General Visits Japan; Meets with Senior Government Officials and Other Stakeholders
February 26, 2024
During an official visit to Japan, WIPO Director General Daren Tang met top government officials, leading private-sector figures, student representatives and other stakeholders for discussions on how to further promote intellectual property-backed innovation and creativity as drivers of business, community and cultural growth.
Mr. Tang, during his four-day visit ending February 22, 2024, hailed decades of collaboration between WIPO and Japan, while promising to further strengthen ties.
Signature of the cooperation statement with the Japan Patent Office
In a ceremony together with Mr. Koichi Hamano, Commissioner, Japan Patent Office (JPO), Mr. Tang signed a cooperation agreement to further support start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs in developing and least developed countries. Through Japan’s Funds-in-Trust program, WIPO will draw on CHF 1.4 million during Japan’s fiscal year 2024, ultimately aiming to provide opportunities for some 1,000 entities through the long-running program.
Bilateral Talks
In discussions with Mr. Ken Saito, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Tang and the Minister exchanged views on the importance of supporting start-ups, SMEs and entrepreneurs as a driving force for innovation, while underlining a commitment to continued cooperation for green-tech transformation - including through the use of WIPO GREEN.
They discussed WIPO’s cooperation with Japan at EXPO 2025 OSAKA KANSAI and the 50th anniversary of the relationship between WIPO and Japan.
Mr. Tang also met with Dr. Masahito Moriyama, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Mr. Shunichi Tokura, for discussions that touched on artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright, the importance of international cooperation, and how creators’ protection promotes creative economies.
In a meeting with Mr. Kiyoto Tsuji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tang expressed WIPO’s appreciation for Japan’s support. Mr. Tang noted that Japan could share its experiences on improving its innovation ecosystem with other WIPO member states, while hailing Japan’s efforts to expand the global appeal of its creative content.
Mr. Hamano, Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office, and Mr. Tang exchanged views about activities to support strategic use of intellectual property (IP) by businesses. They also discussed cooperation between WIPO and JPO related to the acceleration of green-tech matchmaking to promote the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Meeting with Industry Leaders and Innovators
Mr. Tang met with a Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) delegation headed by Mr. Kenichi Nagasawa, Vice Chairperson, and spoke about IP, WIPO and a range of other issues while delivering a keynote speech at the JIPA IP Symposium.
Mr. Tang also met with Mr. Yoshiharu Senda, Member of the Board of Directors, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Mr. Kazumichi Matsumoto, Head of Research Institute, and Mr. Kouji Takano, General Manager, Corporation Strategy Division, Kyushu Electric Power Company, Incorporated (Kyuden), to discuss the importance of IP commercialization, how green technology can support the SDGs, and how the use of IP can stimulate activities toward the decarbonization of the global economy.
Mr. Tang also engaged with Japanese start-ups, hearing about their challenges and opportunities and what role public agencies can play for smaller companies, while stressing the pivotal role IP can play in the success of enterprises of all sizes.
Meeting with Academia and Students
Mr. Tang visited Kyushu University, where he met with Dr. Makoto Aratono, Executive Vice President, Dr. Kazunari Sasaki, Senior Vice President and Mr. Shinji Ohnishi, Vice President. They discussed the SDGs, WIPO GREEN, green technology, start-ups and the use of IP by universities.
Mr. Tang also met students who placed highly in a “Show and Tell Presentation Competition” organized by WIPO Japan Office in September 2023. Mr. Tang shared his views on the importance of using IP to drive business growth and reiterated WIPO’s strong commitment to support youth in using IP to reach their dreams.