IPRE 2023: IP Research For the Future
July 3, 2023
After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first in-person edition of the Intellectual Property Researchers Europe (IPRE) Conference since 2019 was held at WIPO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on June 29 and 30, 2023.
WIPO, WTO and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) regularly team up to organize programs such as the IPRE Conference to bring together intellectual property (IP) academics, teachers and researchers to present their works-in-progress for feedback, and network among peers and policymakers. Participants benefit from the unique opportunity to discuss IP topics under discussion at the policy level with leading experts from WIPO and WTO.
The program before you this week is characterized by its richness and diversity. This is not just a conference of IP laws and norms – this is a conference that deals with issues at the very cutting edge of economics, trade, global public health, the creative economies and the digital transformation. The growing importance of IP to issues of technology, law, geopolitics and economics is no secret to all of us in the global IP community… Ultimately, the debates that begin in here help to shape the future direction of IP out there.
Mr. Daren Tang, WIPO Director General
The remarkable range of research you are presenting over these two days is itself empirical evidence that intellectual property and innovation issues are now inextricably intertwined with an ever greater set of public policy questions, critical for sustainable development and for actually yielding, in practice, the intended social and economic welfare benefits that the IP system offers in principle.
Ms. Anabel Gonzalez, WTO Deputy Director-General
What did the IPRE 2023 Conference cover?
Over 160 participants joined the conference from 50 countries, to present and discuss their research on IP topics concerning trade, public health and the digital economy including:
- Artificial intelligence and copyright;
- IP and sports;
- IP innovation and management; and
- Challenges and opportunities for IP research in a knowledge and post-pandemic economy.
The IPRE Conference was also open to all 60 participants of the WIPO-University of Geneva Summer School, which was also held in Geneva, Switzerland at WIPO headquarters and UNIGE from June 19 to 30, 2023. The closing ceremony of the IPRE Conference was followed by the Symposium on the TRIPS Agreement at 25 Years at WTO headquarters, which was available to all participants of the conference and summer school. As a result of the remarkable success of the IPRE Conference in 2023, preparations are underway for the 2024 edition.
We are proud to have restarted IPRE in person after a 3 years pause due to Covid-19. The event is an important forum for scholars to share ideas and receive feedback. What makes IPRE unique is the direct interaction between academics and policymakers at WIPO and WTO, which allows scholars to strengthen their scholarship to make a true impact in our society.
Prof. Irene Calboli, Texas A&M University and University of Geneva
What our participants are saying?
It was a fantastic opportunity to share insights with people from all over the world with a view to understanding how intellectual property can contribute to tackling global challenges. Above all, it was nice to meet so many junior scholars and to see that the future of the discipline rests in such safe hands.
Prof. Robert Burrell, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
IPRE 2023 was a stellar success, which brought together a diverse group of scholars from all stages of their academic careers making for robust and very supportive discussions. The mix of plenary and parallel sessions also made for a very interesting and enjoyable learning experience for all.
Prof. Caroline Ncube, University of Cape Town, South Africa
I am impressed with the extensive range of interests and subject matters revealed by the analysis presented by the young IPRE scholars at the conference. Their work is sophisticated and will help guide policymakers thinking about critical IP-related policy issues. IPRE is an excellent program for building scholarly expertise and fostering knowledge networks.
Prof. Keith Maskus, University of Colorado, United States of America