From September 7 to 9, 2026, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in cooperation with the Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Office (TTIPO) and with the support of Funds-in-Trust Japan (FIT/Japan), organized a training program in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
The program brought together 26 participants, including officials from the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs, WIPO officials, and experts from the Austrian Patent Office (APO) and INAPI Chile, with six TTIPO patent examiners actively taking part in practical, hands-on training.
Technical sessions and practical discussions were led by WIPO experts. Mr. Rolando M. Hernández Vigaud, Head, Offices Services Section, PCT International Cooperation Division, addressed the significance of the PCT for patent examiners and led a key session on "Artificial Intelligence and the PCT." In this session, a specialized video presentation provided by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) was showcased, illustrating how the JPO examiners apply AI tools to patent classification and prior-art searches to boost examination efficiency. Ms. Maria Carolina Hanssen Pérez, Senior Program Officer, Cooperation on Examination and Training Section, delivered sessions on maximizing the use of PCT work products and work-sharing solutions, as well as the importance of conducting examiner interviews to enhance communication with applicants.
The participation of the APO was particularly valuable in guiding examiners through hands-on exercises, while INAPI Chile contributed its expertise in the use and challenges of AI-powered search tools and demonstrated how examiners can guide users in accessing and making effective use of the Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) available in the country.
On the final afternoon, both WIPO experts moderated a Public Outreach Forum for around 20 local innovators, patent agents, and stakeholders, promoting practical strategies for international patent protection.
Building on the program's outcomes, WIPO and TTIPO will continue their collaboration through advanced online PATENTSCOPE training, examination guidelines development, and an ICSE pilot search project with the APO.