The Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) volunteer community in Colombia came together on October 22, 2026, for a meeting jointly organized by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The event provided an opportunity to recognize the contribution of volunteer patent professionals, reflect on the Program’s achievements and recent developments, and explore opportunities for strengthening IAP support for Colombian innovators and small businesses.
Opening the meeting, Juan Pablo Mateus Bernal, Deputy Superintendent for Industrial Property, SIC, highlighted the important role that the IAP plays in expanding access to the patent system and helping Colombian innovators transform promising ideas into protected intellectual property assets.
Colombia, the first pilot country of the IAP in 2015, remains one of the Program’s strongest participating countries and a compelling example of how collaboration between public institutions, volunteer professionals, support organizations and innovators can strengthen a national innovation ecosystem.
In his keynote address, Marco M. Alemán, WIPO’s Assistant Director General for the IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector, recognized volunteers for the expertise, time and dedication they contribute to the Program. He noted that the IAP’s success in Colombia has been built on a shared commitment to ensuring that promising inventions, regardless of an inventor’s financial circumstances, can access professional patent support and protection.
You were essential when the IAP began, you made much of its success possible, and you will be indispensable to its future. Together, we can help more inventors protect their ideas, bring their innovations closer to the market, and expand the contribution of intellectual property to Colombia’s economic and social development.
– Marco M. Alemán
More than 110 Colombian beneficiaries, including 23 small and medium-sized enterprises, have received assistance through the IAP, and 40 have successfully secured patent protection. Colombian inventors account for more than one third of beneficiaries supported under the Program and nearly half of all beneficiaries granted patents through the IAP.
The impact of the Program was illustrated through the stories of Colombian inventors who have benefited from volunteer support, including Pedro Cadena Mantilla, who secured patent protection for his innovative bicycle mount, and José Eulises Suárez, whose patented ceramic production technologies have become the foundation of his entrepreneurial activities.
The meeting also explored the next phase of the IAP. Discussions highlighted the Program’s growing focus on helping inventors not only secure patent protection, but also bring their innovations to market through commercialization support and stronger connections with other local innovation support programs.
Building on Colombia’s strong track record, volunteers reaffirmed their willingness to continue supporting local innovators and contributing their expertise to the Program. Participants also discussed ways to strengthen local patent drafting capacities, expand the volunteer network and ensure that more Colombian inventors can benefit from specialized intellectual property support.
SIC and WIPO expressed their sincere appreciation to all volunteers, law firms and partner organizations supporting the Program. Their contribution remains essential to helping Colombian inventors protect their innovations and pursue commercialization opportunities.
As the Program continues to evolve, Colombia’s volunteer community remains at its heart, helping ensure that promising ideas can become protected innovations capable of creating lasting impact.