WIPO Global Awards 2023

The 2023 annual competition for the WIPO Global Awards is searching for exceptional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of creators, inventors, and designers that are making smart use of intellectual property rights to achieve their business goals while also harnessing their innovation and creativity for the good of society.

FAQs about the WIPO Global Awards

Meet the 2023 WIPO Global Awards Finalists

Twenty-five small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from around the world are finalists to become one of the seven winners of the 2023 WIPO Global Awards. The WIPO Secretariat has shortlisted 25 finalists out of 548 applications from 58 countries.

Aerosol Magee Scientific

Slovenia
Sector: Environment

A leading developer and manufacturer of air quality measurement instruments, leveraging on patents and trademarks to protect their innovations and branding. Their products address air quality, climate change, and health issues worldwide. Despite attempts by competitors to imitate or bypass their technologies, their exclusive position is maintained through strategic use of patents. They conduct IP audits to identify potential risks and actively monitor the marketplace for potential infringements and take legal action when necessary, issuing warnings to potential infringers in China and the US.

BeFC®

France
Sector: Environment

BeFC® is revolutionizing data transmission by reducing battery drawbacks. With a robust IP portfolio, they patent core technologies, develop trademarks, and copyright. Their ecofriendly electronic platform, combining a wide range of sensors and wireless modules, is powered by BeFC® sustainable, organic and paper-based energy source. They prioritize IP in contracts and plan to safeguard industrial designs, emphasizing the strategic role of IP in maintaining proprietary technology and securing freedom to operate. They aim to extend IP rights globally to support future expansion and market entry.

CRMQ

Mexico
Sector: Health

CRMQ's nanotechnology platform for drug delivery to the retina represents a significant breakthrough in treating common causes of blindness. The company leverages its IP through patents to protect this technology, ensuring exclusivity and commercial advantage, coupled with its research capabilities. By strategically registering trademarks, CRMQ creates opportunities for future assignments or licensing agreements, reinforcing its position in the market. Through collaborations with industry, academia, and government entities, CRMQ aims to address global visual health challenges and introduce innovative pharmacological products worldwide.

Cocoly

China
Sector: Agriculture

Cocoly is a fertilizer producer and exporter specializing in granular water-soluble fertilizer. They prioritize protecting their trademarks by applying for registration in multiple countries. Additionally, they leverage their own patents in production, particularly for specific processes, ingredients, and outer packaging of their products.

Digi Smart Solutions

Tunisia
Sector: Food

With a focus on intelligent management of fish farm water parameters, this company aims to boost production by approximately 40%. Their patents are marketing tool, enhancing brand recognition and consumer confidence. They leverage patent valuation to optimize their IP portfolio on the stated value of their patents, enabling better negotiation and assessing potential returns on investment. Their fully IoT centralized architecture, supported by artificial intelligence tools, analyzes key indicators to inform optimal decision-making.

Dukhoon

Kuwait
Sector: Creative Industries

The Dukhoon+ is a patented aroma diffuser that offers a unique experience with natural room fragrances, personal perfumes, and aromatherapy. The company initially focused on obtaining patents and trademarks, but faced challenges with counterfeit products, leading them to pursue an industrial design approach for faster administrative and legal procedures. With plans to enter the global market within the next three years, having a strong IP portfolio ensures a credible and trustworthy business for customers and investors, providing a competitive advantage and protection.

Farmer Lifeline Technologies

Kenya
Sector: Agriculture

This company's patented technology empowers marginalized smallholder farming communities to combat crop pests and diseases. Their proprietary device, powered by solar energy and equipped with AI, data analytics, and machine learning capabilities, detects and alerts farmers about crop health issues with recommendations of remedies to take. Intellectual property protection through utility patents and an Exclusive Manufacturer's Agreement safeguards their unique technology and ensures long-term global production rights for the next 145 years.

Flexxon

Singapore
Sector: Cybersecurity

AI-based cybersecurity solution that detects and prevents ransomware attacks in real-time leverages its extensive IP portfolio, including 50 filed patents and 30 granted patents, along with 27 global trademarks, to gain a competitive advantage, protect innovations, and forge licensing and partnership opportunities. Major PC manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, and Asus have partnered with Flexxon to integrate their multi-patented innovations into acclaimed products. This IP-driven strategy has attracted investor interest and underscored the importance of IP rights in building brand recognition. Their groundbreaking X-PHY Al Cybersecure SSD, backed by their patent portfolio, offers real-time protection against ransomware and evolving cyber threats, revolutionizing the cybersecurity landscape.

FUTTEC

Czech Republic
Sector: Infrastructure

Futtec holds several patents, utility models, and an industrial design registration, ensuring exclusive rights and preventing unauthorized use of their specialized solutions in guided microwave heating technology for asphalt surfaces, ensuring an optimal temperature gradient critical for high-quality and long-lasting preventive repairs. They also utilize trade secrets to safeguard their internal processes and know-how. With trademarks and copyrights, Futtec establishes a strong brand identity and protects their audiovisual outputs and software. By enforcing their IP rights abroad, especially through prior patents and industrial design registrations, Futtec secures their market position and promotes their technology globally.

KaryaKarsa

Indonesia
Sector: Creative Industries

KaryaKarsa is a platform that empowers storytellers to self-publish their serialized stories and directly sell them to their fans, allowing storytellers to retain 90% of the proceeds. Through their IP management services, KaryaKarsa assists in finding partners for adapting these stories into different formats, such as movies, series, and audio series. Additionally, they collaborate with brands to organize engagement events with the creator community. KaryaKarsa prioritizes the storytellers' control over their copyright by not implementing IP lock-in on the platform and facilitating licensing opportunities for content adaptation.

LACTIPS

France
Sector: Environment

Lactips leverages its IP portfolio that includes seven patent families with European and worldwide extensions, to market its innovative natural protein-based polymers. Their plastic-free plastic technology is 100% bio-based, fully biodegradable, and water-soluble without leaving micro particles. With product patent filings and application patents in strategic areas, Lactips protects its formulations and demonstrates the pioneering nature of its materials and targeted applications. The IP strategy ensures avoidance of potential blocking by major marketers and world-class chemists, while trademarks further contribute to a coherent IP strategy.

Netux

Colombia
Sector: Health

Netux strategically leverages its IP assets, including patents, copyrights, and trade secrets, to drive innovation and market its IoT technology solutions. Their technology enables monitoring of critical variables in health institution assets, such as temperature control in medicine refrigerators and quality assessment of hospital gases. The integration of biomedical devices and cloud-based data communication facilitates patient monitoring and follow-up by healthcare professionals. Netux's technology also streamlines health institution processes, such as smart appointment management systems.

PIRKA

Argentina
Sector: Creative Industries

PIRKA holds several trademarks, which is strictly protected in 14 countries, of their elite brands of moisture-resistant, industrial and light plasterboards. Additionally, they have registered industrial models, trade secrets, and copyrighted source code to safeguard their manufacturing techniques and franchise management software. These IP tools ensure exclusivity, shorter installation time, improved worker ergonomics, and reduced accidents, enhancing the company's market position and brand recognition.

Pregenerate

Austria
Sector: Health

Pregenerate is at the forefront of personalized treatment for arthritis patients with their revolutionary CE-marked chip called "Optimate OA," which utilizes an organ-on-a-chip platform. Pregenerate holds the exclusive license rights and purchase option to the technology from the Veterinary and Technical Universities of Vienna. The worldwide license for the technology grants them unrestricted use of the intellectual property rights for manufacturing, selling, and commercializing products and services. Pregenerate prioritizes IP monitoring to minimize any potential patent infringement risks.

PT Seaweedtama Biopac

Indonesia
Sector: Environment

Biopac is a social enterprise dedicated to manufacturing and commercializing seaweed-based bio packaging. Their patented technology, licensed from one of their co-founders, forms the foundation of their operations. With a focus on reducing single-use plastic waste, they cater to various industries. By protecting their IP, including patents and trademarks, Biopac has a visionary approach to creating global impact by transferring their seaweed-based packaging technology to partners worldwide, free of royalty fees.

RePG Enerji Sisemleri

Türkiye
Sector: Green Energy

RePG has developed patented energy technology from harvesting latent and waste heat, which produces energy (electricity, heating & cooling) and water from air. With 77 IP applications (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and utility models) and a robust IP portfolio, the company's IP commercialization strategy is tailored to engage financial and strategic investors. These IP assets solidify RePG's position as a pioneer in the industry and lay the foundation for future revenue generation.

Sager Drone

Jordan
Sector: Various technologies

Sager Drone's IP strategy enables a competitive advantage in nearly ten countries, controlling product and service use and distribution. This includes trademark registration and copyright protection for their drone-data solutions, renewable energy and utilities services, construction and infrastructure services, and telecommunications. Through trademarks, the company protects its brand name, logo, and distinctive features, fortifying its brand reputation and fostering customer loyalty. Their online platform, SagerSpace™, streamlines the data supply chain, eliminating silos and bottlenecks.

Schaffengott Co.

Republic of Korea
Sector: Various technologies

Schaffengott specializes in providing disaster safety products and services for the Insurtech, smart cities, and mobility sectors. Holding over 100 registered domestic and international IP rights to consolidate their position and protect their products, designs, and technologies. They leveraged their IP rights to raise funds during the early stages of growth, showcasing the value of their intellectual assets. They faced a significant challenge when sued by a global conglomerate, resulting in the loss of their trademark. This experience pushed them towards a more robust IP strategy, allocating a significant portion of their revenue, approximately 10%, to IP rights applications and maintenance costs.

Shanghai Sage Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

China
Sector: Industrial technologies

Have filed for numerous patents, copyrights, and trademarks to protect their product range of intelligent mobile co-tri robots with advanced capabilities, targeting industrial and service applications. With a focus on core technologies and product appearances, they have received a significant number of awarded items. They are strategically targeting the European market and have initiated patent applications under the PCT for international protection.

Shanghai Superhigh Environmental Technology.

China
Sector: Various technologies

Patented technology for sophisticated sinter plates and dust-removing devices for dust collectors. They have actively contributed to the establishment of corporate and industrial standards in this field. They have also established a platform for IP protection and integrated patent work into their product development process. Generally, the company follows a "market-oriented" strategy when applying for patents, prioritizing countries with large markets or populations. This approach ensures a strategic focus on regions that offer significant business opportunities and potential customer base.

Shanghai Westwell Technology Co. Ltd.

China
Sector: Environment

Westwell has developed multi-scenario intelligent and green solutions for the bulk logistics fields. Building a robust patent, industrial design, and trademark independent IP rights defense network to develop, such as WellOcean® for seaports and Qomolo® for autonomous new energy commercial vehicles, serving over 160 customers across 18 countries and regions.

SHENZHEN PUDU TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

China
Sector: Various technologies

With a focus on delivery robots, Pudu leveraged its IP assets, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights, to protect and expand its product offerings. Their main products, PuduBot and BellaBot, have gained significant recognition in the food delivery sector, resulting in the acquisition of hundreds of exclusive patents and trademark registrations in more than 50 countries and regions. Through commercialization of their patents and licensing of their brand and copyright, they further capitalize on their IP assets. Pudu has been rapidly growing in recent years to become a leader in the global markets with coverage of over 60 countries and regions.

STAR's Tech

Republic of Korea
Sector: Environment

STAR's Tech patented technology is protected in seven countries for the upcycling of the invasive species starfish into eco-friendly de-icers, cosmetics raw materials with collagen, and liquid fertilizers. As a subsidiary, it offers technical serum to overseas clients, manufactured only by STAR's Tech factory to reduce the risk of exposing their technologies during the manufacturing process.

Xi’an Kiss Future Internet Technologies

China
Sector: Creative Industries

A leader in AR/VR technologies, with patented innovations in motion platforms and hardware optimization. They offer comprehensive solutions for VR cinemas and cultural institutions, enhancing digital experiences. The company has secured patents in the U.S. and Japan, with patent applications filed in Europe and the Republic of Korea. By understanding and integrating the IP systems of each country, they aim to strengthen their IP strategies and gain a competitive edge in the field.

YAKWETU™ Online Limited

Kenya
Sector: Creative Industries

YAKWETU™ is an Entertainment Technology company that’s innovatively disrupting the 95-99% piracy-dominated distribution channel of digital content in Kenya, with plans for the rest of Africa and other developing Countries. Its online home entertainment & edutainment system has taken proactive measures to protect and monetise the intellectual property (IP) of its Content Partners. One of its trademarks, MyMovies.Africa™, is a mobile-first digital cinema extension that has been protecting and commercialising all IP rights in African video content, since September 2019 globally.