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WIPO’s IP for Business Division – Highlights from the 64th WIPO Assemblies

July 28, 2023

The Sixty-Fourth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States took place from July 6 to 14, 2023 at the WIPO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. On the sidelines of these meetings, the IP for Business Division (IPBD) in close collaboration with the Regional and National Development Sector (RNDS) and the WIPO Academy, organized and participated in over 50 bilateral and regional meetings and briefings.

The main objective of these meetings with delegations from member states was to present the division’s menu of tools, programs and services making Intellectual Property (IP) an enabler of business growth.

(photo: wipo)

The WIPO IP Diagnostics Tool has been accessed over 22,000 times in the first 18 months since its launch, generating 3,000 customized reports for SME owners around the world and translated into 12 languages, with another 7 in the pipeline.

Welcome remarks, Director General Daren Tang

Bilateral meetings

In more than 40 bilateral meetings key programs of the division, including IP Management Clinics (IPMC), Inventor Assistance Program (IAP), Patent Drafting Training Program and IP Finance were presented along with the division’s resources and tools such as the WIPO Diagnostics, IP Business Moments, the series of IP for business guides and the WIPOD Make IP your Business.

In addition to presenting these offerings, IPBD seized the opportunity to reflect on its work, reinforce existing partnerships, and explore avenues for further future collaboration. Throughout these engagements, various key themes and developments emerged, setting the stage for continued progress and mutual growth.

Expanding IPBD’s work at a regional level – Enhancing IP support for SMEs

Acknowledging the growing importance of SMEs across regions, WIPO's collaboration with regional stakeholders is vital in supporting and guiding these businesses on their IP journey, fostering economic growth and innovation within interconnected states.

During the General Assemblies and preceding them, the IPBD Team engaged with delegations from all regions.  

Prior to the GA’s, IPBD met with the Arab Group to introduce WIPO's latest tools and services for SMEs, along with ongoing projects in the Arab region such as the implementation of the Effective SMEs Intermediaries and the Business Support Units in National IP Offices Programs.

On July 10, IPBD assessed the progress of the Project to promote the use of the IP System as a source of economic growth for entrepreneurs and MSMEs in Central America and the Dominican Republic under the Covid-19 response package with the Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC).  The ASEAN region meeting on the same day allowed them to present a range of IPBD's tools and services, specifically highlighting projects in the ASEAN region, like the IP Management Clinic Program Philippines and Indonesia Editions.

During a briefing on July 12 organized by the Division for Transition and Developed Countries (TDC), the IP for Business Division, and the IP for Innovators Department, WIPO showcased various activities and resources designed to promote innovation and support innovators. These included IPBD's programs for SMEs and entrepreneurs, TISCS Learning Resources, and WIPO Inspire, all aimed at guiding and empowering innovators and entrepreneurs to maximize their potential through IP.

Subsequently, on July 13, the IPBD team engaged with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), which expressed keen interest in disseminating the WIPO IP Diagnostics Tool and the WIPO IP Diagnostics for Publishers launched in March 2023 to ARIPO Member States.

Furthermore, IPBD celebrated the results of WIPO’s fruitful cooperation with the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), showcasing their commitment to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in Africa by introducing WIPO's latest customized resources tailored to OAPI Member States. This included the launch of the WIPO IP Diagnostics Tool for OAPI, adapted to suit OAPI’s legal and regulatory context. The WIPO Judicial Institute also unveiled the WIPO Collection of leading judgments on IP rights for OAPI members, presenting WIPO's work with the judiciaries. (For more information, please read Unveiling WIPO's Latest Customized Resources for OAPI Member States: IP Diagnostics Tool and Collection of Leading Judgments on IP).

(photo: wipo)

In Africa, SMEs are key drivers of regional development. 6 in 10 Africans work for an SME, with the sector responsible for 8 in 10 new jobs. SMEs are engines of opportunity.

Mr. Marco Alemán, Assistant Director General, IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector during his opening remarks- for more information please visit Linkedin

The proactive approach taken by WIPO in introducing valuable tools and services was widely appreciated, and member states expressed their eagerness to continue working together to foster economic growth and innovation within their respective regions.  The regional briefings were successful in strengthening the synergy between WIPO and its partners, leading to meaningful outcomes and reinforcing WIPO's role as a vital support system for SMEs and entrepreneurs worldwide.

Side event – Addressing global challenges regarding SMEs

Recognizing the role of SMEs as drivers of innovation and economic growth, WIPO and ILPO conducted a study in 2021 to understand Israeli’s SMEs’ filing behavior and their reliance on the IP system. Building on this experience, the IPBD, the Transition and Developed Countries and WIPO Chief Economist joined forces to organize a Panel Discussion on the Use of IP by SMEs on July 10 to showcase studies that have been conducted by other IP offices in the field of SMEs.

The Panel counted on the participation of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), the Israel Patent Office (ILPO), IP Australia, the National Institute of Industrial Property Ministry of Economy of Chile (INAPI), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

(photo: wipo)

The IP for business division has initiated a program on the development of business support units in national IP offices. As part of this program, we have developed our own methodology of a combined quantitative and qualitative study, aiming to track patents and modalities of SMEs usage of the filing systems.

Mr. Guy Pessach, Director, IPBD, closing remarks

For more information, please read Panel Discussion on the Use of IP by SMEs: Insights and Analysis Shared by IP Offices (wipo.int)

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