This roundtable, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA), will explore how intangible investment is powering innovation and growth in Japan’s innovation landscape. Featuring industry leaders and experts from Japan and WIPO, the event will discuss the latest global trends in intangible investment and share perspectives on leveraging intangible assets to drive innovation and economic growth.
The discussions will draw upon the recently released World Intangible Investment Highlights 2025 report, co-published annually by WIPO and the Luiss Business School. The report reveals that intangible assets—such as software, intellectual property, research and development, brands, and design—now represent a significant and growing share of global GDP. In fact, intangible investment in the global economy has grown more than three times faster than tangible investment since 2008, despite economic uncertainties.
The report provides covers a range of high- and middle-income economies representing more than half of global GDP, offering unprecedented data to help policymakers and business leaders better understand the evolving role of intangible assets in fostering innovation and economic resilience. Find out more about the WIPO-Luiss Business School Partnership.
On July 22, 2025, prominent policymakers, industry leaders and experts will discuss:
- Insights from the World Intangible Investment Highlights 2025 and their implications for Japan
- The role of intangible assets in driving innovation and growth in Japan’s economy
- Challenges and opportunities faced by companies investing in intangible assets
- The evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and investments across both tangible and intangible assets
- Implications for policy and institutional frameworks to support intangible investment and innovation in Japan
What to expect?
- Opening remarks by
- Mr. Nakahara Hirohiko, Secretary-General, Secretariat of Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, Cabinet Office
- Mr. Kasai Yasuyuki, Commissioner, Japan Patent Office, Tokyo
- Mr. Kobayashi Toshihiko, President, Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) and Executive Officer, General Administrative Manager, Intellectual Property Division, Seiko Epson Corporation
- Mr. Marco M. Alemán, Assistant Director General, IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector, WIPO
- Presentation of the report’s findings by WIPO Secretariat, Luiss Business School, and experts from the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), Japan
- Panel discussion with leading Japanese business leaders from Fujitsu, Suntory Holdings, and Kai Corporation, moderated by Mr. Natsume Ken-Ichiro, Assistant Director General, WIPO.
Are you interested in learning how intangible investment is shaping innovation and growth in Japan?
Video recordings of the webinar are available in:
A brief summary of the webinar is available in English [PDF] and in Japanese [PDF].