Policy Discussions and International Organizations

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) deliver valuable guidance and analysis about innovation and IP policymaking to governments and other stakeholders. They also provide a forum for policymakers and other actors to discuss best practices and to set high-level political objectives and direction. Each IGO has a specific mandate and scope of work. The mission of the World Intellectual Property Organization “is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all”. Given its mission and extensive technical expertise, WIPO has a leading role to play in demystifying how IP and other policies can be framed to drive technological advancement and socio-economic development. Engagement with IP users helps keep WIPO and other IGOs connected to emerging issues and developments in the real economy. Innovation Council members engage with IGOs to share their firsthand experiences bringing technologies to people.

UN: Covid-19 Summit: Sharing Knowledge, Technology Critical to Curb Virus

Leaders at a virtual Covid-19 summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2021, pledged to mobilize millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines and billions of dollars to “build back better”. Following the summit, the US and European Commission made public a statement to launch a “taskforce” on Covid-19 manufacturing and supply chains, which includes a commitment to coordinate initiatives to boost global production of vaccines and therapeutics.

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COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP 2021)

WHO is issuing the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for 2021 and accompanying documents as a package aimed at guiding the coordinated action that we must take at national, regional, and global levels to overcome the ongoing challenges in the response to COVID-19, address inequities, and plot a course out of the pandemic.

The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2021 (SPRP2021) builds on what has been learned about the virus and our collective response over the course of 2020, and translates that knowledge into strategic actions. This plan builds on achievements and also focuses on the new challenges, to mitigate, for example, risks related to new variants. The plan also considers the road we need to travel towards the safe, equitable and effective delivery of diagnostics and vaccines as part of the overall strategy to successfully tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

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OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report: Keeping the Recovery on Track

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.) published its Economic Outlook Interim Report stating that a global economic recovery from the pandemic was finally taking hold, but it inched back its forecast for worldwide economic growth and warned that the rebound was benefiting wealthier countries more than the developing world as vaccine distribution occurs at an uneven pace. Countries that have made big strides toward vaccinating most of their populations are bouncing back much more quickly than those that are still struggling to obtain shots, the O.E.C.D. said, raising a host of related economic problems that are affecting global supply chains and pose a risk for the future.

Laurence Boone, the organization’s chief economist: “If we continue to vaccinate and adapt better to living with the virus, supply will begin to normalize and this pressure will fade, but for that we have to vaccinate more people.”

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2021 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen

In her State of the Union Address on September 15, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised the need for Europe to focus on long-term innovation priorities, and to connect them to key green and digital goals. She stated that the EU has the necessary innovation and science capabilities, but needs to create the right conditions to foster innovation. This is particularly important for Europe’s planned digital transformation and in regard to the growing demand for chips, she said, and should be addressed through the European Chips Act, which will invest in European technology sovereignty, strengthen global supply chains, and develop new investment projects for green and digital technologies as part of the European Green Deal.

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WIPO Training: Mentoring and Matchmaking Program on IP for Women Entrepreneurs

Open for applications: WIPO women entrepreneurship program for members of indigenous peoples and local communities. The program supports indigenous entrepreneurs in strategically using intellectual property tools to grow their businesses.

Submit your application by September 6, 2021 here.

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Policy approaches to close the intellectual property gender gap

Click here through Innovation Council’s presentation on “Policy approaches to close the intellectual property gender gap”. Innovation Council’s Jennifer Brant and Mark Schultz presented the findings on 29 July during the plenary session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Watch the full session. 

The IC intervention starts at 01:38:52.

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Nominate inventors for the European Inventor Award 2022

The European Inventor Award honours inventors not only for the genius of their scientific or technological breakthroughs, but also for the impact their inventions have on our lives. You can help determine who will receive a highly coveted Award trophy by nominating an inventor. Simply complete the nomination form, submit it before the deadline is reached and your inventor could become a finalist in Europe’s foremost innovation prize.

Nominations for the 2022 edition of the European Inventor Award must be sent to the EPO by 1 October 2021.

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Key IP considerations for smaller enterprises

The Innovation Council team wrote an article that was published in the June issue of WIPO Magazine. The article, by Phil Wadsworth, with Jennifer Brant and Peter Brown, highlights key IP considerations for smaller companies. In particular, the article highlights the importance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of patents, trade secrets, copyright protections, and trademarks, as well as design rights, and discusses how these protections can facilitate collaboration, successful commercialization, and other beneficial outcomes for small businesses.

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EPO announces winners of the European Inventor Award 2021

The European Patent Office’s European Inventor Award 2021, which took place on June 17th, celebrated outstanding inventors and inventor teams from Europe and beyond.

At the ceremony, the winners were announced for each of the five categories: Industry, Research, SMEs, Non-EPO countries, and Lifetime Achievement.  These winners were selected by an independent, international jury. The public was also invited to vote for their favourite inventor from among the 15 finalists in the Popular Prize.

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