Message from
our Chief Executive
our Chief Executive
Building Strong Foundations and Scaling New Heights
2010 was a rewarding year for the growth of Intellectual Property (IP) industry in Singapore. With strong economic recovery and growth of innovation-centric activity, the Intellectual Property services sector enjoyed a corresponding increase in demand. Intellectual Property filings in Singapore have improved significantly, reversing the decline seen in 2009. The Patent applications have increased by close to 12%, while Trade Marks and Designs applications were up by about 13% and 17% respectively. These are encouraging trends.
As Singapore companies grow and venture overseas, many have sought to protect and exploit their Intellectual Property to give them the competitive edge over the competition. To this end, IPOS' investment in building Intellectual Property awareness and capabilities in our economy has begun to show results. To date, the "Intellectual Property Management for Small and Medium Enterprises" or "IPM for SME" programme has attracted more than 200 companies and created almost half a billion dollars in projected economic value-add. As for the Public Sector, the IPM 2.0 programme was launched by IPOS in 2010 to develop Intellectual Property management capabilities within various Government agencies.
Apart from addressing the needs of businesses and Intellectual Property practitioners, IPOS has also taken active steps to raise public awareness and respect for Intellectual Property in our public domain. In 2010, IPOS launched 'The Originals Honour Intellectual Property (HIP) Adventure', which is a concept bus exhibit to provide the general public with a multi-sensory learning journey on Intellectual Property. Other activities held in 2010 included an IP Champion Camp as well as an IP Race which was held in tandem with the World IP week. In enhancing outreach to the youth and the IT-savvy, IPOS also conducted online engagements on Facebook and fortnightly chat sessions on the Habbo Hotel InfoBus platform to engage the youth through a fun and interactive way. Through these online and offline activities, IPOS hopes to bring IP closer to the people and encourage them to embrace a pro-IP way of life.
IPOS constantly reviews and updates its systems and infrastructure to ensure that Singapore remains a conducive location for IP-rich businesses. IPOS had rolled out a suite of e-services, including ePatents, eTrademarks and eDesigns, to facilitate IP registrations and research. To further enhance online services for the benefit of its customers, IPOS had in 2010 commissioned a project to develop an Integrated Registries System. This platform, when completed, will serve as a one-stop portal for all IP registrations in Singapore. Also in line with the intent to better serve our customers, IPOS' issuance of certificate for patent grant was increased to twice a month to allow applicants to receive their certificates of grant earlier.
I am happy to note that IPOS' business-friendly approach has been recognised through international surveys. As an example, IPOS' Trade Mark Registry was ranked fifth in a worldwide survey by the Managing Intellectual Property magazine published in May 2010. IPOS was the only Asian office ranked within the top five IP offices globally. Our staff have also consistently been invited to international fora to speak, and through these platforms, helped build a good name for Singapore.
I am privileged to be appointed as the new Chief Executive of IPOS. Over the years, IPOS has played a significant role in contributing to the economy of Singapore and social well-being of Singaporeans. Today, Singapore is recognised as having one of the best Intellectual Property regimes in the world. This achievement would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership of Ms Liew Woon Yin, former Director-General of IPOS, who had played an instrumental role in the evolution of IPOS and the development of a robust Intellectual Property environment in Singapore. I am thankful to be able to build on this strong foundation and focus on bringing IPOS to even greater heights.
Going forward, IPOS is committed to fostering an IP ecosystem where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. I look forward to working with all our stakeholders in this exciting journey ahead.
BG (NS) Tan Yih San
Chief Executive/Director-General
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
2010 was a rewarding year for the growth of Intellectual Property (IP) industry in Singapore. With strong economic recovery and growth of innovation-centric activity, the Intellectual Property services sector enjoyed a corresponding increase in demand. Intellectual Property filings in Singapore have improved significantly, reversing the decline seen in 2009. The Patent applications have increased by close to 12%, while Trade Marks and Designs applications were up by about 13% and 17% respectively. These are encouraging trends.
As Singapore companies grow and venture overseas, many have sought to protect and exploit their Intellectual Property to give them the competitive edge over the competition. To this end, IPOS' investment in building Intellectual Property awareness and capabilities in our economy has begun to show results. To date, the "Intellectual Property Management for Small and Medium Enterprises" or "IPM for SME" programme has attracted more than 200 companies and created almost half a billion dollars in projected economic value-add. As for the Public Sector, the IPM 2.0 programme was launched by IPOS in 2010 to develop Intellectual Property management capabilities within various Government agencies.
Apart from addressing the needs of businesses and Intellectual Property practitioners, IPOS has also taken active steps to raise public awareness and respect for Intellectual Property in our public domain. In 2010, IPOS launched 'The Originals Honour Intellectual Property (HIP) Adventure', which is a concept bus exhibit to provide the general public with a multi-sensory learning journey on Intellectual Property. Other activities held in 2010 included an IP Champion Camp as well as an IP Race which was held in tandem with the World IP week. In enhancing outreach to the youth and the IT-savvy, IPOS also conducted online engagements on Facebook and fortnightly chat sessions on the Habbo Hotel InfoBus platform to engage the youth through a fun and interactive way. Through these online and offline activities, IPOS hopes to bring IP closer to the people and encourage them to embrace a pro-IP way of life.
IPOS constantly reviews and updates its systems and infrastructure to ensure that Singapore remains a conducive location for IP-rich businesses. IPOS had rolled out a suite of e-services, including ePatents, eTrademarks and eDesigns, to facilitate IP registrations and research. To further enhance online services for the benefit of its customers, IPOS had in 2010 commissioned a project to develop an Integrated Registries System. This platform, when completed, will serve as a one-stop portal for all IP registrations in Singapore. Also in line with the intent to better serve our customers, IPOS' issuance of certificate for patent grant was increased to twice a month to allow applicants to receive their certificates of grant earlier.
I am happy to note that IPOS' business-friendly approach has been recognised through international surveys. As an example, IPOS' Trade Mark Registry was ranked fifth in a worldwide survey by the Managing Intellectual Property magazine published in May 2010. IPOS was the only Asian office ranked within the top five IP offices globally. Our staff have also consistently been invited to international fora to speak, and through these platforms, helped build a good name for Singapore.
I am privileged to be appointed as the new Chief Executive of IPOS. Over the years, IPOS has played a significant role in contributing to the economy of Singapore and social well-being of Singaporeans. Today, Singapore is recognised as having one of the best Intellectual Property regimes in the world. This achievement would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership of Ms Liew Woon Yin, former Director-General of IPOS, who had played an instrumental role in the evolution of IPOS and the development of a robust Intellectual Property environment in Singapore. I am thankful to be able to build on this strong foundation and focus on bringing IPOS to even greater heights.
Going forward, IPOS is committed to fostering an IP ecosystem where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. I look forward to working with all our stakeholders in this exciting journey ahead.
BG (NS) Tan Yih SanChief Executive/Director-General
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
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