Opening Address by Senior Ministor of State Law & Home Affairs for the 4th Europe-Asia Patent Information Conference
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Professor Alain Pompidou. President European Patent Office
Distinguished guests from National IP Offices
Honoured speakers
Ladies and gentlemen
Honoured speakers
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning.
- It is with great pleasure that I welcome you once again to the opening of the Europe-Asia Patent Information Conference – EAPIC 2006. This is the 4th time EAPIC is held in Singapore. I am especially glad that this year, in conjunction with EAPIC, we are also hosting a Conference for the Heads of Intellectual Property (IP) Offices. This is an excellent initiative of the European Patent Office, providing a platform for discussion on key issues of concern to national IP agencies and policy makers.
- Every year at EAPIC, I note the significant progress in Singapore and in Asia, and the strengthening of collaboration between Europe and Asia in the IP area. For me, EAPIC has become a milestone, allowing us to take stock of the key achievements made in the IP landscape in the previous years, and giving us a fresh starting point for new initiatives and programmes for the year ahead.
- In a short span of time, Asia has certainly seen rapid developments. As we consider how the IP landscape will evolve, two trends are especially pertinent. First is Asia’s growing importance due to its increasing patenting growth rates; and second, is the increasing emphasis that businesses are placing on IP.
- A Singapore IP Academy study noted that the percentage of patents granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office originating from Asia has increased from 23% in 1995 to 30% in 2005. Growth rates of patent output from Asia-Pacific countries, excluding Japan, have increased threefold within the last decade. In terms of technology area, the patents from this region have also become increasingly specialised over the years, and Singapore and the Philippines saw the greatest degree of technological specialisation.
- At the same time, we are seeing a greater appreciation by businesses to ensure that IP is integrated into their growth strategies. One particular area of interest is the growing knowledge and application of IP management, which essentially involves integrating the cycle of creation, protection and exploitation of IP, as a core component of an organisation’s business processes and strategies for value generation. Indeed, this was a key point raised and discussed by IP experts and thought leaders at the Global Forum on IP, organised by the Singapore IP Academy, which was held just last month in Singapore.
- What do these developments mean for the IP community? The rapid growth of IP filings, particularly patent filings in the region, and increasing awareness of IP management among businesses are positive signs. They reflect the growing awareness of the value of IP and of Asia’s participation in the international patent system. But such developments have brought about some challenges as well.
- To illustrate, take the increasing number of patent applications received by national offices yearly. IP offices have to invest in new resources and systems, and devise new mechanisms to cope with handling ever increasing numbers of applications. The challenge to optimally balance efficiency against quality cannot be underestimated..
- As for IP management, businesses implementing robust IP management will seek out talent and expertise of professionals knowledgeable in the IP subject and in the new technology areas. But the level of capability varies in each country, and within each country, for different industry sectors. To help businesses take full advantage of IP in the global marketplace, the challenge is to find and groom an adequate pool of competent professionals with the core skills.
- What this means is that more and more, countries and industry will have to work closely together in win-win partnerships to respond to the challenges to seize the new opportunities. In Singapore, we believe that it is only through greater collaboration and knowledge exchange that we will find the best way to move forward.
- At the Governmental level, the Heads of IP Conference will thus provide an opportunity to share experiences and best practices and to consider the best way to meet the growing demand for IP services. One of the possible solutions is to share resources and leverage on one another’s strengths. As an example, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are launching a new programme to share with and equip developing Member Economies in the APEC area with the skills, tools and resources to implement public education and awareness campaigns to promote the protection and enforcement of IP.
- At the industry level, EAPIC is a fine example of a co-operation programme that will bring about greater industry awareness and interaction in the patent and business communities. EAPIC provides opportunities to exchange ideas, share new developments and explore the possibilities of patent information and IP management for value creation. I am convinced that EAPIC will be an effective platform for creative business solutions and for new and better services to emerge.
- We in Singapore are committed to playing our part to foster this important dialogue and to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange. Earlier this year , Singapore hosted a WIPO Diplomatic Conference that culminated in the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trade Marks which will streamline the procedures for Trade Mark registration. And as I mentioned earlier, IP Academy’s Global Forum on IP brought together the world’s thought leaders in the field of IP to discuss the opportunities and challenges, and come up with insights and ideas to shape the future IP landscape. Whether at the Heads of IP Offices Conference or at EAPIC, this greater dialogue – amongst Government, thought-leaders and industry – will bode well for the future of IP.
- In this context, there is great scope for further cooperation between Europe and Asia in the area of IP. There is much for Asia to learn from Europe, and much for Europe to gain from a growing Asia. Greater cooperation between the two regions in IP would bring about benefits for all.
- I am especially glad to learn that the European Patent Office and the IP Office of Singapore have agreed to extend their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2003. This MOU provides the framework of co-operation between both offices in the area of IP awareness, human resource development and patent processes. It is under this MOU that EAPIC has grown to the event it is today.
- Under the new MOU, we can all look forward to the 5th EAPIC in Singapore in 2007. This year, we are pleased to have with us representatives from the United States, China, India, Romania and Saudi Arabia. Next year, I understand the organisers are aiming towards even greater involvement of Asian national IP offices and Asian IP information and professional service providers. They are also planning to enlarge the scope of the conference to include the area of IP management.
- In the fast-moving IP landscape, the continuing collaboration and interaction between Europe and Asia must continue to grow. At the recently concluded Asia-Europe Meeting, the Leaders underscored the importance of international cooperation in IP, and committed to the promotion and implementation of effective IP protection. EAPIC serves as a symbol of this cooperation between Europe and Asia. There is certainly plenty of scope for new services and new businesses focused on IP to grow in this region and for Asia-Europe cooperation in IP to bear new fruit!
- This leaves me to wish you a good meeting and fruitful discussion. Our thanks and appreciation to the European Patent Office for their forward thinking and pro-active support of the IP industry in this region. We hope to see you all again next year to mark another milestone on IP developments in Asia.
- Thank you.
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