The fourth iteration of the WIPO-Australia Funds-in-Trust (FIT) was established on March 1, 2024 with the generous commitment of $2 million AUD from the Government of Australia.
The FIT runs until February 2027 and supports activities to help least developed countries and developing countries in the Asia and the Pacific Region build their intellectual property systems and capabilities to facilitate innovation, investment and technology transfer. In doing so, the FIT provides means for WIPO to extend its activities and projects in support of our Member States and stakeholders in the Asia Pacific based on the WIPO Results Framework.
The FIT’s activities are focused in three areas:
- Supporting the development of balanced and effective IP and innovation ecosystems.
- Supporting access for groups and communities to leverage IP.
- Knowledge transfer and technology adaptation to address global challenges.
Some key highlights of the work program under the FIT are:
- Capacity building support for patent examiners and the judiciary in South-East Asia to enhance national IP and innovation ecosystems.
- Support for visually-impaired people in South East Asia and the Pacific to access books in accessible formats and thereby improve educational and employment outcomes.
- Mentoring and training for women entrepreneurs in the Pacific, including from indigenous and local communities, to make strategic and effective use of intellectual property.
- Targeted coaching and expert advice for small and medium-sized enterprises in South East Asia to help them leverage intellectual property to grow their businesses.
- Support for green technology transfer to help address greenhouse gas emissions in South East Asia and mitigate climate impacts in the Pacific.
In pursuing activities in these areas, the FIT is focused on helping the broader group of stakeholders – including women, small and medium-sized enterprises - make effective use of intellectual property as a powerful tool for growth and sustainable development.
Background
The WIPO-Australia FITs commenced in 2012 and up until the fourth iteration, the Government of Australia committed 5.8 million AUD largely for the benefit of stakeholders in the Asia Pacific Region.