WIPO Director General Concludes Official Visit to Austria
December 4, 2024
In an official visit to Austria from November 27-29, 2024, WIPO Director General Daren Tang took part in celebrations marking the 125th anniversary of the Austrian Patent Office (APO) and met with senior Government officials as well as other stakeholders, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and representatives of the academic sector.
Speaking at the APO’s 125th Anniversary Conference, titled IP for the Green and Digital Transition, Mr. Tang emphasized the critical role of intellectual property (IP) in fostering innovation for a sustainable future. He highlighted WIPO GREEN and noted its pivotal role in connecting global innovation ecosystems. He underscored that IP should not merely safeguard innovation but actively drive the development and deployment of green and digital technologies.
For 125 years, the Austrian Patent Office has been a critical driver of innovation, both nationally and across Europe, nurturing ideas that have helped shape today's world. As we stand at the forefront of transformative changes, including accelerating the green and digital transitions, it is especially timely for the APO to unite the IP community in charting the path forward. I am honored to join this milestone occasion and to celebrate the deep bonds that connect WIPO and our friends in Austria.
Patent filings in clean and sustainable technologies have tripled in the past 20 years, making Austria one of Europe’s six leaders in the field. Smart grid technologies, which intersect green and digital innovation, are growing particularly strongly, at an annual rate of almost 12%, faster than any other green patent area.
WIPO Director General Daren Tang
The Anniversary Conference, which highlighted the country’s century-long commitment to fostering innovation and adapting to global challenges, brought together a range of stakeholders and partners, representatives of IP Offices and regional organizations, including Mr. António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office (EPO) and Mr. João Negrão, Executive Director of the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Beyond the anniversary celebration, Mr. Tang met with Ms. Leonore Gewessler, Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology and with President Stefan Harasek of the Austrian Patent Office and his team.
The meetings focused on the strong strides Austria has made in green innovation. They also discussed the importance of IP commercialization, a new WIPO-Austria report on unlocking IP finance and the impact of partnerships, including the role of WIPO GREEN, where Austria contributes over 1,000 technologies.
As part of his visit, the Director General met with Dr. Irene Fialka, CEO of INiTS, Vienna's High-Tech Incubator and founders Sanja Selak (Origimm Biotechnology) and Georg Popp (Turn-Motion). Austria's startup and SME ecosystem has grown significantly, with Vienna emerging as a leading tech hub in Europe, placing the country among the continent's top 10. During the meeting, Mr. Tang highlighted WIPO's tools and initiatives aimed at supporting SMEs and Start-Ups and discussed the journey to market exploring how to better help European startups grow and scale.
In his meeting with Dr. Petra Schaper-Rinkel, Rector of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, the Director General emphasized the importance of integrating art with science and technology, to spark creativity and maximize the impact of IP. He also reaffirmed the vital interplay between technology and aesthetics and how initiatives like the new Riyadh Design Law Treaty can support this innovative approach.
The cultural and artistic dimensions of Austria’s innovative spirit were also showcased in the visit of the “AUT NOW!” exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts, reflecting the country’s legacy of invention and forward-thinking design.
The Director General’s visit highlighted Austria’s strategic positioning in leveraging its great scientific and cultural heritage to drive its future growth. Through collaboration with WIPO, IP will continue to play a key role in driving innovation, creativity, and economic growth in the country.