Towards a Better Future for Youth through IP

March 17, 2022

Innovation and creativity are the driving force of human progress. Across the globe, young people are stepping up to innovation challenges, using their energy and ingenuity, curiosity and creativity to steer a course towards a better future. In preparation leading up to the World IP Day 2022 themed with IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future, the WIPO Office in China (WOC) held a Roundtable on the Empowerment of Youth through IP in Beijing on March 10, with 30 youth representatives from government, academia, associations, business and media attending the event.

Ms. Liu Hua, WOC Director, pointed out that youth are the innovators, creators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow, driving change and carving pathways to a better future. Therefore, WIPO, as a UN agency for IP, will ensure them understand how IP is connected and relevant to their lives, and support their aspirations, whether it is to earn a livelihood or to address global challenges through IP, because IP will take their ideas to market and create value from different intangibles, such as technology edge, brands reputation and image, design appeal and creative flair.

Ms. Liu Hua introduced WIPO’s series of initiatives on Youth in 2022, especially the World IP Day 2022 themed on IP and Youth, which will carry out activities including Youth Conversation, Youth Gallery and Youth Video Competition. The WOC will select best practices from young Chinese inventors, creators and entrepreneurs and tell their stories in using IP for growth and development. She also briefed the meeting on the first WIPO Global Award for SMEs that was launched in 2022, and encouraged Chinese young people to participate in the process.

Young representatives from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), Peking University, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of International Business and Economics, the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTED), TusPark, China Trademark Association, Beijing Young Entrepreneur Chamber of Commerce, China Telecom, ZGC Development Group, Microsoft (China), Alibaba, Xiaomi, Pinduoduo, Dentons Law Firm, China IP News and IP We-Media shared their views on how IP empower youth to innovate and create for self-development and social progress. They said that the Chinese government has always adhered to the innovation-driven development strategy and encouraged young people to innovate and start businesses, invested in youth especially in the fields of science and technology, and in the building of young IP talent team. The increasing investment in universities has produced high-quality scientific innovation and creation, incubated many new promising start-ups and valuable companies. Young people could realize the value of IP by taking technology as a basis and finance as a tool to turn intangible assets into tangible assets. The R&D institutions should provide adequate support for young researchers based on their needs to encourage the innovation. Through innovation and IP, young people could transform the traditional industries for a more sustainable development.