November 21, 2022
On November 18, Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), addressed the Opening Ceremony of the 19th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum via video. Mr. Daren Tang pointed out that Shanghai is well-established as a leading center of IP activity. Both trademark and PCT applications from Shanghai grew by a third last year, with Shanghai one of the fastest growing locations for PCT applications in the world. At the same time, Shanghai-Suzhou now places 6th in WIPO’s ranking of the world’s top 100 science and technology clusters, which is an improvement of two places on last year, moving ahead of Boston-Cambridge in the US and Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto in Japan.
Mr. Daren Tang stated three reasons for the strength of Shanghai’s performance. First, the Shanghai Government places a high priority on IP development. Policies such as the Guideline on Building the City into an IP Powerhouse and the 14th Five-Year Plan on IP protection and Utilization offer a clear roadmap for the way ahead. Second, Shanghai takes a holistic approach to strengthening its IP ecosystem, including through close collaboration with WIPO. We are seeing strong progress with the Shanghai Technology and Innovation Support Center, the joint master’s degree program with Tongji University, and the WIPO-Shanghai ADR Service, where almost 60 IP cases have been referred for mediation and arbitration. Third, Shanghai understands how to create impact from IP. The City has a strong track record of commercializing IP rights so that patents, trademarks, and designs become new products and services. Shanghai has also taken steps to encourage IP Financing, with over 7 billion Yuan pledged in 2021, almost double the total of the previous year. This means that Shanghai is able to draw upon a number of successful examples that show how IP supports business growth. For instance, two local companies — Shanghai’s Shylon and Suzhou’s Raycan – were among the first five winners of WIPO’s inaugural Global Awards program.
Mr. Daren Tang congratulated the winners of this year’s 4th WIPO-Shanghai IP-Innovation Awards. He looks forward to continuing the excellent cooperation and to ensuring that IP and innovation remain powerful catalysts for growth, development, and prosperity in Shanghai, China and around the world.
At the Forum, Director Marcelo Di Pietro of WIPO Awards announced the nine winners of the 4th WIPO-SMPG Shanghai IP Innovation Awards. Ms. Liu Hua, Special Representative of WIPO Director General for the Forum and Director of WIPO Office in China, Mr. Chen Qun, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, and Mr. Hu Wenhui, Deputy Commissioner of CNIPA, presented the Awards.
The 19th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum with the theme of "Strengthening IP Commercialization and Fueling the Innovative Growth of Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SMEs)" was hosted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government (SMPG). Mr. Chen Jining, Party Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Committee, and Mr. Shen Changyu, Commissioner of CNIPA, attended and addressed the Opening Ceremony. Mr. Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, and Mr. Shen Changyu jointly unveiled the nameplate of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Protection Center.
Mr. Chen Jining said in his speech that Shanghai would make every effort to build an international IP center city and provide strong support to accelerate the construction of a modern socialist metropolis with world influence. Shanghai will promote IP cooperation with a more open attitude, deeply integrate into the global innovation network, actively participate in IP governance under the framework of WIPO, and strive to become a preferred place for dispute resolution in the international IP field.
Mr. Shen Changyu said that SMEs are crucial to maintaining stable and healthy economic development. In recent years, CNIPA has made efforts to promote the IP strategy for SMEs, strengthen the IP creation, protection, utilization, management, and service, and improve the effectiveness of IP transfer and transformation, to support the development of the real economy.
At the Forum, Director Guy Pessach from the IP for Business Division of WIPO and Director Amy Dietterich from the Global Challenges Division of WIPO delivered keynote speeches on how IP supports SMEs and how WIPO Green facilitates green technology adoption, respectively.
Mr. Guy Peassach stated that reliance and smart use of the IP system is key for the economic and business success of SMEs. WIPO will continue to create products and services that speak the language of business to help embed IP into SMEs’ DNA and support their growth.
Ms. Amy Dietterich introduced that WIPO Green is a global online marketplace for sustainable technologies, addressing climate change by connection providers and seekers. It enables efficient adaptation and deployment of green solutions through collaborative multi-stakeholder approaches, a transparent marketplace and reduced transaction costs.
Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute Co., Ltd., AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co., Ltd., and Siemens Shanghai Medical Equipment Ltd. received IP Innovation Awards (IP Creation). Shanghai Xiao-i Robert Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart (Group) Co., Ltd. received IP Innovation Awards (IP Protection). Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai University, and Shanghai Dongsheng New Material Co., Ltd. received IP Innovation Awards (IP Utilization).