Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry Announces its Participation in WIPO GREEN, Contributing to Environmental Technology Innovation in the Kyushu Region

November 22, 2021

On November 17, 2021, Tomoki Sawai, Director of WIPO Japan Office attended the Kyushu Intellectual Property Utilization Promotion Council held by the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry. At the beginning of the Council, Mr. Yuzo Goto, Director-General of the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, announced that they will become a WIPO GREEN partner.

Mr. Yuzo Goto, Director-General of Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (right) announced their participation as a WIPO GREEN partner at the Kyushu Intellectual Property Utilization Promotion Council. On the left is Tomoki Sawai, Director of WIPO Japan Office.
Photo credit: Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

The Kyushu Intellectual Property Utilization Promotion Council is an organization and meeting that promotes the exploitation of intellectual property and the dissemination of intellectual property systems in the Kyushu region, with the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry serving as the secretariat. With the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises, unions and other organizations, universities and other public research institutions, educational institutions, local governments, and support organizations, the council promotes the utilization of intellectual property that takes advantage of the characteristics of local industries and local universities.

On November 17, a meeting of the Council was held in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and in his opening address, Mr. Yuzo Goto, Director General of the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI-KYUSHU) mentioned the expectation of WIPO GREEN measures to promote the diffusion of environmental technologies, and expressed the intention of the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry to become a WIPO GREEN partner.

After that, Mr. Sawai, Director of WIPO Japan Office, gave a lecture titled "Importance of IP System in International Society". He thanked the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry for becoming a WIPO GREEN partner, and spoke to 60 representatives of industry and IP circles in the Kyushu region about the recent international situation of innovation, the importance of environmental measures and open innovation, and the role of WIPO GREEN, citing data from the WIPO Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021.

Tomoki Sawai, Director of WIPO Japan Office, gave a lecture on the importance of IP systems in the international community at the Kyushu Intellectual Property Utilization Promotion Council.
Photo credit: Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

WIPO GREEN has more than 130 partners, including government agencies, industry associations, companies, and universities, and this is the first time that a regional office of the government has joined WIPO GREEN as a partner. WIPO GREEN is expected to promote open innovation in environmental technologies in the Kyushu region, and to contribute to regional development.

WIPO Japan Office will continue to work closely with related organizations nationwide to promote and raise awareness of the importance of IP and WIPO’s initiatives such as WIPO GREEN.