Supporting MSMEs Across Latin America with IP Skills-building

March 12, 2024

In 2023, the WIPO Intellectual Property Training Institutions (IPTIs), with the support of the WIPO Academy, have successfully helped more than 240 beneficiaries from micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Peru. The beneficiaries took part in projects delivered in the context of WIPO’s COVID-19 Response Package.

The projects involved dedicated training for MSMEs on intellectual property (IP), including supporting entrepreneurs to identify assets from their businesses suitable for IP protection so they could build an IP portfolio. The projects also featured networking opportunities and mentoring on IP strategies for businesses. The project in Costa Rica focused on MSMEs in the Atlantic coast, the Punta Arenas region on the Pacific coast, and the volcanic area of San Carlos (Hue tar Norte), to help spread IP skills among entrepreneurs in regions beyond the capital, in addition to a tailored training for women entrepreneurs.

The following IPTIs in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Peru were key partners on the ground ensuring the delivery of the projects:

• The Industrial Property Classroom of the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce of Colombia;
• The IP Academy of the National Registry of Costa Rica;
• National Academy of Intellectual Property of the National Office of Industrial Property of the Dominican Republic; and
• The National School for the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property of Peru.

How are the entrepreneurs taking their knowledge to the market?  

Elsy del Carmen Laucho Contreras is an entrepreneur from the Limón region of Costa Rica who runs a small business selling natural artisanal chocolates. She benefited from the project implemented by the IP Academy of the National Registry of Costa Rica with the support of the WIPO Academy, and has registered a trademark for her business, Chocotico.

I advise all entrepreneurs to get specific trainings on IP to learn how to protect their ventures and capitalize on their intangible assets. Formalizing and protecting your business is a basic and strategic step you can take to grow.

Elsy del Carmen Laucho Contreras, Founder of Chocotico (Costa Rica)

Sergio Suárez, Cindy Carmona, Luis Aristizábal, along with four other engineers, founded DeepCo in 2018. DeepCo is a Colombian company that offers innovative solutions for the conservation and sustainable use of underwater ecosystems, and in 2020 they patented their stabilization system for cameras used by divers underwater.

Through the project, we were able to establish a new IP strategy for DeepCo, as we will be registering the trademark for one of our new submersible drones shortly, besides seriously considering licensing our technology to third parties dedicated to other industries. We had not foreseen these IP considerations and opportunities prior to the training and mentoring session, so it has been immensely helpful for our business growth.

Sergio Andrés Suárez Vélez, Co-founder of DeepCo (Colombia)

Soledad María Solano Falcón started making and selling handicrafts, from greeting cards to Christmas ornaments and pet care agendas, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns to fill her time. Her handmade products became such a hit within her community in Lima’s district of San Miguel, Peru, that she launched the Baladona Store in 2022. Soledad sells her handicrafts online and in fairs across Lima. She benefitted from the training provided for SMEs by the National School for the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property of Peru with the support of the WIPO Academy in 2023, where she learned about the importance of protecting her IP assets.

After the seminar, Soledad successfully registered her trademark for Baladona Store in Peru, and plans to expand her business in the near future by mass producing the handicrafts. Soledad hopes to convert the Baladona Store into a social enterprise by employing women who have been victims of domestic violence to enable them to build an independent livelihood through their handicrafts.

Find out more

• What is intellectual property (IP)?
• WIPO’s COVID-19 Response Package: Bilateral Technical Assistance