WIPO Director General Daren Tang visited Latvia from April 7 to 8, 2025, to join in the 105th anniversary celebrations of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia (LPO). During his visit, Mr. Tang met with top Government officials, academic leaders and business representatives, providing him with a unique perspective on the nation's thriving intellectual property (IP) ecosystem. The recent global success of the animated film, Flow, featured in all discussions, serving as a shining example of the pivotal role IP plays in protecting such creations and amplifying their economic impact.
Meetings with Government Officials
Mr. Tang met Prime Minister Evika Siliņa. They discussed Latvia's innovation performance and the significance of viewing IP as a horizontal issue, requiring collaboration among various government entities for optimal impact.
Talks covered the country's cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence (AI). The recently established Center for AI in Latvia, which is aiding in the creation of new products and transforming the innovation landscape, was a key point of discussion. The Director General emphasized the importance of striking a balance between harnessing AI's opportunities and managing its risks, while safeguarding creative content and fostering technological progress.
Mr. Tang and Prime Minister Siliņa also explored ways to further empower young women scientists in Latvia on their IP journey, with Mr. Tang pledging WIPO’s commitment to working closely with Latvia on their new national IP strategy. This strategy will focus on the role of IP in catalyzing innovation, technology and IP commercialization. Mr. Tang also expressed WIPO’s readiness to provide support for targeted IP mentoring programs for women in STEM.
In a meeting with Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Mr. Tang expressed appreciation for her personal attention and support for WIPO activities and projects for universities, judges and the youth. The discussions also centered on IP as a strategic asset and potential new activities involving IP-backed financing and collateralization to attract further financing.
Discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament Daiga Mieriņa covered Latvia’s innovation performance and the importance of sustained financial support for R&D, an enhanced policy framework for academia and industry collaboration, and the crucial role of IP education starting at an early age.
Mr. Tang also met with Parliamentary Secretary Jurģis Miezainis from the Ministry of Economics and Parliamentary Secretary Signe Grūbe from the Ministry of Culture to discuss how IP policies can bolster Latvia’s technology transfer, support creative industries and small businesses, and strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Director of the LPO Agris Batalauskis and Mr. Tang signed a memorandum of understanding on alternative dispute resolution, reinforcing cooperation in the area of arbitration and mediation and offering small businesses a cost-effective, efficient and confidential way to resolve IP disputes. They also discussed potential cooperation to support SMEs and IP education.
Throughout the meetings, Mr. Tang praised the global triumph of the animated film Flow, which has received widespread international recognition, including winning an Oscar.
Keynote at Conference on Innovation and Growth
Mr. Tang spoke at the International Conference “IP as a Catalyst for Innovation and Growth: Connecting Research, Technology, and SMEs”, which brought together IP leaders from across Europe to discuss IP’s role as a driver of innovation and economic development.
During the keynote panel “Leveraging IP for Innovation and Growth: A Focus on Collaboration, Technology Transfer and SMEs”, Mr. Tang emphasized the importance of building inclusive and data-driven innovation ecosystems, empowering local researchers and entrepreneurs to create value from IP, and strengthening support for technology transfer between academia and industry. He also highlighted WIPO’s close cooperation with the Baltic TTO Network and reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to helping SMEs and startups harness IP as a tool for growth.
Meetings with Industry, Academia
Further underlining the link between IP and enterprise development, the Director General visited Balticovo, one of the largest egg producers in Northern Europe, to witness firsthand how the company is investing in technology, sustainability and innovation. Mr. Tang engaged with Director of Communication and Development Toms Auškāps, who spoke about the company’s new innovation to provide energy to the region from the agricultural waste.
In a meeting with the rectors and vice-rectors of four of Latvia’s leading universities that are all part of the Baltic TTO Network – the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, Riga Stradiņš University and Daugavpils University – the Director General pledged WIPO’s support to further streamline the IP commercialization framework and strengthen IP education and collaboration with WIPO Academy.
The visit concluded with the Latvian Intellectual Property Awards Ceremony, where Mr. Tang presented the WIPO National Award for Enterprises to Sonarworks – a company working at the cutting-edge of audio tech and sound calibration – and joined others in recognizing excellence in IP achievements.
