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WIPO's First Executive Program Examines Effective IP Strategies For Business Managers

Geneva, September 22, 2006
Press Releases PR/2006/455

Senior executives, including several presidents, chief executive officers (CEOs) and executive directors from business organizations in over 20 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas, participated in the first open enrolment executive program – "Strategic Intellectual Property Management" – which was held at WIPO's headquarters in Geneva on September 18 and 19, 2006.

WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, said that he was delighted with the overwhelming response to the course and its successful conclusion which he said underlined the demand among the business community to develop a better understanding of how to integrate intellectual property (IP) into their business strategies. He said "in today's knowledge economy, the intellectual property system is a crucial element in enhancing business value. An intellectual property business strategy is a "must" for any company seeking to enhance and maintain its advantage in today's highly competitive marketplace," he added. Dr. Idris said that the WIPO Worldwide Academy was committed to providing high quality and innovative IP education and that it would continue to develop and hold programs to meet the unprecedented growth in demand for IP education.

Professor James G. Conley, Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, the United States of America; Mr. Tony Hadjiloucas, Director, Valuation and Strategy Practice, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, London, the United Kingdom; Mr. Ruud Peters, CEO, Philips Intellectual Property & Standards, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; and Mr. Kari Sipila, CEO, Future Innovations, Helsinki, Finland, shared their experiences on how to create and sustain value over time using IP as a strategic business asset. They examined the linkages and integration of various components such as corporate business strategy, operations management, marketing, brand making, value extraction and transfer, finance, taxation and IP portfolio management, through a series of lectures, case studies and group discussions.

In launching the Program, Mr. Yo Takagi, WIPO Executive Director, underlined its strategic importance to business enterprises and said, "IP has become a global, business-driven, dynamic and strategic tool for the business enterprises. Executive managers of successful companies have realized it and they have leveraged the power of IP for value creation in the global market place."

Led by accomplished professionals and academics from reputed business schools, international corporations and WIPO, the two-day intensive program also reviewed the latest trends and best practices in the field of IP management. Participants examined the important role of IP as a strategic business tool and explored how it can be leveraged for enhanced and enduring competitive advantage. The program considered some of the innovative ways of integrating IP portfolio management strategy into the corporate business, marketing, finance and technology management strategies of companies for additional value creation, extraction and transfer.

Professor Conley said, "Fundamentally, the genesis of competitive advantage is shifting to intangibles, specifically intellectual property, so management needs to proactively utilize and leverage these assets if they want to sustain the advantages of investment and innovation."

Mr. Hadjiloucas said that the course was timely and unique in bringing together an excellent range of skills and people. He said that "understanding what IP is worth is of paramount importance" for business and that the course material would be of interest to anyone involved in IP from a management, legal or financial perspective. Speaking about the importance of IP to business, he said, "the impact of knowing what your intangible assets are worth could be of huge benefit in any number of ways". He said measuring, protecting and maximizing the value of IP assets is paramount whether you are a fashion designer, opera singer, or a software company, or whether you are an entrepreneur hoping to bring your product to the attention of investors, a technology-based business considering licensing or selling some of your IP or a large consumer products company wanting to know if your marketing spend is adding enough value to your brand.

Mr. Peters said, "This course demonstrated that we have entered the knowledge economy and that globally there is a big interest in knowing how to use knowledge to foster innovation, growth and the creation of jobs."

Mr. Sipilä commented that the course was "a very good way to emphasize the role of IP as a driving force for innovative business and the importance of IP management for the success of companies. The course featured materials and case studies which are relevant to businesses of all sizes in all parts of the world. It is very important that this type of education continues because we live in an ever-changing world and the role of IP is constantly increasing.."

Participants found the course unique in its content, quality and approaches, and expressed full satisfaction with the program as a whole. In response to their call for additional similar and more specialized courses, the Dean of the WIPO Worldwide Academy , Mr. Mpazi Sinjela, said "In view of the large number of applicants on a waiting list for the future executive programs in Geneva and the huge demand for IP management programs worldwide, we will organize more strategic IP management executive programs in Geneva, and other cities around the world in the coming months." Details of these courses will be published on the Academy's website (https://www.wipo.int/academy/en/).

The WIPO Worldwide Academy is a center of excellence in teaching, training and research in IP. Recognition of the growing demand for IP education within the business sector prompted its launch of the WIPO World Academy Executive Program (see also Press Release 2006/448 at www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/prdocs/2006/wipo_pr_2006_448.html).

Further information about the full range of activities and services provided by the WIPO Worldwide Academy, including the Executive Program, is available from the WIPO Worldwide Academy website at https://www.wipo.int/academy/en/. To register for a course, please contact the WIPO Worldwide Academy at : 34, chemin des Colombettes, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. Tel: (41-22) 338 9529; Fax: (41-22) 740 1417; E-mail:execed.academy@wipo.int ; Website: https://www.wipo.int/academy/en/execed/

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