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IP Management Clinic for SMEs Program

The Intellectual Property Management Clinic for SMEs Program (IPMC) is a four-month program that supports innovative companies in formulating their IP strategies based on their business plan and intangible assets portfolio.

The program focuses on the IP-related aspects of the companies' product or technology across its business cycle, both from the perspective of an IP rights holder and of a user of third parties’ IPRs. The selected companies receive support to better manage and use their IP through personalized, one-on-one mentorship, expert advice and training.

Featured

an image showing innovation development journey from A to B as a strategic process on a chess board
(Image: iStock/Getty Plus/Olivier Le Moal)

IP Strategy Checklist for SMEs

Need help with your company's IP assets? Use our step-by-step IP strategy checklist to start you off.

How can IPMC benefit my business?

Every innovative company has unique business challenges that require a tailored IP strategy – an action plan to identify, develop, protect and leverage a company's portfolio of IP assets. Successfully implemented, an IP strategy allows businesses to gain competitive advantage and drives profitability.

All IP Management Clinics share a common methodology, format and duration, though some offer different degrees of specialization in certain areas of IP. Companies selected by WIPO benefit from various activities spread over four months, including:

  • One-on-one mentorship with renowned IP expert(s) selected by WIPO on how to better use IP for growth. A mix of IP-related expertise is on the panel, e.g. IP strategy, IP management, branding, valuation, licensing and franchising
  • Training opportunities and access to practical tools and services
  • Networking opportunities amongst peers

While the program is open to companies from around the world and from all industries, some editions of IPMC may be open to companies that work with specific technology only. The program would be of particular value to companies that are already making use of the IP system to support their work. 

The program is conducted in English and is free-of-charge.

Current opportunities

Currently, our program does not have any opportunities available, but we invite you to explore our resources and stay tuned for future updates. We invite you to explore testimonials from past participants and discover a wealth of resources tailored to support you in using IP as a key business enabler.

IP Management Clinic success stories

  • Gokomodo: Indonesia’s Pioneering Agricultural Startup Leveraging Intellectual Property to Beat the Copycats

    Founded in 2019 by agribusiness executive Samuel Tirtasaptura and tech entrepreneur William Pramana, Gokomodo combines digital services with physical stores to bridge the gaps in Indonesia’s agricultural supply chain and reach even remote farming communities.

    Full story

  • Famous Belgian Waffles: Food franchise’s IP portfolio provides recipe for success

    Innovention Food Resources Inc., known for its Famous Belgian Waffles brand, opened for business in September 2012 and has quickly become one of the fastest-growing franchises in the Philippines.

    Full story

  • CBRC: Adult Education Company Creates International IP Portfolio

    The Carl E. Balita Review Center (CBRC) has established itself as a powerhouse in the Philippine adult education sector, offering over 40 review programs and comprehensive training for professional licensure exams.

    Full story

  • Jernip Kencana: Indonesian Lime Juice Producer Finds Recipe for Success

    Established in 1996 by Indonesian businesswoman Nunung Nurhayati, the startup quickly became one of the foremost and oldest lime juice producers in Kuningan, a town on the island of Java.

    Full story

  • School of Concepts: Empowering Global Education through Strategic IP Management with MINT

    Mint Lim developed the award-winning SOC method through working with underprivileged children and five years of self-funded research and development.

    Full story

  • Scube Gift: Leveraging IP for Global Expansion and Innovation with the MINT Program

    Scube Gift built a team of in-house marketing professionals, product designers, and product engineers to create novel and meaningful gifts.

    Full story

  • Flexxon: Strengthening Cybersecurity through Innovation and IP Management with MINT

    Flexxon, a hardware cybersecurity and flash storage manufacture company founded in 2007, is constantly developing innovative solutions to strengthen the cybersecurity of businesses.

    Full story

  • Jamu Drinks based on Indonesia’s Herbal Medicine

    Centerindo’s herbal drinks are derived from the Jamu Wellness Culture, a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage.

    Full story

  • First Thai Sustainable Vegan Egg Substitute

    The company's product is the first Thai plant-based egg replacement.

    Full story

  • BAOWE – A Woman Entrepreneur Network in Bhutan

    Helping Rural Entrepreneurs to Add Value to their Products in Bhutan and Increase Market Reach.

    Full story

  • Organic Vanilla from Samoa

    A Passionate Vanilla Farmer Hopes to Put Samoa Vanilla on the World Map.

    Full story

  • A large shrimp pond with a wooden passageway in the middle, and equipped with a yellow floating sensor

    Tepbac Sustainable Shrimp Farming Technology

    Helping Small Shrimp Farmers with New Technology Tools for Increased, Sustainable Production in Viet Nam.

    Full story
  • an image showing an innovative product - Curetex’s yarn made from washi, traditional Japanese paper.

    Curetex’s Washi-based Organic Fabric

    Meet Curetex Corporation, Japan, that benefited from IPMC's 2022 edition.

    Full story

IP Management Clinic programs

Events

Ongoing editions

Previous editions

2023:

2021-2022:

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to participate in the IPMC program?

The IPMC program is complimentary for enterprises. However, we expect companies to commit their time to ensure effective outcomes from the program.

What is the expected time commitment during the four months?

We expect companies to spend at least 6-10 hours for mentorship sessions with the expert(s). This can be flexibly arranged with the expert(s) depending on the needs and schedules of the company, and can be either in-person or virtual meetings. This excludes the time that should be set aside for training (see below).

What trainings are available?

Curated training will be offered to companies as part of program. These will include modules from the WIPO Academy (online distance learning).

How will my company’s confidential information be protected?

There will be a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) between the IP expert (s) and the company.

For any further questions on the IP Management Clinics program, please contact us.

Testimonials

Have a look at what previous IPMC participants have to say about the program:

Mr. Ben Reeve

Co-Founder,
Modern Synthesis,
UK-based biomaterial innovative company


Fantastic program, providing a huge amount of knowledge about the importance of aligning IP and business strategy with the key risks and related mitigations (including employees’ and ownership considerations). As a result of this training, we have adapted our IP strategy to perform quarterly IP reviews, competitor analysis updates and tracking systems for customer projects.

Mr. Masaki Fujishiro

Chairman,
Curetex Corporation,
innovative Japanese entity manufacturing textiles using rice paper


Through the networking opportunities, we identified new business connections with possibilities to market our products in Europe and South-Africa. We now understand the value of our IP assets and we work towards improving our IP knowledge and management strategy to increase our competitiveness.

Resources on IP management

WIPO IP Diagnostics

The IP Diagnostic Tool helps you identify your business' IP assets and provides you with an automated report with basic information on how to manage these assets.

Enterprising Ideas Inforgraphic

This infographic will take you through the important IP issues which should be considered at different phases of a startup’s journey.

Guides: Intellectual Property for Business

These guides are designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises to understand why it is important to pay attention to IP, and what benefits can be drawn from its use.

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