WIPO’s COVID-19 Related Services and Support

WIPO helps member states to address specific challenges post-pandemic through the launch of new, impact-oriented projects leveraging the effective use of intellectual property (IP). A special focus is dedicated to those typically underserved by the IP system such as women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), local communities and Indigenous Peoples.

The COVID-19 Response Package was approved by the WIPO member states in October 2021, and launched by the WIPO Director General Daren Tang as part of WIPO’s Program of Work and Budget 2022/23.

Following the success of the COVID-19 Response Package, WIPO’s new Build Back Fund has been introduced as part of WIPO’s Program of Work and Budget 2024/25. The Build Back Fund ensures the seamless continuity of projects and activities launched under the COVID-19 Response Package, and will continue to address country-specific needs and priorities during the post-pandemic period.

Contact

Member states seeking more information should contact the Build Back Fund Focal Point.

Member states seeking more information on the WHO-WIPO-WTO Trilateral Cooperation relating to COVID-19 should contact Ms. Amy Dietterich, Director of the Global Challenges Division.

Areas of support

Technical assistance and capacity building

Tailored support to member states for COVID-19 response and recovery projects.

Trilateral cooperation

Access resources at the intersection of IP, health, and trade through the WHO-WIPO-WTO trilateral cooperation.

Policy and legislative assistance

Legislative and policy advice relating to IP, innovation and creativity.

Skills and knowledge development

Practical skills-building and training opportunities offered by the WIPO Academy.

Innovation support

Access to specific policy, decision making and tools to respond to COVID-19 issues through WIPO Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs).

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IP dispute resolution

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center services catered to the life sciences sector.

Knowledge resources

Explore more

COVID-19, Innovative Firms and Resilience

WIPO published an economic research working paper on patent filings as a strong indicator for a company’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in manufacturing industries. The study shows that patent-intensive firms, especially those with R&D investments, have greater resilience and productivity. Read the COVID-19, Innovative Firms and Resilience publication to find out more about the relationship between intellectual property activity and economic resilience in industry, including policy insights.

WIPO ADR Options for Life Sciences Dispute Management and Resolution

The WIPO ADR Options for Life Sciences Dispute Management and Resolution publication was developed by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center as part of WIPO’s COVID-19 support package for member states. The publication takes into account input from WIPO Arbitrators and Mediators specialized in life sciences.

Resilience and Ingenuity: Global Innovation Responses to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the ecosystems that spur innovation and creativity around the world. The e-book Resilience and Ingenuity: Global Innovation Responses to COVID-19 untangles how the pandemic shaped the innovation landscape of the world’s major economies, and how scientists, entrepreneurs and creative professionals responded to the crisis.

Spotlight on COVID-19 Response Package projects

The COVID-19 Response Package delivers projects with significant local impact, empowering beneficiaries and strengthening their resilience particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The WIPO Academy and the Costa Rican Academy of Intellectual Property, a WIPO supported Intellectual Property Training Institution (IPTI), delivered an IP skills-building training program for local entrepreneurs from Limón, a region on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica in November 2022. One of the beneficiaries of the training program, Ada Yorleny Thorpe Thomas, a local entrepreneur who started her food business during the pandemic was inspired to register her trademark after learning about the economic benefits that result from formalizing and protecting her business brand. She was the first person from Limón to register a trademark, which is a historical achievement for her region and country.

WIPO and Harvard Law School have teamed up to offer “PatentX”, a specialized online course on patent law and global public health. The course examines the complex relationships between IP and public health in stimulating the production and distribution of vaccines and medicines, particularly in pandemic scenarios. The first edition of the course ran during the first half of 2023 and had 500 participants, with a groundbreaking 95.5% pass rate.

A special edition of the WIPO – South Africa Summer School was offered in 2022 focused on IP and public health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemic preparedness. A total of 114 participants from 14 countries attended the summer school, and 10 scholarships were offered to South African experts working in the field of IP and public health.

Regional Conference in Support of Accelerated Life Sciences Innovation

To help those working on technology transfer in the life sciences, mainly in the public and non-profit research sectors, WIPO in collaboration with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) organized the first Regional Conference in Support of Accelerated Life Sciences Innovation, in Mexico City from May 9 to 12, 2023. The Conference is part of the efforts to support the development of innovation ecosystems and skills related to IP management and technology transfer relevant to health technologies.