Asia IP

Singapore renewed its commitment to multilateralism, and being a trusted and neutral partner to various stakeholders in the innovation and intellectual property communities at the 59th World Intellectual Property Organisation General Assembly in Geneva. Daren Tang, chief executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), also shared the key initiatives undertaken by Singapore to support the development of the regional and global innovation ecosystems.

In his national statement, Tang affirmed the pivotal role IP offices play in driving economic growth and building social vibrancy through their ability to encourage innovation. He also shared how IPOS is transforming from an IP registry and regulator to an innovation agency, using technology to transform customer experience and working with partners in the government and private sectors to help enterprises scale-up. 

Tang, who is also chairman of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, highlighted Singapore’s strong support of WIPO in several regional programmes and seminars, including those under the Singapore Cooperation Programme, and the commitment to continue working with partners in ASEAN and Asia to strengthen the region’s IP and innovation infrastructure.

While in Geneva, Tang will join representatives from seven other IP offices and the WIPO Economics and Statistics Division to launch their Guidelines to Using Evidence from Research to Support Policymaking. Singapore is the principal Asian IP office contributing to the report conceived in 2014 by WIPO, alongside chief economists and IP heads from Australia, Canada, Europe Patent Office, European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

He will also meet with representatives from over 50 countries in bilateral meetings, and jointly host with the Permanent Mission of Singapore in Geneva, a Singapore Luncheon with Ambassadors and heads of delegations, to discuss how IP offices are broadening their mission and work beyond IP registration and regulation and using IP to help drive enterprise and economic growth.

Ranked 3rd in the world and top in Asia for the best IP protection, Singapore is currently signatory to 14 WIPO-administered treaties. Singapore is also host to the first WIPO external office in a member state – WIPO Singapore Office – since 2005, which has organized over 161 technical assistance programmes and 88 events for some 1,600 participants.