SINGAPORE, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Singapore has taken steps to position itself as a hub for intellectual property (IP) in the region in the areas of education and IP infrastructure, said its Minister of Law and Foreign Affairs, K. Shanmugam.
"It is part of a national effort to systematically build up IP protection, exploitation and management expertise in Singapore, in the private sector as well as in the public sector," he said in his address at the Europe Asia Patent and Patent Information Conference (EAP2IC) here today.
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) chief executive, Tan Yih San, said EAP2IC underpinned the strategic importance of Asia-Europe cooperation in IP.
"As a responsible member of the global IP community, Singapore is committed to engender greater dialogue and collaborations between different stakeholders to forge win-win partnership, and contributing actively as an IP services hub for the region," he said.
He said EAP2IC was also part of IPOS' efforts to promote IP so that "our businesses could use IP as their competitive edge, and for our innovators and researchers to take comfort with IP so that they could continue to create, innovate and build a better tomorrow for Singapore."
The three-day event, starting today, is jointly organised by the European Patent Office (EPO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and IPOS.
EAP2IC 2011, themed "Enhancing technology transfer between Europe and Asia using patents" will provide an international platform where leading voices in the IP industry gather to discuss and exchange insights on patent information and IP management.
Prominent speakers include Francois-Regis Hannart (EPO's principal director for European and International Cooperation); Alejandro Roca Campana (WIPO's senior director-adviser for Global Infrastructure Sector); and, Quek Tong Boon (chief defence scientist of Ministry of Defence, and also chairman of IPOS board).
The participants will discuss the latest developments on patent protection strategies, experiences in cross-border IP transactions, and the importance of planning a successful patent strategy for competitive advantage.
(Source: www.bernama.com)
