Welsh Government
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Wales to host world IP forum
The forum, which will be held on Sept 10-11 at the Millennium Stadium, is a prestigious globally acknowledged gathering of leaders in the field of intellectual property, its promotion and protection.
It has only been organised outside Geneva on two previous occasions and it is the first time it has been held in Wales.
Delegates will be welcomed by First Minister Rhodri Morgan at a reception in Cardiff Castle while the opening address will be given by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Intellectual Property & Quality.
The First Minister said that hosting the Forum would place Wales at the heart of the latest World IP discussions and networking, enabling the country to be at the forefront of IP policy shaping.
IP development is becoming more and more important to the Welsh economy and Welsh society, as we evolve in the direction of a knowledge economy.
Major world names in IP development such as EADS, IBM, Motorola and General Dynamics, GE and Boots Healthcare already develop some of their IP in Wales, frequently in conjunction with our Universities.
Wales is already established as one of the leaders in Intellectual Property - the UK Intellectual Property Office headquarters are located here, support and advice is provided to SMEs through the Assembly Government’s Innovation & Technology Counsellor Network, IP work is undertaken by Swansea University and we have an ongoing partnership with the UK Intellectual Property Office.
Last year’s Forum in Geneva was attended by representatives from 30 countries and more than 50 institutions from a range of sectors.
They included representatives of IP offices and innovation related initiatives responsible for promoting IP usage among the micro-enterprises and SME community.
The Forum is one of several activities held by the WIPO SME Division each year and has a specific focus on encouraging greater use of the IP system by micro-enterprises and SMEs.
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