AI and the future of IP take centre stage at Singapore IP Week 2026
21 August 2026
Singapore IP Week 2026 is set to take place on August 26-27 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore, with the theme “The Rise of AI: Is it IP as Usual?”
The flagship event will tackle the defining technological disruption of our time, exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the innovation lifecycle, from creation and ownership to commercialization and enforcement, and what this means for businesses, policymakers and the global innovation community.
Singapore IP Week 2026 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the bicentennial of SGLaw 200, which is the jurisdiction’s modern legal system. The event will highlight how Singapore’s legal and IP frameworks have evolved together to support innovation, enterprise and global connectivity.
One of the activities lined up is the launch by the Ministry of Law and IPOS of a public consultation on the impact of AI on Singapore’s IP regime. This marks the first time Singapore is seeking broader public views on AI’s impact on the copyright and patent regimes.
The broader Singapore IP Week programme will also feature the inaugural IP for Growth Awards (IPGA) ceremony on August 25. IPGA recognizes enterprises and innovators harnessing intangible assets/IP to drive business growth across Asia.
The event will also feature the launch of the IA Valuation Guidelines developed by the Institute of Valuers and Appraisers Singapore, the establishment of a Global IA Valuation Network, a new Technical Reference on Enterprise IA/IP Management and the expansion of the IP Grow platform to better connect more businesses with Singapore’s IP ecosystem.
These initiatives fall under the Singapore IP Strategy 2030, reflecting the growing efforts to strengthen how businesses create, manage, value and commercialize intangible assets in an AI-enabled economy.
Singapore’s minister for law and second minister for home affairs Edwin Tong, SC, will deliver the opening address while Daren Tang, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, will deliver the keynote address.
Minister for energy and industry Tan See Leng and Cambodia’s minister for industry, science, technology and innovation Hem Vanndy will also participate in the opening ministerial plenary on shaping growth strategies in a dynamic global landscape. Other speakers include Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet, and senior leaders from Microsoft, NatWest Group, General Atlantic Singapore and OpenAI.
“The questions surrounding AI’s impact on IP require dialogues across governments, businesses, international organizations and the broader innovation community. Singapore IP Week has grown into a leading platform that brings together diverse voices to explore practical approaches that strengthen collaboration, advance innovation and build trust in the global innovation ecosystem,” said IPOS chief executive Tan Kong Hwee.
- Asia IP
