The sixth Business of Intellectual Property Asia (BIP Asia) Forum opened today and continues through tomorrow at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), this year's BIP Asia Forum adopts the theme of "IP in the Innovation Era". The event features more than 80 prominent speakers and is expected to attract more than 2,400 IP professionals.

At the opening ceremony, CY Leung, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, was joined by Wang Binying, Deputy Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization, Yi Xiaozhun, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization and Deng Yingjun, Deputy Director General, Office of General Affairs of Patent Office, State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China.

"In a fast-changing world driven by innovation and technology, IP is an increasingly important currency for companies around the globe," Margaret Fong, Executive Director, HKTDC, said. "To shed more light on the key trends, the BIP Asia Forum gathers leading players from all sides of the IP equation: the policymakers who shape the regulatory environment, the innovators who are pushing the boundaries of technology and the brand leaders that have been able to convert great ideas into high-demand products and services."


Forecasting IP trends in Asia

The opening day featured two plenary sessions. The plenary entitled "Growth and Opportunities: The Next IP Development in Asia" heard Dr Song Liuping, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Dr Uwe Over, Corporate Vice President, Head of IP and Associate General Counsel, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA analyse upcoming IP trends in Asia in the innovation era. The speakers also discussed ways to formulate effective IP strategies for companies to stand out from the crowd in a competitive business environment.

The second plenary session, "The Future is Open: Managing and Commercialising IP Assets" was addressed by Roger Martin, Senior Vice President and Chief IP Strategist, Qualcomm Incorporated; Kenneth S Korea, Senior Vice President and Head of US IP Center, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd; and Dr Udo Meyer, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Intellectual Property, BASF SE. The three industry experts offered insights on ways to facilitate product development through open innovation while maintaining competitiveness and market share.

The opening day also offered breakout sessions covering four main areas: IP Practical Tips, IP Market Insight, Industry-specific IP and Quick Guide to IP Basics. Meanwhile, the two-day IP Manager Training Programme, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Intellectual Property Department of the HKSAR Government, helps provide basic IP training for SMEs to raise their competitiveness.


IP, innovation and technology converge at Global Tech Summit

Technological innovation is closely linked to IP. The inaugural Global Tech Summit invited representatives from research institutes and technology enterprises, including Hanson Robotics, cherrypicks, DJI, Siemens, Vitargent and VeriFi (Hong Kong) to share their thoughts on the relationship between IP and technological innovation. The speakers explored global technology trends, shared success cases of breakthrough technologies and examined the relationship between technological innovation and IP.

China's 13th Five-Year Plan under the spotlight

Tomorrow's plenary session entitled "Looking into China's 13th Five-Year Plan: New Opportunities in the Innovation Era", welcomes Yang Guoxin, Deputy Division Director, Planning and Statistics Division of Planning and Development Department, State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China; Wang Yueping, Deputy Managing Director, Energy Service Division, CGN CLP Energy Services (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; and Danny Ng, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Altai Technologies Limited. They will give expert analysis on the opportunities and effects arising from China's blueprint for development over the next five years.


Breakout sessions explore hot topics

Tomorrow's breakout sessions will investigate hot IP issues for different sectors. Topics include "Social Media Law and IP Issues Relating to 3D Printing", "Partnering with Universities and Research Institutions in the Era of Open Innovation", "Resolution of IP Disputes - Recent Developments", "Strategic IP Management in China'sFilm and Creative Industries", "Fashion and IP: New Materials and Technology Applications", "IP Financing: Global Success Models and the Roadmap for Hong Kong", "Brexit and IP: Impacts and Implications", and "Start-ups and IP Business Opportunities".


New strategic partners for Asia IP Exchange

The Asia IP Exchange (AsiaIPEX) lists more than 27,000 tradable IP items ranging from patents, trademarks and copyrights to registered designs, covering such industries as biotechnology, medicine, electronics and engineering, film and publication. It is the largest platform of its kind in Asia.

During the BIP Asia Forum the HKTDC will sign memoranda of understanding with three new strategic partners - British Columbia Institute of Technology, Okinawa Invention and Innovation Institute and The Association of Corporate Patent Executives - to strengthen information exchange and cooperation in IP, expanding the number of strategic partners for the AsiaIPEX to 35.

In addition, the HKTDC will sign another memorandum of understanding with the Chongqing Intellectual Property Office to strengthen information exchange and cooperation in IP, so as to facilitate IP trading for enterprises capitalising on the rapidly growing IP market in the Chinese mainland.

The BIP Asia exhibition is being staged alongside the main forum to provide more business opportunities for forum participants. It features more than 90 exhibitors, including the World Intellectual Property Organization, major international technology companies, leading local and overseas R&D centres, universities and IP services providers, including Marks & Clerk, Deacons and China Patent Agent. The exhibition provides one-stop on-site advisory services, ranging from knowledge transfer and commercialisation to the application, authorisation and trading of such IP as patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as relevant laws.