IP Filings Impact Philippines' Global Innovation Index

04 September 2020

With the latest 2020 Global Innovation Index showing the Philippines’ four-rank jump to 50 out of 131 economies, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Rowel S. Barba says that this good news was positively impacted by Intellectual Property (IP) filings.

“In this gain, IP protection proves an important activity for a thriving innovation environment,” he says in a message. “As part of the 25-member Innovation Council, the interagency body created by the much lauded Philippine Innovation Act of 2020, IPOPHL will strengthen synergies with government partners, businesses, researchers, the academia, and creative industry players to align our policies and standards on innovation, and move toward the country’s innovation goals with greater urgency. IPOPHL will continue to work in pushing for the use of the IP system in research and development (R&D) processes especially across Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSOs) as they lead the way in domestic innovations.”

ITSOs take lead in domestic innovations

Housed by universities, colleges, other higher educational institutions, and R&D centers, ITSOs assists creative minds throughout their IP journey - from IP awareness to IP creation, protection, commercialization and management. In 2019, ITSOs accounted for 54% of total resident filings for patents, growing from a 41% share in the previous year.

On utility model (UM) applications, ITSO-partners contributed 50% last year growing from 45% in 2018. To note, UM fillings, which advanced to 8th in the 2020 GII from 15th, was identified as one of the highest drivers for the country’s overall gain this year.

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