The National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) organized the "WIPO Regional Meeting on Developing the ASEAN Regional Technology Innovation Support Center (TISC) Network" on March 27-28, 2019 in Fortuna Hotel. 

Participating in the Meeting was Mr. Dinh Huu Phi – Director General of IP Viet Nam, Mr. Phan Ngan Son – Deputy Director General of IP Viet Nam, Mr. Alejandro Roca Campaña - Senior Director of WIPO Access to Information and Knowledge Division, Mr. Andrew Czajkowski - Director of WIPO's Access to Information and Knowledge Division, Mr. Alex Riechel - IP Information Officer, Innovation and Technology Support Section, delegates in charge of intellectual property from the Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) Network of 10 ASEAN countries, including Viet Nam. 

TISCs Network was established on the basis of a pilot project to establish Technology Innovation Support Centers initiated worldwide by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Since the establishment of TISC Program in 2009 till end of 2018, there have been 78 countries, including the 24 least-developed countries signing an agreement with WIPO to develop their national TISCs. According to National Focal Points, 757 TISCs were established during this period. ASEAN member countries also participated in this network and have gained certain achievements in supporting technology and innovation activities, especially promoting intellectual property and technology transfer. 

The ASEAN Regional Meeting for TISCs Network organized regularly in ASEAN member states aimed at providing updates on new TISC members as well as WIPO’s latest programs. This year, with supports by WIPO and JPO, Viet Nam was honored to host the "WIPO Regional Meeting on Developing the ASEAN Regional Technology Innovation Support Center (TISC) Network". 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director General Dinh Huu Phi confirmed that IP Viet Nam (Ministry of Science and Technology) played central role in connecting and coordinating activities of national TISCs Network in Viet Nam. IP Viet Nam was responsible for planning and developing an intensive training program for Network members to equip them with skills to perform information searches and provide inventors of institutions, universities and enterprises with advices on IPRs acquisition, commercialization and technology transfer. As a result, awareness of IP of institutions was strengthened, contributing to increasing patent filings by domestic applicants, promoting technology transfer and IP utilization. He expressed his hope that, through Viet Nam and ASEAN TISCs Networks, IPRs acquisition and technology transfer undertaken by Vietnamese people, especially by research institutes/universities would be enhanced, and thus, improving capacity of Viet Nam in innovation and national competitiveness as directed by the Government. 

  

  

 

  

Photo 1: Director General Dinh Huu Phi delivered opening speech at the Regional Meeting 

  

In his speech, Mr. Alejandro Roca Campaña, Senior Director of Access to Information and Knowledge Division (WIPO) expressed thanks to the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam for cooperating with WIPO and JPO to organize this Regional Meeting. He also thanked ASEAN member states for sending delegates to the event. He noted that the most important challenge for all countries in the knowledge-based society nowadays was to transform from a natural resources based economy to a knowledge and intellectual property based economy. By achieving it, the countries could build up its strengths, national competitiveness and boost socio-economic development. He repeated that it was extremely crucial to develop a national foundation with knowledge, technology and information. Intellectual property has long been recognized as the backbone of national knowledge infrastructure. One of the top priorities of all Asian countries was effective utilization of data and information resources as knowledge to serve the appropriate and effective business needs of industries and businesses for a wealthy society. To realize it, we had to rely on intellectual property to grow. That was why one of WIPO's action goals was to facilitate the access by less developed and developing countries to technology and information technology to help narrow the gap between developed and developing countries. He also emphasized that one of the objectives of this conference was to discuss approaches for a better collaboration by taking advantages of the network and other factors. 

  

  

 

  

Photo 2: Panorama of the Regional Meeting 

  

  

At the Meeting, the WIPO expert team introduced the overview and new development trend of TISCs worldwide. At the same time, delegates from 10 ASEAN member countries updated corresponding development of TISCs in ASEAN region. The Volunteer Program Phase 1 to support ASEAN Regional TISCs Network was also reviewed and expected to continue to be implemented in the next phase. The action plan of ASEAN Regional TISCs Network for the coming period was also an issue of discussion among 10 ASEAN member states. 

  

  

 

  

Photo 3: Mr. Andrew Czajkowski, Director of WIPO's Access to Information and Knowledge Division made a presentation on Overview and new development trend of the global TISCs Network 

  

  

 

  

Photo 4: A group photo of participating countries 

  

On this occasion, a tour to the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology and Hanoi University of Technology, two members of Viet Nam's TISCs Network, was organized for all participants. This was an opportunity for all intellectual property professionals of ASEAN member countries to exchange experiences and lessons learned from each other as well as to build up a good collaboration among them. 

  

  

 

  

Photo 5: Prof. Duong Ngoc Tu, Director of the Center for Excellent Interdisciplinary Research in Viet Nam – the UK Natural Compounds, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, introduced the Center's commercialized products. 

  

  

 

  

Photo 6: The delegates visited Ta Quang Buu Library, Hanoi University of Technology 

  

  

 

Photo 7: A group photo of delegates at Hanoi University of Technology 

  

  

 

  

Photo 8: Mr. Alejandro Roca Campaña - Senior Director of WIPO Access to Information and Knowledge Division (WIPO) talked with staff at BK-HOLDINGS, Hanoi University of Technology. 

  

  

IP Information Center