5 December 2013 – More than 1,600 intellectual property buyers and sellers, R&D professionals, finance and legal intermediaries and design and technology practitioners from 25 countries and regions are taking part in the Business of IP Asia Forum, which opens today and continues through tomorrow at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Under the theme “IP: Driving the New Economy,” the event has attracted nearly three times more than attended the Forum’s debut, two years ago.
Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive CY Leung delivered the Forum’s opening remarks, emphasising Hong Kong’s fast-emerging role as the Asian region’s IP trading centre.
Asia’s IP Trading Hub
Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Executive Director Fred Lam, who also spoke at the opening session, said that “Hong Kong has long been one of the world’s key trading economies and a global financial centre. Now, with mainland China taking off as an important IP supplier and user, Hong Kong is poised to become the Asian region’s IP trading hub.”
Expanding Forum
That growing role is reflected in the Forum itself, which has expanded to two days. And, for the first time, the Hong Kong SAR Government joins the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Design Centre as an organiser of the Forum.
This year, more than 60 prominent speakers are participating in the event’s panel discussions and sessions. The timely topics range from disputes in the design and creative industries to technology transfer and licensing, IP monetisation and intellectual capital management, software patenting and IP bullying.
Aside from Mr Leung and Mr Lam, speakers at the Forum’s opening session were: China’s State Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Tian Lipu, and World Intellectual Property Organization Deputy Director General Wang Binying.
High-Profile Panel Discussions
Two panel discussions took place this morning. The first, “Rethinking Corporate IP Strategies,” featured Lenovo Vice President of Intellectual Property Ira Blumberg, Palo Alto Research Center Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Officer Damon Matteo, and Sanofi Global Head, Regional Patent Support, Roberto Ribeiro. Donald Merino, Managing Director and founder of Transpacific Advisors Ltd, was Panel Chair.
That was followed by the “IP of the Future” session. Speakers included Dr Bernard Meyerson, IBM Fellow & Vice President of Innovation, IBM. David Llewelyn, Professor of Intellectual Property Law at King’s College London, was Panel Chair.
Asia IP Exchange
Following this morning’s opening addresses, the Asia IP Exchange was relaunched, with Mr Leung and Mr Lam among the officiating guests. The Exchange, established at last year’s Forum as an IP information site, was launched today as a business site.
The Exchange now includes more than 20 partners from Asia, Europe and North America, and lists over 20,000 tradable IP assets from nearly 20 countries and regions. As Mr Lam told the Forum gathering this morning: “The Asia IP Exchange is designed to put IP owners and prospective buyers together. Business should follow.”
International IP Week
BIP Asia is the flagship event of International Intellectual Property Week, a series of IP sector conferences, exhibitions, seminars and networking events taking place, 2-7 December, in Hong Kong.
BIP is being held alongside HKTDC Inno Design Tech Expo (IDT Expo) and HKTDC World SME Expo, which opened today and continue through 7 December at the HKCEC. IDT Expo’s “IP Trading and R&D Zone” features more than 90 exhibitors.
Forum Website: http://www.bipasiaforum.com
Media Enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Corporate Communication Department:
Joe Kainz Tel: (852) 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org