The heads of three major international intellectual property organizations will come to Latvia to participate in celebratory events marking the 105th anniversary of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia (LPO), scheduled for 8 April this year. Such simultaneous visits by the heads of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO,) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will take place in Latvia, and also in the Baltics, for the first time.
On 8 April, commemorating its 105th anniversary, the LPO will host an international conference "Intellectual Property as a Catalyst for Innovation and Growth: Connecting Research, Technology and SMEs" and the Latvian Intellectual Property Awards ceremony.
WIPO Director General Daren Tang, EPO President António Campinos, and EUIPO Executive Director João Negrão have confirmed their participation in the conference. The heads of a number of European intellectual property offices have also confirmed their participation in the anniversary events.
LPO Director Agris Batalauskis notes: “We would like to celebrate the LPO’s important anniversary by emphasizing our contribution to the development of the intellectual property sector, finding new ways of achieving maximum synergy efficiency between the stakeholders – intellectual property organizations, scientific institutions, entrepreneurs, and other organizations and cooperation partners. Cooperation and interaction create added value that exceeds the individual contribution of each participant, and that is why it is a special pleasure that this discussion will take place in our region at such a high level, with the participation of the heads of all three major international organizations, Latvian state officials, and the heads of national intellectual property offices.”
The main conference theme will be intellectual property as a support for innovation and growth. Special attention will be paid to the issues of patentability in emerging technologies, and related challenges and opportunities. Discussions will focus on the role of universities, scientific institutions and spin-offs, emphasizing their importance in technology and economic transfer. Strengthening of the intellectual property system and a clear technology transfer strategy are essential for Latvia to be able to compete with innovation leaders and use the country’s potential in a knowledge-intensive economy. These and other important issues will be discussed by internationally recognized intellectual property experts, as well as representatives of science and business sectors.
The conference will be followed by the Latvian Intellectual Property Awards ceremony, where the winners of the Trademark of the Year will be awarded in two categories - Trademark of the Year for Latvia, and Trademark of the Year for the European Union. To determine the winners in both categories, the LPO’s expert panel evaluated the trademarks registered in the national and European Union procedures throughout 2024, selecting a total of 32 candidates, while the best of them will be determined by a panel comprised of LPO’s experts and external representatives.
The recipient of the Visionary Award will also be announced. The Award aims to highlight the companies or individuals that contribute with their innovative products or services to the development of the industry, have high growth potential and a positive impact on the national or international economy, or contribute significantly to the development of the industry on a national or international scale. To determine the winner of the Award, the LPO invited organizations, institutions, and any interested person to submit candidates, who will be evaluated by a panel of LPO’s experts and external representatives. A total of 26 applications were received for the Award.
The conference and the awarding ceremony will serve not only as a good platform to celebrate joint achievements in the field of intellectual property and to discuss future plans and challenges, but they will also raise public awareness of the intellectual property system and the opportunities and benefits it brings.