On 8 April, an international conference titled “IP as a Catalyst for Innovation and Growth: Connecting Research, Technology, and SMEs” dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia (LPO) will be held in Riga, where leading IP experts, policymakers and industry representatives will discuss the development of the IP system and IP as a support to innovation and growth.
The conference will take place at the Small Guild and will be opened by the Minister for Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere and LPO Director Agris Batalauskis.
The first panel discussion on “Leveraging IP for Innovation and Growth: A Focus on Collaboration, Technology Transfer, and SMEs” will be moderated by LPO Director Agris Batalauskis. It will bring together Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office (EPO), Mr. João Negrão, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Ms. Karin Žvokelj, Director of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, and Mr. James Kelly, Controller of the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, to discuss the development of the IP system, innovations, global trends and the need for even closer cooperation between all parties involved. The key topics of effective technology transfer and support to SMEs and individual IP creators as well as the development of effective national intellectual property strategies will also be covered.
The second panel on “Navigating Patentability in Emerging Technologies: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities” will examine patenting trends in deep tech, mainly in artificial intelligence and digital innovation areas. The panellists will discuss the main patenting challenges, strategies and practices for entrepreneurs, start-ups and technology transfer offices. The discussion will provide insights into how patent requirements are adapting to technological developments, and what practical difficulties are faced by start-ups, technology transfer offices and inventors in these dynamic areas. The panel will be moderated by Ms. Māra Rozenblate, Leading Expert on European Patents at LPO, and the panellists will be Mr. Abderrahim Moumen, Operational Director for Data Communications and Applications at EPO, Mr. Antti Riivari, Director General of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, Mr. Jānis Rozenblats, VP of Product at Aerones Engineering, Ms. Solvita Kostjukova, Co-founder and CEO at ALINA LLC, and Gatis Mozoļevskis, Co-founder and CEO at Cellbox Labs.
The third panel on “Technology Transfer and Commercialization – Building Bridges Between Research and Industry” will be dedicated to the interaction between research, industry and technology transfer, highlighting most important practices, resources and cooperation models to promote innovation and commercialization. The panel will be moderated by Ms. Ilze Grava, Director of the Development and International Cooperation Department at LPO. The opinions will be expressed by Mr. Michael Mbogoro, Head of the Technology Transfer Section at WIPO, Mr. Yann Ménière, Chief Economist at EPO, Mr. Nathan Wajsman, Chief Economist and Director of the Corporate Strategy and Foresight Department at EUIPO, Ms. Līga Žūka, Director of the Innovation Center at Riga Stradiņš University, Mr. Māris Būmanis, Executive Board Member and Head of Development and Research at Latvijas Finieris JSC, and Ms. Līga Brasliņa, Researcher at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Latvia and Board Member at InnoMatrix LLC.
The speakers will share their experiences and provide practical recommendations on how to bridge the gap between research institutions and the private sector, as well as give best practice examples. Strengthening the IP system and a clear technology transfer strategy is an essential step for Latvia to be able to compete with innovation leaders and use its potential in a knowledge-intensive economy.
The conference will be followed by the Latvian Intellectual Property Awards ceremony to honour the laureates of the Trademark of the Year for Latvia, the Trademark of the Year for the European Union, and the Visionary Award.
The conference and the awarding ceremony will serve not only as a good platform to celebrate joint achievements in the field of IP and discuss future plans and challenges, but also to honour the Latvian entrepreneurs who have evaluated and are successfully using the opportunities offered by the IP protection system, as well as to promote public awareness of the IP system and the benefits it brings about.