Inclusive IP initiatives for regional knowledge sharing and young people

The Trilateral offices – the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) – have shared an inspiring roundup of current and recent initiatives that contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (UN SDG 4). These initiatives address two areas of great importance for the future of sustainable innovation: regional knowledge sharing and youth-oriented IP education. 

SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, as well as promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. With this in mind, the first set of inclusive initiatives focuses on technology transfer and knowledge sharing.  

As for meeting the needs of the next generation of innovators, a further set of inclusive initiatives focuses on the educational needs of children and young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. The roundup also includes contributions from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and reflects the commitment of all four institutions to the UN SDGs. 

For regions and local communities across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America 

The new brochure provides links to educational programmes and material for educators, policymakers, innovators and IP professionals. The resources, which also cover topics such as IP commercialisation, relate to regions and local communities across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. In the spirit of co-operation that is embodied across the Trilateral offices, a growing focus on developing and least developed countries is common to several of the initiatives, many of which were first presented at the 41st Trilateral Conference on 4 October 2023 at the EPO in Munich.  

Among the contributions by the EPO, the central role of the PATLIB network of patent information centres in making the patent system more accessible is highlighted, including through the Knowledge Transfer to Africa initiative (KT2A). KT2A sees PATLIB centres partner with universities across Africa to help support the continent’s next generation of African innovators. Meanwhile, the EPO’s Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF) is increasingly being integrated into university curricula throughout Europe and beyond, and the rising stars of innovation are celebrated in the EPO’s Young Inventors Prize.  

About Trilateral Co-operation 

The EPO, JPO and USPTO established Trilateral Co-operation in 1983 to find ways of solving common automation issues. Today, the offices co-ordinate their responses to the current and future global challenges of the patent system, and adapt to technical advances and changes affecting the IP environment. This is underpinned by strengthened co-operation with users, which helps to further optimise the patent system for the benefit of offices, stakeholders and society at large.