The benefits of using intellectual property (IP) to boost business growth and overcome barriers faced by young innovative entrepreneurs were the focus of a Moroccan-Israeli webinar, held last Monday from Geneva.
Initiated on the occasion of World IP Day, this event was organized by the Permanent Missions of Morocco and Israel to the United Nations in Geneva, in collaboration with the Israel Patent Office (ILPO) and the Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office (OMPIC), with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The deputy representative at the Permanent Mission of Morocco in Geneva, Abdellah Boutadghart, emphasized, on this occasion, the role of industrial property in economic, social and technological development, noting that the strategic use of the industrial property system is essential to enable better business strategies and greater competitiveness.
He noted, in this regard, that efforts should focus on two main areas, namely raising awareness of the benefits of the IP system for SMEs and their commercial competitiveness, as well as the importance of discussing the effective implementation of WIPO programs aimed at supporting SMEs at local, regional and international levels.
For his part, Director General of OMPIC, Abdelaziz Babqiqi, said that "innovation is, more than ever, directed as a central driver of economic growth and sustainable development," noting that during the pandemic, "it has been shown that business resilience and adaptation requires innovation in certain areas such as digitalization, or to meet the needs of society".
The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, noted that "the youth of today is an incredible source of inventiveness and creativity to emerge a world more sustainable (…) after the pandemic of Covid," noting that "this youth will illustrate itself by its original and ambitious ideas as well as its innovative solutions to meet the challenges”.
As for the director of the Israel Patent Office (ILPO), Ofir Alon, he highlighted "the great potential for inventiveness and creativity that lies in the eyes of young people in this field," pleading for the need to promote "a full release of this potential for creativity" through an adaptation of intellectual property systems and the creation of mechanisms that will allow young people to invent and innovate”.
WIPO Assistant Director General Edward Kwakwa called on "young people to take the plunge and seize the opportunities offered by the IP services available to foster innovation and creativity without delay”.
The Director of the Intellectual Property for Business Division at WIPO, Guy Pessach, noted that "intellectual property enables the creation of added value based on intangible elements, and allows companies to be competitive, to stand out from other companies, and also to secure investment and financing”.
Participants in this webinar have also followed presentations given by representatives of the Israeli project Snowless, and Moroccan project Moldiag, on their respective experiences in innovation, scientific research and development of appropriate solutions in different areas.
