Workshop on Enabling Intellectual Property (IP) Environment to Strengthen Business Competitiveness through Brands and Designs Project

The Department of Intellectual Property (DoIP) in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organized (WIPO) organized a one-day workshop on Enabling Intellectual Property Environment to Strengthen Business Competitiveness through Brands and Designs Project on December 10, 2018 at Hotel Migmar, Thimphu. About 22 participants from various public and private sector agencies participated in the workshop.

During the workshop, Mr. Andrew Michael Ong, who is the Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (ASPAC), WIPO, made a presentation on the importance of the Project for the member states of WIPO. The project is being initiated with assistance of the ASPAC Bureau, WIPO, with the objective to empower national stakeholders in Bhutan to effectively use the intellectual property system to increase business competitiveness. The role of the ASPAC Bureau on the project is to assist the DoIP and national stakeholders in project design, implementation strategy and management guidance, and capacity building programs for stakeholders in the “Hub and Spokes” structure. He is joined by Mr. Giulio Zanetti, an International Consultant, who also made a presentation on Trademark and Design systems.

The workshop was organized to bring together relevant stakeholders to the project as a part of the Inception phase. During the workshop, preliminary discussions were held on identification of potential products and services suitable for branding under the project, and as well as requirement of local expertise in fields like marketing, advertisement, integration strategies etc. The workshop also noted the role and  importance of stakeholders in building and strengthening the “Hub” for greater impact of the project. The Hub will play a central role in providing multi-disciplinary advisory services to local business community and adopt sustainability mechanisms by reinforcing networked community and project actors to implement similar projects in the future.

The DoIP, together with Director Andrew and Mr. Giulio will attend bilateral meetings with stakeholders in the next two days for more focused discussions and assess local products and businesses and their potential for branding, and identify Hub and Spoke structure for the project.