The World Intellectual Property Organization has launched new global awards that will recognize exceptional enterprises and individuals using intellectual property across the globe.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade tweeted that they “received a correspondence from the World Intellectual Property Organization through the Embassy of Rwanda in Switzerland and permanent mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva informing about the awards.”
The Ministry reported that the “first round of awards will recognize innovative and creative small and medium-sized enterprises and alerted that the “deadline for application is March.”
The announcement mentions that “the winners will be invited to WIPO to receive their prizes.”
“The Ministry of Trade and Industry would like to share this opportunity with concerned SMEs,” the Ministry’s announcement reads.
Awards
According to WIPO, the awards will include privileges like international promotion, recognition, visibility as well as mentorship and sponsorship programs.
Who is eligible?
WIPO’s websites write that “the competition is open to SMEs worldwide and the coverage of the SME’s are those thunderuant to World Bank definition, as the enterprises that encompass up to 300 employees and up to US$1
5 millions of total annual sales.”
SME’s ranging from patents, trademarks to industrial designs and copyrights are the IPs that are categories encouraged to apply according to WIPO.
Criteria
According to the WIPO, the judges will select SME’s accordingly with the ability to protect, manage and commercialize IP rights to achieve corporate objectives, positive impact on society and diversity of award contenders.
The nomination process will involve four different stages including open for submissions, submissions closing, jury meeting and award ceremony that will place in July this year.
About WIPO
WIPO’s Global Awards program every year recognizes exceptional enterprises and individuals using intellectual property to make a positive impact both at home and bd their borders.
The Global awards program is rooted in WIPO’s mission to ensure a world where innovation and creativity from anywhere are supported by intellectual property for the good of everyone. The awards recognize and support those whose skills compute to progress and improve other people’s lives.
In Rwanda’s context, there is a recent interest in attracting investors to set up local manufacturing facilities and to create an environment that would enable more local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and essential medicine.
Rwanda is also a member of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization, an international organization that facilitates cooperation among its member states on intellectual property matters since September 24, 2011.
