Inauguración en Montevideo de AL-INVEST Verde Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual

Inauguration of AL-INVEST Green Intellectual Property Rights in Montevideo

Montevideo, 21 November 2022. Uruguay's Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Omar Paganini, opened the official inauguration conference of the Action for the Development of the European Union (EU) on 21 November in Montevideo, Uruguay. AL-INVEST Green Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)The aim is to raise awareness of the socio-economic importance of intellectual property and the challenges of sustainable growth.

During the inauguration, the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union in Uruguay, Paolo Berizzi, and the Head of International Cooperation Service of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Ignacio de Medrano, were also present. The conference officially launched the AL-INVEST Verde DPI project in Uruguay, where it will be based until the end of 2024.

Several leading European and international speakers in the field of intellectual property and innovation gave presentations during the conference.

Intellectual property in Latin America

AL-INVEST Verde DPI proposes to use intellectual property effectively to contribute to the improvement of an enabling framework in Latin America, particularly in the Mercosur countries, for stimulating innovation, facilitating sustainable growth, job creation and ensuring international participation of its economic actors.

The Uruguayan government, through the National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI) of the MIEM, is one of the partners associated with the project, as are the intellectual property offices of the rest of Mercosur, Chile, and other countries in the region. The MIEM, through the DNPI, together with the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI), has also played an important role in the installation of AL-INVEST Verde DPI in Montevideo.

Intellectual property rights-intensive industries are deeply embedded in the Uruguayan economy. They generated almost 50% of GDP in Uruguay between 2014-2019, which is very similar to the contribution of IPR-intensive industries to GDP in the European Union during the same period, at around 45%. IPR-intensive industries also accounted for 35.9% of formal employment in Uruguay, employing an average of 352,999 people, directly, per year (*).

AL-INVEST Verde DPI is active in three areas:

Working towards efficient and accessible ECD institutionsstrengthening the capacity of national and regional intellectual property (IP) institutions, in particular those of Mercosur countries, to improve IPR protection and enforcement systems.

Contribute to an innovative, sustainable and IPR-competent productive sector.improving the capacities of the productive sector, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises and the scientific-academic, technological and agricultural sectors, in managing IPR (including geographical indications, GIs) to derive value from innovation.

Build IPR networks and boost internationalisation by strengthening networks. inter-institutional and transnational stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of IP best practices to promote innovation and artistic creation and to align IP laws with international standards.

In this context, the AL-INVEST Green IPR project is presented, including some of its proposed activities for the coming months. The types of activities to be carried out relate to the optimisation of the IP process, capacity building, studies and data collection, technical and legal support and network development. This will be developed in close collaboration with Mercosur and Latin American national IP offices, regional organisations, IPR and innovation policy makers, industry, business associations and chambers of commerce, the academic community and IPR enforcement agencies (judges, prosecutors or customs officials).

About AL-INVEST Green

AL-INVEST Green is a programme of the European Union (EU), whose main objective is to promote main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by in Latin America, supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 3, AL-INVEST Green IPR, led by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EU Intellectual Property Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the programme seeks to achieve greater use and greater use and effectiveness of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Latin America, particularly in the MERCOSUR countries. Latin America, particularly in the MERCOSUR countries, to boost opportunities for cooperation in research and opportunities for research cooperation and stimulate competitiveness and sustainable innovation. competitiveness and sustainable innovation.

(*) Data from the study conducted by IP Key Latin America (2021) entitled "The economic contribution of IPR-intensive industries in Uruguay" and from the study conducted by the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) entitled "IPR-intensive sectors and economic performance in Latin American countries" (2022).