Intellectual Property & Innovation - Malcolm Spence - Office of Trade Negotiations - CARICOM Secretariat

INNOVATION

in the EPA Antigua and Barbuda

10-11 March 2011

Malcolm Spence, Office of Trade Negotiations,

CARICOM Secretariat

Overview of presentation

• What is the Caribbean context?

• What is innovation in the Caribbean

context?

• What is in the EPA that might help?

• What to do and who to do what

The Caribbean Context

• Small, vulnerable, highly indebted

economies

• Producing narrow range of low value-

added, low technology exports

• Losing significant percentage of

qualified personnel to OECD countries


• Reliance on non-reciprocal preferential

treatment in external markets

• Limited inherent capacity to achieve

through economies of scale in the face

of relentless globalisation


• Low regional economic growth

averaging 1.8% per year over the last

twenty years

– 4.3% for developing countries

– 3.5% for Latin America


• Some positives

– Strong regional cooperation (relatively)

and networks

– Diversity in population, culture, biological

and marine resources

– Creativity and its broad expression


• But ...

• ... low expenditure on research and

development

– <0.15% GDP per year

– 0.55% for Latin America




context?



Innovation in the Caribbean

• What is the Caribbean’s innovation

potential?

– Problem solving and innovation in

Agriculture and Energy


• Plant breeding, traditional and modern

– Genetic resources

(collections in sugar cane, cocoa. Also

bananas? pineapple? cotton? hot

peppers?)

• Renewable Energy sector

– Solar, wind, geo-thermal and current flow


• Renewable Energy sector

– Power from solar, wind, geo-thermal and

current flow

• So what do we need to improve


• Intellectual Property

• Intellectual Asset Auditing and

Management


• Mining the Intellectual Property

registration system for strategic

information

• Negotiating licences in and out


• Creativity and innovation

– Music and literature

– Designs and fashion

– Audio-visual works

– Tourism – all-inclusive hotels (and fetes?)




context?



What is in the EPA

– Agreement that innovation important and

intellectual property rights can help

– Agreement that CARIFORUM eligible for

EU innovation support programmes

– Agreement to promote and facilitate

technology transfer

What is in the EPA

– Asymmetrical obligations on TRIPS

– WIPO Internet Treaties

– Patent Cooperation Treaty

– Geographical Indications extension

– Increased transparency for enforcement

What is in the EPA

• Implementation by 2014

– Unless agreed otherwise taking into

consideration level of development and

development priorities

• Haiti by 2021

– Unless agreed to extend as per WTO

What is in the EPA

• Development Cooperation

– The Parties agree that cooperation

activities will be particularly important in

the transition period referred to in Articles

139 and 140 (2007 – 2014)

What is in the EPA


– SME Competitiveness and Innovation

– Science and Technology

– Information society and ICTs

– Eco-innovation and renewable energy

What is in the EPA


– Regional Initiatives

– Preparation of laws

– Geographical Indications

– Codes of conduct




context?



What to do and by who

• Governments and innovation

– Provide supportive regulatory

environment

– Place Intellectual Property Office in

Planning and Development portfolio

– Support innovation through procurement


• International Development Partners

and innovation

– Inter-American Development Bank

(supporting work needed to identify

Caribbean innovation systems)

– IDRC (supporting “brain circulation”

patterns)


• International Development Partners

and innovation

– European Community programmes

through the Economic Partnership

Agreement (EPA)


Competitiveness and Innovation

Programme (CIP)

http://ec.europa.eu/cip/

The current CIP runs from 2007 to 2013

Overall budget of € 3621 million





Seventh Framework Programme for

Research and Technological

Development (FP7)

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html




The FP7 runs from 2007 to 2013

Overall budget of € 6.4 billion

€ 4 billion for People, € 1 billion for SMEs)


http://www.enterprise-europe-

network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/

cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3537&la

ng=en

http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm





http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3537&lang=en



What to do, and by who

• Education Institutions

– Make patent searching compulsory for all

technology projects and programmes

– Establish Offices of Technology Transfer

– Establish research networks


• Ministry of Finance or Development

– Determine innovation (and

competitiveness) metrics for small

economies (do not forget the diaspora)


• Business Training Courses

– Provide courses in Innovation

Management and Research Management

in small firms

– Provide courses in intellectual asset

auditing and strategic management


• Firms

– Create research networks and

partnerships with other firms, universities

and Government

– Understand the intellectual property

system and how to exploit it


• Firms

– Undertake intellectual asset audits and

develop intellectual asset management

strategies




context?



Reflections on winners

• Where economies of scale do not

provide a significant competitive

advantage

• Where output can claim uniqueness

from location


• Understanding IP Licensing

– Content for the Digital Environment

– New varieties of plants and Geographical

Indications

• Essential oils and oleoresins (colours,

flavours, smells and catalysts)


• Bio-ceuticals

• Green integrated circuits – ICTs

• G4 Algae biofuels – Renewable

energy


Eco-innovation

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eco-

innovation/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eco-innovation/index_en.htm



THANKS FOR YOUR

ATTENTION

[email protected] +1 246 243 1573

mailto:[email protected]