Bandar Seri Begawan, 3 September 2024: ERIA participated in the 73rd ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC), held at the Rizqun International Hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.

During the 14th ASEAN–Japan Heads of IP Offices Meeting, which was part of the AWGIPC, ERIA Chief Operating Officer Toru Furuichi presented interim reports on ERIA’s intellectual property projects. The meeting, attended by heads of ASEAN IP offices and the Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO), focused on future IP cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.

Toru Furuichi presented interim reports on two key projects: the branding strategies project and the patent examination practice for remarkable technologies (particularly in pharmaceuticals and related fields). These projects are a collaboration between ERIA and ASEAN Member States.

The presentation on the branding strategies project covered research conducted in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Thailand, highlighting potential areas for brand development in these countries.

In the pharmaceutical patent examination project, he reported on the status and findings of a comparative study of pharmaceutical examinations based on respective regulations. This study involved ASEAN Member States, with research currently conducted in six countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Lao PDR.

Both ERIA research projects were mentioned in the joint statement from the ASEAN–Japan Heads of IP Offices Meeting. The Intellectual Property Offices of ASEAN Member States (AMS IPOs) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) reaffirmed their support for ERIA's efforts to enhance intellectual property rights protection, utilisation, and human resources development.

ERIA will continue to support the advancement of the intellectual property field in ASEAN and contribute to the ongoing cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.