Enhancing national competitiveness through patent mapping

The workshop, within the framework of the Project "Improving the capacity to process patent applications" in cooperation between the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), attracted the participation of experts, researchers and representatives of enterprises operating in the field of intellectual property and innovation.

Director of the National Office of Intellectual Property Luu Hoang Long delivered the opening speech at the Workshop.

In his opening remarks, Director General of the National Office of Intellectual Property Luu Hoang Long emphasized the importance of IP in promoting innovation and enhancing national competitiveness, in line with the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo. In this context, patent maps have emerged as a key tool to support the analysis of technology trends and strategic orientation for businesses and researchers.

According to the Director of the National Office of Intellectual Property, patent maps not only help detect technological "gaps" and minimize patent conflicts, but also play an important role in formulating IP policies and optimizing research and development (R&D) strategies. Experience from developed countries such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Germany shows that this tool has been widely applied in intellectual property management, product strategy development and investment attraction in cutting-edge technology industries.

Director Luu Hoang Long said that the effective application of patent maps will contribute significantly to improving Vietnam's competitiveness, supporting domestic enterprises to promote innovation and attract investment in high-tech fields. To achieve this goal, we need to strengthen the collection and analysis of patent data, improve the capacity to use patent maps in enterprises and research institutes, and promote international cooperation to learn from the experiences of advanced countries.

Mr. Ogawa Akira, long-term expert of JICA Project, spoke at the Workshop.

On the Japanese side, Mr. Ogawa Akira, a long-term expert of the JICA Project, shared some valuable experiences in building and using patent maps in Japan. Accordingly, in Japan, patent maps are widely used not only in enterprises but also in policy-making agencies to identify technology trends and orient investment in research and development.

Mr. Ogawa Akira emphasized that one of the most important benefits of patent maps is to help businesses grasp their position in the industry, thereby building appropriate development strategies.

He also shared details about patent mapping methods that have been successfully implemented in Japan, and recommended that Vietnam focus on training human resources and building patent data analysis tools suitable for the characteristics of the domestic market.

The workshop is an important activity within the framework of cooperation between the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam and JICA to improve the capacity of processing patent applications. Director Luu Hoang Long highly appreciated JICA's support in organizing in-depth workshops, helping Vietnam access modern methodologies on the construction and use of patent maps.

At the same time, it is proposed that JICA continue to organize more in-depth seminars, focusing on emerging technology, green technology, high-speed railways and nuclear energy, to create conditions for Vietnam to learn practical experience from Japan.

At the workshop, delegates also expressed their belief that the shared experiences and knowledge will contribute significantly to promoting innovation, optimizing the exploitation of intellectual property and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises in the digital age.