Women take the lead this world IP day

  • Hon Kris Faafoi
Commerce and Consumer Affairs

World Intellectual Property (IP) Day will be marked with an event giving centre stage to women known for their innovation and creativity.

Victoria Spackman will MC a panel event where Bernadette Casey, Kat Lintott, Lucy Morris and Hīria Te Rangi will speak to the day’s theme: Powering Change – women in innovation and creativity. The event was organised in partnership between the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ), the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys (NZIPA) and the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ).

World IP Day is an international initiative by the World Intellectual Property Organization to celebrate the role of intellectual property, with this year’s focus being women in innovation.

Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Kris Faafoi says World IP day is a good time to highlight the importance of intellectual property and its role in New Zealand’s economic development.

“And this year it’s especially pleasing to be here in our creative capital Wellington building on that theme by hearing from women who have done great things.

“As well as their current work – from re-using waste to create new products to building sensors to create healthier homes – these women who will continue to create ground-breaking innovations in the coming years. They will inspire new innovation – and, I hope, lead more women into creative, rewarding new endeavours.”

New Zealand has continued to take a prominent role in IP, with the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) recently ranked for the second year running as number one in the world for its online capabilities by well-known industry publication World Trademark Review.

“This means that protecting ideas by registering patents, trade marks, industrial designs and plant variety rights with IPONZ is easier than ever, and businesses can turn their focus to realising the potential of their innovations,” Mr Faafoi says.

Note: The World IP Day panel event will take place at 5.30pm at Royal Society Te Apārangi, 11 Turnbull Street, Thorndon, Wellington. Ginny Anderson MP will speak for Mr Faafoi at the opening of the event.