On May 10th, WIPO GREEN China City Acceleration Beijing Event (2024) was successfully held at the Beijing Western Suburb Hotel. The theme of the event was " Promoting green innovation in support of the UN SDGs " The event shared the progress of the WIPO GREEN City Acceleration Project Beijing pilot, launched the Cooperative Network for Green Technology Transfer, organized IP strategy training, Introduced China Greentech WIPO IP Management Clinic, and invited green technology providers and demand-side partners to engage in technology demonstrations, matchmaking, and signing agreements. The event was jointly organized by the Beijing Intellectual Property Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) China Office, with the support of WIPO Green and the WIPO IP for Business division. Its hosting was undertaken by Bluetech Clean Air Alliance（BCAA）.
WIPO Assistant Director General Edward Kwakwa expressed in a video message, " We are halfway through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet we are far from being on track. The fight against climate change will be decided in cities. The WIPO GREEN China City Acceleration Project addresses this challenge by connecting Chinese cities with green innovation technologies. Launched in 2021 by WIPO GREEN and Bluetech Clean Air Alliance, with support from the Beijing Municipal Government, Beijing serves as the first pilot city. After three years of working together, three technology deployments in Beijing, several matches between need owners and technology providers and dozens of matchmaking activities. "
"WIPO has established the WIPO GREEN platform to promote the development of green technologies, showcasing technology information through a database, promoting technology transfer through city acceleration projects, and providing green technology manuals and intellectual property management tools. With 130,000 green technologies recorded, collaborating with 150 partners, facilitating over 1,000 technology matches, it has been hailed by the United Nations as 'game-changing green solutions.' China is a crucial partner of WIPO GREEN, making significant contributions to global green technology cooperation," introduced Mrs. Liu Hua, Director of the WIPO Office in China, in her address.
Deputy Director Mr. Cai Xin of the Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office stated, "The importance of intellectual property in today's society is self-evident. It serves as a crucial guarantee for promoting innovation, protecting intellectual achievements, and driving economic and social development. On the path of sustainable development, intellectual property plays an irreplaceable role, providing legal protection and technical support for green innovation. The WIPO GREEN China City Acceleration Project Beijing pilot is a successful example. Through this project, we have not only achieved some phased progress in promoting the development and application of green technology but, more importantly, facilitated international exchanges and cooperation, laying a solid foundation for building a greener and more sustainable future."
The first agenda item of the event was the launch of the Collaboration Network for Green Technology Transfer. Representatives from institutions such as Peking University, Beihang University, North China Electric Power University, Beijing Jiaotong University, China Agricultural University, Peking University Shanghai Lin-gang International Science and Technology Innovation Center, Beihang Changying Capital, Yinghe Law Firm, Docvit Law Firm, Beijing Carbon Neutralization Association, Zhongguancun International Holdings, and others, in the presence of attending guests, jointly initiated the cooperation network. This network will engage in activities such as IP strategy and entrepreneurship training, one-on-one guidance by IP experts, and organizing project and industry stakeholder matchmaking with investors to promote the transformation of green technology achievements and support the development of green dual-carbon innovation. "From 2016 to 2022, the cumulative number of global green low-carbon patent authorizations reached 558,000, with the Chinese Patent Office authorizing 206,000, accounting for 36.8% of the global total. Many of these patents originate from research achievements of Chinese universities and institutes. The successful transformation of these achievements will effectively promote the realization of China's dual-carbon goals and accelerate the global response to climate change," introduced Mr. Tonny Xie, Director of Bluetech Clean Air Alliance and National Coordinator of the WIPO GREEN City Acceleration Project.
By the end of 2023, the WIPO GREEN City Acceleration Project Beijing pilot had facilitated the signing of 6 cooperation MOUs between technology seekers and providers, and three of them resulting in successful deployments. As the second agenda item of the special event, 3 new pairs of technology seekers and providers expressed their intention to collaborate, conducting on-site signing ceremonies for cooperation MOUs. The participating parties included: Beijing Guorui Asset Management Co., Ltd., and Jinjieli Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.; Yanfeng Biyue (Beijing) Automotive Exterior Systems Co., Ltd., and Botech (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Beijing Shengyun Energy Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Maxtropy Data Technology Co., Ltd. The WIPO GREEN Database of Needs and Green Technologies is the technology backbone of the WIPO GREEN acceleration projects. This UN-based public database collects both needs and green technology solutions which can be uploaded by users at no cost. It features AI-based search functions and a multi-language translation engine.
The event also featured the "Innovating for a Green Future" IP Strategy Training Activity, which marked the 6th training since the launch of this series in 2020. Ms. Mathilde Tachon, Program Officer within the IP for Business of WIPO, delivered a speech on the upcoming IP Management Clinic to be launched for Greentech businesses in China. Mathilde addressed “The IP Management Clinic Program, initiated by the WIPO IP for business division in 2021, has evolved into a global endeavor, with 13 clinic programs conducted in 2023 across 27 countries, encompassing a broad spectrum of industries—from innovative ventures to creative enterprises and brand-focused sectors. We are pleased to announce that this initiative is extending its support to Greentech Startups and SMEs based inChina for the first time this year”.
Mr. Edward Kwakwa stated, " As China is showing leadership in climate action and increasing its leading role in global green innovation, we hope the implementation of the China IP Management Clinic can act as a valuable tool to support the country’s transition into the green economy." China Greentech IP Management Clinic plans to recruit 20 SMEs in green technology, and the official launch ceremony to be held at the inaugural conference of the Boao Forum for Asia Global Forum on Urban Green Development and Rural Revitalization. The training sessions also featured lectures by international IP strategy consultants Mr. Omer Hiziroglu and Mr. Lin Wei, Senior Partner of Dockit Law Firm, on the topics of "International IP Strategy—Building IP Competitiveness with the 3C Method" and "Innovation and Protection of Trade Secrets," respectively.
During the implementation process of the Beijing pilot, carbon dioxide emission reduction, air pollution prevention and control, and urban waste management were identified as relatively more severe green challenges in Beijing. In these areas, Bluetech Clean Air Alliance invited a group of green technology companies to conduct technology demonstrations and engage with participating technology demand parties. The showcased technologies included: Industrial Vehicle Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power System Technology (Tianjin New Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd.), Solid-State Battery Technology (Chongqing Talent New Energy Co., Ltd.), Intelligent Welding Decision-Making Platform Based on Welding Process UMA INTELLIGENT GROUP), All-Iron-Based Liquid Flow Energy Storage Technology (Juyan Energy Storage Wuhan Technology Co., Ltd.), New Energy Liquefied Green Methanol Technology (Shanghai Yuanhui Energy Technology Co., Ltd.), and Distributed Renewable Electricity to Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology (Shanghai Carbon Peak Energy Technology Co., Ltd.).
This session was chaired by Mr. Zhao Lijian, President of Carbon Trust China, with comments from guest commentators including Mr. Feng Wujun, Secretary-General of the Beijing Carbon Neutralization Association, Mr. Sun Rongtao, President of Sustainable Development Investments, China, Saudi Aramco, Mr. Zhao Lijie, Partner of Yinghe Law Firm, and Mr. Zhu Zhi, General Manager of Haiyou Fund.
"Looking ahead, WIPO GREEN's work in China will focus on four areas: First, deepening cooperation with existing partners, encouraging them to fully utilize the WIPO GREEN platform for information sharing, technology matchmaking, and utilization. Second, expanding the WIPO GREEN partner team. Third, summarizing and promoting the experience of the WIPO GREEN China City Acceleration Project Beijing pilot to support the green development of more Chinese cities. Fourth, establishing an international exchange and cooperation platform to promote the concept of green development," stated Liu Hua.
A total of nearly 150 people attended the event in person. "Today, we jointly organized this event with the World Intellectual Property Organization China Office, inviting experts, scholars, and business representatives from the fields of intellectual property, technology, and green industries to explore the role of intellectual property in green innovation, establish green cooperation networks, and engage in green technology matchmaking. It is our hope to further leverage the positive role of intellectual property in promoting green innovation and sustainable development, to delve deeper into the potential of intellectual property in the green sector, explore new paths and models of innovation, and contribute our wisdom and strength to the promotion of green sustainable development," stated Mr. Cai Xin.
