On June 12, “Competition and Innovation in Assistive Products - IP Forum” was successfully held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). The forum was sponsored by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs (SMBCA), hosted by Sinofaith IP Group, and co-sponsored by Shanghai Intex Exhibition. Famed theorists, representatives of prestigious enterprises, and elite investors from the assistive products sector were brought together around the topic of industrial innovation and development in the context of the global technology revolution. Guo Chao (Director of IP Planning, Sinofaith) chaired the forum. Xu Jianzhong (Deputy Director, Social Affairs Department, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs) and Sun Xiaohong (Director, Social Welfare Department, SMBCA) attended.
In his opening remarks, Xu Jianzhong pointed out that domestic businesses of assistive products have, on the whole, “made common cause for industrial progress, brought into shape a preliminary industrial support system, steadily promoted piloting and demonstration, set the trend for targeted development, and constantly strengthened the internally-driven development”. Nevertheless, as far as assistive products go, China still pales next to developed countries in industrial legislation, R&D investment, the number of hi-tech/patented products, and the preponderance of capital/technology-intensive products over labor-intensive ones. As global technologies are evolving with each passing day, intellectual property (IP), a strategic resource for national development and a core factor of competition in comprehensive national strength, is more and more closely bound up with industrial progress. Naturally, IP presents new opportunities and challenges for assistive products to boost their core competence.
Guided by SMBCA, a municipal ecosystem of assistive products-related innovation and IP was officially launched at the forum. Consisting of 16 leading companies, universities, research institutes, institutional investors, and IP service agencies, the ecosystem is committed to building an integrated platform for industrial cooperation and innovation.
At the forum, Sinofaith issued the White Paper on Assistive Products-related Technical Innovation and IP, China’s first authoritative white paper of its kind, and launched the Shanghai Patent Database for Assistive Products. Commissioned by SMBCA, the White Paper is based on field surveys and accurate big data analysis concerning global technical innovation in assistive products. It will contribute greatly to shaping the domestic market of assistive products, analyzing industrial competitiveness in technical innovation, identifying patent portfolios and risks, judging the industry development status, and making investment/financing decisions.
In their keynote speeches, Yu Hongliu (Vice President, Shanghai Rehabilitation Device Association; a professor at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology), Liu Qing (Vice General Manager, Shanghai Jinghe Robotics Co., Ltd.) and Guo Qing (Director, Shanghai Baoding Investment Co., Ltd.) examined innovation in assistive products from the perspectives of universities, leading companies, and institutional investors, respectively.
Yu Hongliu, Vice President of Shanghai Rehabilitation Device Association and professor at University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
Liu Qing, Vice General Manager of Shanghai Jinghe Robotics Co., Ltd.
Guo Qing, Director of Shanghai Baoding Investment Co., Ltd.
The forum pooled innovation resources across the industries related to assistive products, providing a communication and integration platform for talents from various sectors. It aims to establish IP as the cornerstone of innovation, connect social capital to innovative achievements and needy sectors, and lead industrial integration and innovation-driven development.