The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) has been diligently working to improve patent examination in recent years. IP Vietnam officially launched the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Project Office on May 7, 2024, to further enhance efficiency and staff capabilities. Titled "Improving the Capacity of Processing Patent and Trademark Applications of the IP Vietnam," the project signifies a remarkable step forward in international cooperation. The launch ceremony in Hanoi, attended by key figures like Mr. Tran Le Hong (Deputy Director of IP Vietnam), Mr. Matsumoto Izumi (First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam), and JICA experts, underscored IP Vietnam's strong commitment to developing a productive Vietnamese IP system.

The project launched on February 21, 2023, with the issuance of Decision No. 182/QD-BKHCN by the Minister of Science and Technology (MOST). This decision approved the project document outlining the capacity improvement initiative. Following this approval, IP Vietnam will soon establish a dedicated Project Management Board and a working team for Patent Examination. The project, sponsored and implemented by the Japanese Government, results from close collaboration in the development and proposal stages.

Furthermore, the JICA project focuses on three key activities: staff training at the IP Vietnam, patent and trademark examination procedure innovation, and support in building a quality management system. These efforts aim to achieve significant improvements such as: enhancing the quality and efficiency of processing patent and trademark applications (especially patents), reducing examination times and costs, and ultimately, promoting scientific, technological, and innovative development in Vietnam.

This initiative is particularly timely, considering the growing demand from domestic and foreign applicants for patent registrations. Therefore, IP Vietnam is taking steps to keep pace with this evolving social landscape.

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