Intellectual Property Week

In Finland, the World IP Day celebrations stretch over four days from 21 to 24 April. Through this special day the World Intellectual Property Organisation WIPO, a United Nations specialised agency, wishes to draw attention to the great significance of creativity and innovations for wealth creation and the wellbeing of mankind. In Finland, the day has also been declared the Finnish Inventor’s Day.

The theme for 2009 is ‘Recovery through innovation’, which is very topical considering the current economic situation. The goal is, in accordance with the Finnish Innovation Strategy, to challenge all Finns to revise their thinking and to innovate. Creativity, innovations and inventions help deliver prosperity in the long term, too.

A main ceremony will be preceded by a national Innovation Parliament in Turku on 21–22 April where the theme is studied more thoroughly. The Parliament is a two-day seminar for 150 stakeholders, and consists of working groups which strive to find new initiatives to strengthen competitiveness and, in a plenary meeting, to make recommendations. The main ceremony will also be preceded by a Copyright Day on 23 April at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. This event emphasises the role and growing importance of copyright.

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Ministry of Education, and the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) actively support the World IP Day.

The host of the Innovation Parliament is the City of Turku. The World IP Day main ceremony is hosted by the Aalto University, in co-operation with the actual initiators of the event, the NBPR, Suomalaisten Keksijöiden Tukiyhdistys (an association for the support of Finnish inventors), and Headline Oy, which is the practical organizer. The main ceremony, which also includes the awarding of the Konsta Prizes to inventors, will be held on 24 April at the Helsinki School of Economics.

‘Official’ parts of the week

21–22 April: Innovation Parliament, Mauno Koivisto Centre, Turku

23 April: Copyright Day, Finlandia Hall, Helsinki

23 April: Reception by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of Education, House of the Estates, Helsinki

24 April: World Intellectual Property Day Main Ceremony, Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki