The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently officially launched the WIPO Green Acceleration Project in the Philippines. This initiative aims to connect innovative environmentally sustainable technologies with real-world needs, strengthening the Philippines' capacity to address climate and sustainable development challenges.

The project will focus on target industries, identify priority issues, and match them with appropriate domestic and international technologies; simultaneously, it will bring together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to support technology application, technology transfer, and large-scale implementation, striving to transform innovation into feasible and scalable solutions.

In view of the local context of the Philippines, WIPO has identified the fisheries sector as the priority direction for the project, citing the Philippines' status as an archipelagic nation and the sector's vital importance to food security, livelihoods, employment, and environmental sustainability. The scope of the project covers commercial fisheries, municipal fisheries, and aquaculture.

Potential solutions to be explored by the initiative include: climate-resilient fishing operations, optimization of bycatch monitoring, early warning systems, sustainable aquaculture technologies, and improved processing, traceability, and certification systems.

WIPO Green is an online platform that connects technology providers, seekers, and stakeholders to facilitate climate action. It also serves as a technology marketplace, promoting technological exchange and collaboration by relying on its database, partner network, and acceleration projects.

Officer-in-Charge of IPOPHL, Nathaniel S. Arevalo, stated during the hybrid online-offline launch ceremony: "For the Philippines, this initiative is timely and crucial. As a country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, we recognize that innovation must be at the core of our response to the urgent needs of the Filipino people and the planet. Through this project, we aim to enhance technology transfer, support Filipino innovators, and promote sustainable solutions that enhance resilience."

Arevalo called on all stakeholders to participate actively, share technologies, identify the needs of coastal communities, and build partnerships to transform innovation into tangible results.

The project is supported by the Japan Patent Office (JPO) through the Funds-in-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global and will work in collaboration with Eco-Innovation Consulting Inc. (EICI). As an entity under the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, EICI will work closely with fishing communities to identify technological needs, upload them to the WIPO Green database, match them with applicable technologies, and connect stakeholders and partners to drive deployment and implementation.

The project is expected to complete technology matching results by the end of 2026 and form research conclusions regarding the barriers and opportunities for green technology promotion in the Philippines, contributing to the country's climate and development endeavors.

Chamlette D. Garcia, Assistant Director of the Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB) under IPOPHL, stated: "IPOPHL, through the DITTB, will continue to promote the WIPO Green database as an efficient technology matching tool to foster innovation in the Philippines and support the environment and future sustainability."