This session will introduce and examine the provisions on innovation and Intellectual Property and the potential challenges and opportunities arising there from. The areas of focus are the explanation of the different types of Intellectual Property and their importance to stakeholders and an introduction to the Innovation and Competitiveness Programme and its opportunities and benefits for stakeholders.

1. INNOVATION
in the EPA
Antigua and Barbuda
10-11 March 2011
Malcolm Spence, Office of Trade Negotiations,
CARICOM Secretariat

2. Overview of presentation
• What is the Caribbean context?
• What is innovation in the Caribbean
context?
• What is in the EPA that might help?
• What to do and who to do what

3. The Caribbean Context
• Small, vulnerable, highly indebted
economies
• Producing narrow range of low value-
added, low technology exports
• Losing significant percentage of
qualified personnel to OECD countries

4. The Caribbean Context
• Reliance on non-reciprocal preferential
treatment in external markets
• Limited inherent capacity to achieve
through economies of scale in the face
of relentless globalisation

5. The Caribbean Context
• Low regional economic growth
averaging 1.8% per year over the last
twenty years
– 4.3% for developing countries
– 3.5% for Latin America

6. The Caribbean Context
• Some positives
– Strong regional cooperation (relatively)
and networks
– Diversity in population, culture, biological
and marine resources
– Creativity and its broad expression

7. The Caribbean Context
• But ...
• ... low expenditure on research and
development
– <0.15% GDP per year
– 0.55% for Latin America

8. Overview of presentation
• What is the Caribbean context?
• What is innovation in the Caribbean
context?
• What is in the EPA that might help?
• What to do and who to do what

9. Innovation in the Caribbean
• What is the Caribbean’s innovation
potential?
– Problem solving and innovation in
Agriculture and Energy

10. Innovation in the Caribbean
• Plant breeding, traditional and modern
– Genetic resources
(collections in sugar cane, cocoa. Also
bananas? pineapple? cotton? hot
peppers?)
• Renewable Energy sector
– Solar, wind, geo-thermal and current flow

11. Innovation in the Caribbean
• Renewable Energy sector
– Power from solar, wind, geo-thermal and
current flow
• So what do we need to improve

12. Innovation in the Caribbean
• Intellectual Property
• Intellectual Asset Auditing and
Management

13. Innovation in the Caribbean
• Mining the Intellectual Property
registration system for strategic
information
• Negotiating licences in and out

14. Innovation in the Caribbean
• Creativity and innovation
– Music and literature
– Designs and fashion
– Audio-visual works
– Tourism – all-inclusive hotels (and fetes?)

15. Overview of presentation
• What is the Caribbean context?
• What is innovation in the Caribbean
context?
• What is in the EPA that might help?
• What to do and who to do what

16. What is in the EPA
– Agreement that innovation important and
intellectual property rights can help
– Agreement that CARIFORUM eligible for
EU innovation support programmes
– Agreement to promote and facilitate
technology transfer

17. What is in the EPA
– Asymmetrical obligations on TRIPS
– WIPO Internet Treaties
– Patent Cooperation Treaty
– Geographical Indications extension
– Increased transparency for enforcement

18. What is in the EPA
• Implementation by 2014
– Unless agreed otherwise taking into
consideration level of development and
development priorities
• Haiti by 2021
– Unless agreed to extend as per WTO

19. What is in the EPA
• Development Cooperation
– The Parties agree that cooperation
activities will be particularly important in
the transition period referred to in Articles
139 and 140 (2007 – 2014)

20. What is in the EPA
• Development Cooperation
– SME Competitiveness and Innovation
– Science and Technology
– Information society and ICTs
– Eco-innovation and renewable energy

21. What is in the EPA
• Development Cooperation
– Regional Initiatives
– Preparation of laws
– Geographical Indications
– Codes of conduct

22. Overview of presentation
• What is the Caribbean context?
• What is innovation in the Caribbean
context?
• What is in the EPA that might help?
• What to do and who to do what

23. What to do and by who
• Governments and innovation
– Provide supportive regulatory
environment
– Place Intellectual Property Office in
Planning and Development portfolio
– Support innovation through procurement

24. What to do and by who
• International Development Partners
and innovation
– Inter-American Development Bank
(supporting work needed to identify
Caribbean innovation systems)
– IDRC (supporting “brain circulation”
patterns)

25. What to do and by who
• International Development Partners
and innovation
– European Community programmes
through the Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA)

26. What to do and by who
Competitiveness and Innovation
Programme (CIP)
http://ec.europa.eu/cip/
The current CIP runs from 2007 to 2013
Overall budget of € 3621 million

27. What to do and by who
Seventh Framework Programme for
Research and Technological
Development (FP7)
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

28. What to do and by who
The FP7 runs from 2007 to 2013
Overall budget of € 6.4 billion
€ 4 billion for People, € 1 billion for SMEs)

29. What to do and by who
http://www.enterprise-europe-
network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/
cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3537&la
ng=en

30. What to do, and by who
• Education Institutions
– Make patent searching compulsory for all
technology projects and programmes
– Establish Offices of Technology Transfer
– Establish research networks

31. What to do, and by who
• Ministry of Finance or Development
– Determine innovation (and
competitiveness) metrics for small
economies (do not forget the diaspora)

32. What to do, and by who
• Business Training Courses
– Provide courses in Innovation
Management and Research Management
in small firms
– Provide courses in intellectual asset
auditing and strategic management

33. What to do, and by who
• Firms
– Create research networks and
partnerships with other firms, universities
and Government
– Understand the intellectual property
system and how to exploit it

34. What to do, and by who
• Firms
– Undertake intellectual asset audits and
develop intellectual asset management
strategies

35. Overview of presentation
• What is the Caribbean context?
• What is innovation in the Caribbean
context?
• What is in the EPA that might help?
• What to do and who to do what

36. Reflections on winners
• Where economies of scale do not
provide a significant competitive
advantage
• Where output can claim uniqueness
from location

37. Reflections on winners
• Understanding IP Licensing
– Content for the Digital Environment
– New varieties of plants and Geographical
Indications
• Essential oils and oleoresins (colours,
flavours, smells and catalysts)

38. Reflections on winners
• Bio-ceuticals
• Green integrated circuits – ICTs
• G4 Algae biofuels – Renewable
energy

39. Reflections on winners
Eco-innovation
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eco-
innovation/index_en.htm

40. THANKS FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
malcolm.spence@crnm.org
+1 246 243 1573