# International Federation of Inventors' Associations

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The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA)is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in London under the supervision of the United Nations, on July 11, 1968, by inventors of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

## IFIA history

IFIA was established in 1968 in London by the cooperation of the representatives of seven European countries, namely Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The IFIA is registered as one of the partners of International Geneva United Nation Office in Geneva. The IFIA logo registered in Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. The organization has member organizations in more than 100 countries, and around 175 member organizations in total. The IFIA has a General Assembly, that includes an Executive Committee and elects the IFIA President.In 2018 the IFIA founded the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival

## IFIA affiliations

IFIA has observer status (Special Category – Technology) at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development;observer status at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO);has United Nations Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) consultative status;is a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the European Patent Office (SACEPO);and is included among the Assembly of Professional Society in European Alliance for Innovation (EAI).IFIA received a grant special consultative status from the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on June 6, 2019.IFIA also is Members of MIT's Solve community.

## Organizational structure

The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) operates through the following organizational bodies:
* General Assembly: The highest governing body of the federation, composed of member countries.
* President:The highest executive authority, elected by the General Assembly for a four-year termfrom among the experienced and influential members.
* The Vice Presidentsare appointed by the IFIA President and approved by the Executive Committee. Their tenure and responsibilities are aligned with IFIA’s mission to foster global innovation and intellectual property awareness. A full list of IFIA Vice Presidents is available on the official IFIA website https://www.ifia.com.
* Executive Committee:The policymaking body of the federation, appointed by the General Assembly for a two-yearterm.
* Secretaries:Executive managers overseeing various operational areas of the federation, appointed by the President.
* Regional Networks: Coordinators of continental programs, representing the five global regions.
* Treasurer:Manages financial operations and auditing.

## Full Members of the International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA)

The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) consists of full members representing national inventor associations, innovation organizations, and institutions that actively contribute to the promotion of invention and innovation worldwide. These full members are recognized by IFIA as official representatives of their respective countries, working collaboratively to support inventors, enhance intellectual property awareness, and foster a global innovation ecosystem.
As full members, these organizations participate in IFIA’s General Assembly, Executive Committee meetings, and policy-making decisions, ensuring the federation remains a strong advocate for inventors on an international level. They are also responsible for organizing IFIA-endorsed invention exhibitions, competitions, and educational programs in their regions.
Currently, IFIA comprises full members from over 100 countries, spanning five continents, making it one of the largest global networks dedicated to innovation and invention. The full members play a crucial role in supporting inventors through:
* Providing legal and financial assistance for patent protection.
* Organizing national and international invention fairs to showcase new technologies.
* Collaborating with governmental and non-governmental organizations to promote research and development.
* Facilitating international cooperation among inventors and innovators.
Below is a list of IFIA’s full members, categorized by country:
Full Members of the International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) :
| Country | Member Organization | Website |
| Argentina | Argentina Association of Inventors (AAI) | |
| Armenia | National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) | nuaca.am |
| Australia | Australia Inventors Association Incorporated (AIAI) | inventorvic.com.au |
| Austria | Austrian Association of Innovators, Patent Holders, and Inventors (OPEV) | erfinderverband.at |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | The Inventors Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AIBIH) | inovacije.ba |
| Brazil | International Brazil Innovative Inventors, Scientist and Entrepreneur Association (ABIPIR) | abipir.org.br |
| Bulgaria | Union of Inventors in Bulgaria | sibulgaria.org |
| Bhutan | Bhutan Youth Development Fund (YDF) | innovatebhutan.org |
| Canada | First Institute of Canadian Inventors (FICI) | fici.ca |
| China | China Association of Inventions (CAI) | www.cainet.org.cn) |
| Croatia | Union of Croatian Innovators (UIH) | inovatorstvo.com |
| Cyprus | Global Invention Forum (GIF) | invent-forum.com |
| Czech Republic | Czech Union of Inventors and Rationalizers (CUIR) | csvz.cz |
| Denmark | Danish Inventors Association (DIF) | opfinderforeningen.dk |
| Egypt | Egyptian Council for Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property Protection (ECCIPP) | eccipp.org |
| Finland | Foundation for Finnish Inventions | keksintosaatio.fi |
| France | French Federation of Inventors | federationfrancaisedesinventeurs.fr |
| Germany | German Inventors Association (DEV) | erfinder.dev |
| Georgia | Inventors Club of Georgia (ICG) | |
| Hungary | The Association of Hungarian Inventors (MAFE) | inventor.hu |
| Iceland | Iceland Inventors Association (SFH) | nyhugmynd.com |
| India | Indian Innovators Association (IIA) | indiainvents.in |
| Indonesia | Indonesian Invention and Innovation Promotion Association (INNOPA) | innopa.org |
| Iran | The First Institute of Inventors and Researchers in I.R. IRAN (FIRI) | inventor.ir |
| Iraq | Iraqi Society of Inventors and Innovators (ISII) | iiis-iq.org |
| Italy | National Association of Inventors (ANDI) | andi-inventori.com |
| Japan | Japan Institute for Promoting Invention and Innovation (JIII) | jiii.or.jp |
| South Korea | Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA) | kipa.org |
| Kuwait | Kuwait Science Club (KSC) | ksclub.org |
| Latvia | Latvian Inventors Association (LIA) | izgudrotaji.lv |
| Lebanon | National Association for Science and Research (NASR) | nasr.org.lb |
| Lesotho | Mothapo Development Organization (MDO) | |
| Libya | National Foundation for Libyan Inventors (NFLI) | |
| North Macedonia | National Association of Inventors of Macedonia (NAIM) | naim.mk |
| Malawi | Sustainable Development Solutions Organization (SUDESO) | |
| Malaysia | Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) | minds.net.my |
| Nigeria | Organization for Creativity, Innovation and Invention Promotion (OCIIP) | ociip.org |
| Pakistan | Pakistan Science Club (PSC) | paksc.org |
| Palestine | Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence (HCIE) | hcie.ps |
| Papua New Guinea | MSME Council (The Voice of Small Business) | msmepng.com |
| Philippines | Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) | tapi.dost.gov.ph |
| Poland | Association of Polish Inventors and Rationalizers (SPWiR) | polskiewynalazki.pl |
| Portugal | |
| Qatar | Qatar Scientific Club (QSC) | qsc.org.qa |
| Romania | Romanian Inventors Forum (FIR) | afir.org.ro |
| Russia | Moscow Public City Organization of All Russian Society of Inventors and Rationalizers (MGO VOIR) | mosvoir.ru |
| Saudi Arabia | |
| Serbia | Belgrade Association of Inventors (BAI) | inventbg.org |
| Singapore | Singapore Inventors Development Association (SIDA) | sida.org.sg |
| Slovakia | Association of Slovak Scientific and Technological Societies (ZSVTS) | zsvts.sk |
| Slovenia | Association of Slovenian Inventors (ASI) | |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC) | slic.gov.lk |
| South Africa | Institute of Inventors and Innovators (III) | iii.org.za |
| Spain | Spanish Inventors Club (SIC) | inventoseinventores.com |
| Sweden | Swedish Inventors Association (SUF) | uppfinnare.se |
| Switzerland | Geneva International of Inventions (GIIE) | inventions-geneva.ch |
| Syria | Syrian Inventors Association (SIA) | syrianinventors.org |
| Tanzania | Tanzania Inventors and Techno-Thinkers Consortium (TITC) | |
| Thailand | Association of Thai Innovation and Invention Promotion (ATIP) | atip-thailand.org |
| Tunisia | Tunisian Association for Innovation and Invention (TAII) | |
| Uganda | ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) | ranlab.org |
| Ukraine | Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (JAS) | man.gov.ua |
| United Kingdom | British Inventors Association (BIA) | |
| United Arab Emirates | |
| United States | United Inventors Association (UIA) | uiausa.org |
| Uzbekistan | Uzbek Association of Inventors (UAI) | |
| Vietnam | Research Institute of Creative Education (RICE) | rice-ins.com |
| Zambia | Inventors and Innovators Association of Zambia (IIAZ) | |
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Association of Inventors (ZAI) | |

## Presidents

The President shall be elected by the General Assembly for a period of four years (until the ordinary session of the General Assembly).
IFIA Presidents :
| Name | Country | Term |
| Mr. A. W. Richardson | Great Britain | 1968–1972 |
| Mr. Harald A R Romanus | Sweden | 1972–1976 |
| Dr. Friedrich BURMESTER | Germany | 1976–1980 |
| Mr. Leif Gottfred Nordstrand | Norway | 1980–1984 |
| Mr. Bo-Goran Wallin | Sweden | 1984–1988 |
| Mr. Clarence P. Feldmann | Switzerland | 1988–1992 |
| Dr. Farag MOUSSA | Switzerland | 1992–2004 (*) |
| Mr. Eduardo Roberto Fernandez | Argentina | 2004–2006 |
| Dr. András VEDRES | Hungary | 2006–2014 (*) |
| Alireza Rastegar | Iran | 2014–present (re-elected in 2023) |

## IFIA activities

The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) undertakes various activities to support and promote innovation and invention worldwide. IFIA organizes and supports the publication of reference books, guides, surveys, studies, conferences and conventions,Suryadinata, Leo (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 845. ISBN 978-981-4345-21-7. Retrieved March 5, 2025.</ref> illustrative exhibits related to inventors and inventions, and consultative services. They also sponsor the IFIA Awards, which since 2015 have including the Best Invention Medal, Ambassador Medal, and the Memorial medal. Prior awards have included the Global Golden Medal. The Memorial Medal has been awarded to Ivo Josipoviæm, Teresa Stanek Rea, USPTO Acting Director Benoît Battistelli, EPO President Miklós Bendzsel, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, and Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong.

## IFIA Awards

The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) Awards
Recognizing outstanding achievements in innovation, invention, and technological advancements, these awards aim to support and encourage inventors by acknowledging their contributions to global progress and are selected by the IFIA Jury Board.
- Types of IFIA Awards IFIA grants various awards, including:
* IFIA Best Invention Award – Given to groundbreaking innovations in different fields.
* IFIA Woman Inventor Award – Recognizing outstanding female inventors.
* IFIA Young Inventor Award – Encouraging young innovators and students.
* IFIA Innovation Excellence Award – Awarded to organizations or institutions contributing significantly to innovation.
* IFIA Green Innovation Award – Recognizing sustainable and eco-friendly inventions.
- Award Criteria and Recognition
- Awards are presented at international exhibitions, conferences, Awards are presented at international exhibitions, conferences, and competitions organized or endorsed by IFIA.
- Winners receive certificates, medals, and global recognition.
- The selection process is based on patent, creativity, innovation, impact, and market potential.
For more details, visit the official IFIA Awards page https://ifia.com/awards/.

## International Invention and Innovation Events Under the supervision and approval of IFIA

The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) endorses and supports various invention events worldwide to promote innovation and provide inventors with platforms to showcase their creations. Below is a list of notable IFIA-approved invention and innovation events:
IFIA-Approved Invention Events :
| Event | Location | Description |
| Silicon Valley International Invention Festival (SVIIF) | Santa Clara, California, USA | The world’s most prestigious and a major invention event held in Silicon Valley, highlighting global innovation. |
| Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions 2025 | Geneva, Switzerland | The world’s largest invention exhibition, supported by IFIA. |
| iENA – International Trade Fair | Nuremberg, Germany | One of the world's leading trade fairs for inventions and new products, bringing together innovators, investors, and industry leaders. |
| Korea International Women's Invention Exposition (KIWIE) | Seoul, South Korea | The world’s largest women-focused invention exhibition promoting female innovators. |
| International Competition for IFIA Members | Online | A prestigious international competition exclusive to IFIA members. |
| SIIF – Seoul International Invention Fair | Seoul, South Korea | One of the world's largest invention fairs, providing a platform for innovators to showcase their latest technologies and connect with investors and industry leaders. |
| IPITEx – International Intellectual Property, Invention, Innovation, and Technology Exposition | Bangkok, Thailand | A premier international event showcasing innovations, intellectual property advancements, and technological breakthroughs, held annually in Thailand. |
| Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE 2025) | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | One of Asia’s leading innovation exhibitions showcasing cutting-edge technologies and inventions. |
| Moscow International Salon of Inventions "Archimedes" | Moscow, Russia | An international platform for inventors, innovators, and scientists to showcase new inventions. |
| Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) | Taipei, Taiwan | Taiwan’s leading invention and technology exhibition, featuring global innovations. |
| Kuwait International Invention Fair (IIFME) | Kuwait | One of the Middle East’s biggest invention fairs, supported by IFIA. |
| EuroInvent – European Exhibition of Creativity and Innovation | Iași, Romania | A European innovation event bringing together researchers, inventors, and scientists. |
| AGRO ARCA – Agricultural Innovation and Rural Development Exhibition | Zadar, Croatia | A specialized exhibition focusing on agricultural inventions and rural development. |
| International Invention and Innovation Show INTARG® 2025 | Katowice, Poland | A global exhibition dedicated to showcasing inventions and technological advancements. |
| Indonesia Inventors Day – IYIA & WINTEX | Indonesia | A major event highlighting youth and professional inventors. |
| iCAN – International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada | Toronto, Canada | Canada’s largest innovation competition, welcoming inventors globally. |
| BIXPO – Bitgaram International Exposition of Electric Power Technology | Gwangju, South Korea | A global exhibition showcasing innovations in energy, electricity, and power technology, bringing together inventors, researchers, and industry leaders. |
| International Exhibition of Inventions "ARCA" | Zagreb, Croatia | An exhibition presenting innovations from Croatia and around the world. |
| Sri Lanka Sahasak Nimavum | Colombo, Sri Lanka | A national invention and innovation competition promoting creativity and technological advancements in Sri Lanka. |
| Beirut International Innovation Show (BIIS) | Beirut, Lebanon | Lebanon’s premier innovation fair showcasing inventors and startups. |
| Invent Arena – Czech Republic | Czech Republic | A biennial innovation event showcasing leading European inventors. |
| International Warsaw Invention Show (IWIS) | Warsaw, Poland | One of Europe's largest international events related to innovation and inventiveness. |
| World Competition of Chemical Inventions | Warsaw, Poland | Organized alongside IWIS, this competition emphasizes the significance of chemistry for societal advancement. |
Source: IFIA Official Events Page

## IFIA Magazine

The IFIA Magazine is the official publication of the International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA). It serves as a platform to showcase innovation, inventions, and global activities within the IFIA network. The magazine highlights achievements, events, and success stories of inventors worldwide, aiming to foster a culture of creativity and technological advancement.
Each issue of IFIA Magazine features updates on international innovation competitions, intellectual property developments, and member contributions. It is available online and accessible to inventors, researchers, and industry professionals.
For the latest edition, visit: https://ifia.com/ifia-magazine/.

## IFIA INV Members

The INV Membershipcategory within the International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA)is designed to recognize individual inventors who contribute to the field of innovation and technological advancements.
-Eligibility and Purpose
* INV Members are individual inventors who actively participate in innovation-related activities.
* The program provides access to global networking opportunities, innovation resources, and support from IFIA.
* Members benefit from participation in international exhibitions, competitions, and educational programs.
- Membership Benefits
* Recognition as part of IFIA’s global innovation network.
* Opportunities to showcase inventions in international events.
* Access to educational programs such as workshops and training sessions.
* Assistance with intellectual property protection and commercialization.
For more details, visit the official IFIA INV Membership page https://ifia.com/inv-members/.

## Sources of Revenue

The International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) generates revenue through various channels, including:
* Annual Membership Fees:Contributions from member organizations.
* Financial Support from International Organizations:Funding from higher-level international institutions.
* Sponsorships:Financial contributions from sponsors and partner organizations.