JPO’s Measures to Support
SMEs & Universities
May 2, 2023
Takao OGIYA
Executive Counselor, Director General
APIC, JIPII

Number of Patent Applications Filed by SMEs

Large-scale business enterprises
0.3%

SMEs
99.7%

Total number of business enterprises:
approx. 3.59 million

SMEs
16.1%

Large-scalebusiness enterprises
83.9%

No. of patent applications filed by domestic parties:
approx. 245 thousands

Source: Japan Patent Office Annual Report 2020

Applications by SMEs
—Change in the Number of Patent Applications—

Change in the number of patentapplications filed by SMEs
(Cases)No. of applications

Percentage of thenumber of applications(Year)
Source: Japan Patent Office Annual Report 2020

JPO’s Measures to Support SMEs in Each Business Phase
Acquisition ofintellectual property

Idea / R&D

Productization

Overseasexpansion[Provision of IP information](1) Provision ofJ-PlatPat(2) Support Project for
Patent Information
Analysis(6) Licensable Patent
Information Database(8) Provision of information on the IP(7) Intellectual property
finance promotion
project(9) Support concerning
various costsof emerging countries and regions[Funding support](3) Patent fee
reduction/exemption[Expert advice](4) Trade SecretProtection Support Services[Support regarding trialsand examination](10) Overseas IP producer
international businessrelated IP support services(5) Accelerated examination(patents)

Crosssectionalsupport(11) IP Comprehensive Helpdesks One-stop point of contact for IP consultation on a nationwide scale(12) Intellectual property right experts Hands-on support for SMEs, in-house training, explanatory
sessions regarding IP systems, seminars

IP Comprehensive Helpdesk have been set up in 47 prefectures as central organs to hear IP-related problems
from SMEs
At the Centers, support staff provide SMEs with solutions to their problems and cooperate with various IP
experts and support organizations to help SMEs use IP in their existing and new business activities

••
•
••

Wish to protect R&D results appropriately
Need to know IP-related support measures
Wish to fight against counterfeiting overseas
Need to know how to protect regional brands
Wish to effectively obtain patents based on
business models

Playing the role of an
SME’s IP department••••••

Support staff provide
solutions right away

SupportExplain IP systems to raise awareness of the importance of IPGive advice on whether SMEs should obtain rights or keep theirinventions and discoveries undisclosed in the form of know-how
Provide information on IP-related support measures
Explain outlines of overseas IP systems and procedures
Explain the regional collective trademark system
Provide support via external expert teams

IP Comprehensive
Helpdesk

SMEs

Request for consultation

In order to provide advanced consultation
Cooperate with IP experts and collaborative organizations
IP experts⚫ Patent attorneys⚫ Lawyers⚫ SME management consultants⚫ Former IP staff at companies
Collaborative organizations⚫ SME support organizations(SME Support Japan, societiesof commerce and industry,chambers of commerce andindustry)⚫ Universities and researchinstitutes⚫ Overseas expansion supportorganizations (e.g. INPIT,JETRO)IP experts visit SMEs to provide support⚫ Patent attorneys⚫ Lawyers⚫ SME management
consultants⚫ Former IP staff atcompanies

Universities’ Role as Innovator• Universities take roughly 20% R&D budget and 40% researchersin Japan.
• JPO expects their high potential for innovation.
R&D Budget
8%

4% Number of Researchers

19%38%

190B $875,000
58%

7…

UniversitiesCompanies

Others

Source : Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,' Research survey report on science and technology’ (2019)

Trend in Universities’ Patent Applications

Number of Patent Applications Filed by Universities

Source: JPO Status Report 2020

Outline of JPO’s Programs for Universities➢ JPO and INPIT offer programs for universities in each stage of R&D.

Benefits to the society② IP Producers(2011~)

National R&D
projects

Reliability,
R&D budgets etc.

Univ.

Basicresearch

Collaboration withcompanies(Licensing,Joint researches)

Launching business

IPAS
IP BASE

Appliedresearch① IP StrategyDesigners (2019~)③ IP advisors foruniversity-industry collaboration(2016~)