The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Interpat Director General Andrew Jenner (left), WIPO Director General Daren Tang (center) and IFPMA Director General David Reddy (right). Image: WIPO/Moulinet
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and Interpat have launched a new partnership that underlines a shared commitment to intellectual property supporting health innovation.
The new collaboration is designed to support startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the health technology, MedTech and biotechnology sectors in making strategic use of intellectual property (IP) to promote innovation.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at WIPO headquarters on June 29, 2026, provides a framework for collaboration that combines WIPO’s expertise in intellectual property management delivered through its Intellectual Property Management Clinics (IPMCs), with IFPMA’s global network of pharmaceutical industry associations and Interpat’s community of senior intellectual property and patent professionals.
The partnership builds on WIPO’s established IP Management Clinic methodology. In the past six years, WIPO has delivered more than 100 IPMC workshops in more than 60 countries, supporting over 3,500 SMEs and startups in strategic use of IP.
The new initiative aims to strengthen the ability of innovative companies to manage and leverage IP assets such as patents, trademarks, trade secrets and regulatory data. It is expected to enhance companies’ capacity to attract investment, negotiate partnerships and licensing agreements and make greater use of international systems.
As part of the collaboration, WIPO will provide technical methodology, training materials, mentoring framework and access to practical IP tools, while IFPMA and Interpat will mobilize their global networks of pharmaceutical and biotechnology associations to identify participating countries and support outreach to innovative SMEs and startups.
The first phase of implementation will focus on identifying several countries for an initial cycle of IP Management Clinics, with activities expected to begin later this year. The program will prioritize markets with growing health tech, MedTech and biotech ecosystems and strong demand for IP capacity-building among innovative companies.
The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening innovation ecosystems and supporting the development of health solutions through effective IP management. By bringing together public and private sector expertise, the partners aim to expand practical IP support for innovative companies and strengthen innovation-driven growth in the health sector.
“I am pleased to welcome the support from IFPMA and INTERPAT for WIPO’s Intellectual Property Management Clinics and a new phase in our partnership to support biotech and pharmaceutical startups in emerging markets. Improvements in health rely on intellectual property, which enables job growth and economic development and incentivizes the innovation on which human health and wellbeing depend. By pairing promising innovators with real-world expertise on IP strategy, these clinics strengthen local innovation ecosystems and help transform ideas into impact.” – Daren Tang, WIPO Director General.
“I am delighted that IFPMA is able to join this new partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization and Interpat. Intellectual property underpins the innovation cycle that makes the development of new medicines and vaccines possible. The global intellectual property framework allows IFPMA members to invest in R&D and collaborate with partners in a way that delivers medicines and vaccines to the people who need them. By working with WIPO and Interpat, IFPMA reaffirms our shared commitment to creating the conditions for science and collaboration to thrive worldwide.” – David Reddy, Director General, IFPMA
“Intellectual property delivers its full value when it is actively managed and embedded in business strategy. Through our network at Interpat, we are bringing expertise to help SMEs better understand, manage and leverage their IP to scale their innovations, tailored to their local ecosystems.I am pleased to be able to join colleagues at IFPMA and WIPO to strengthen this understanding and support future scientific research and development.” – Andrew Jenner, Director General, Interpat
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Interpat Director General Andrew Jenner (left), WIPO Director General Daren Tang (center) and IFPMA Director General David Reddy (right). Image: WIPO/Moulinet
About IFPMA
IFPMA represents the innovative pharmaceutical industry at the international level, engaging in official relations with the United Nations and multilateral organizations. Our vision is to ensure that scientific progress translates into the next generation of medicines and vaccines that deliver a healthier future for people everywhere.
To achieve this, we act as a trusted partner, bringing our members’ expertise to champion pharmaceutical innovation, drive policy that supports the research, development, and delivery of health technologies, and create sustainable solutions that advance global health.
