March 8, 2023: International Women's Day

On the occasion of International Women's Day, on March 8, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, O.A. (SPTO), with the collaboration of the National Innovation Company S.A., (ENISA), the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and the Spanish National Research  Center (CSIC), organized a conference where leading women in innovation in the health sector and entrepreneurs narrated their experiences in the world of entrepreneurship, technology transfer and the search for investment.

The conference was inaugurated by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto. The SPTO Director, Aida Fernández, has presented two round tables, the first related to research in the biosanitary sector and the technology transfer and the second, with female entrepreneurship.

The first round table discussed issues such as the challenges when engaging in the transfer of research results, the health area as a sector with the largest number of women researchers and the existence or not of a gender bias when it comes to Start up and get funding.

All the speakers agreed on the importance of protecting the results of the investigations with the aim of attracting investors, a necessary means to bring a product to the market and to reach the user. Without adequate protection of innovation through industrial property rights, it is difficult to obtain the necessary investment.

The second round table featured successful women who launched into entrepreneurship, breaking with the clichés and stereotypes associated with business prestige.

In addition, the SPTO joined the initiative led by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in which more than twenty industrial property offices from around the world participate to share a joint statement that highlights the important role of women in innovation.

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is "DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality". In many countries, women are underrepresented in the IP system and in access to digital technologies. This statement underlines the commitment of national industrial property offices to work together to support and empower women and girls to access innovation and the creative economy in an inclusive way to achieve their career aspirations through the use of the IP system.

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Joint Statement here